In 2019, “Saturday Night Live” fired comedian Shane Gillis before he ever appeared on the show. That attempted cancellation did not hold, and the program has repeatedly welcomed him back as his profile has grown, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Gillis hosted for a third time last weekend, turning his monologue toward modern gym culture and the strange rituals created by social media.
The material ended with Gillis making himself the hapless target, but the outrage arrived anyway.
“I haven’t been to the gym in so long, I didn’t know that women just dress like whores now,” Gillis said, adding, “there’s no other way to describe it. Have you seen the shorts?” The provocative line was the setup rather than the entire joke.
Gillis continued by describing bright, revealing workout shorts designed to make women’s backsides appear perkier. He joked that the fabric gathers “around the cheeks and all combine at the butthole.”
The monologue then shifted from gym clothing to the social media performances unfolding around it.
“And don’t look. You’re not allowed to look. For real, don’t look. Because they are filming. I’m in the background of 10 TikToks right now.”
Gillis was describing online videos in which female fitness influencers film themselves exercising in public gyms.
Men who appear in the background may then be accused of staring, turning an ordinary public setting into content about unwanted attention.
Shane Gillis Explains What its like going to the gym in 2026 #shanegillis #snl https://t.co/HrubWEd5gQ
— comiccomedyclub (@comiccomedyclub) October 11, 2026 [2]
The joke targeted the absurdity of people seeking attention online and then objecting when it comes from someone they did not choose. Gillis cast himself as the unfortunate man trapped in the background of a TikTok and branded a creep.
That self mockery did not soften the response from his critics. They focused on his description of women’s clothing while overlooking the larger point about social media, gym filming and the attention economy surrounding fitness influencers.
The criticism also ignored how body positivity and the athleisure trend have changed workout clothing, according to the column. Comedy, in this view, is allowed to notice revealing gym attire and the contradictions surrounding those who display themselves publicly.
“Schitt’s Creek” star Dan Levy declared that he was “speechless that something like that can exist on live national television.”
Levy also labeled the routine misogynistic and argued, “Men need to be defending women more.”
Dan Levy Slams Shane Gillis’ ‘SNL’ Monologue: “Speechless That Something Like That Can Exist On Live National Television” https://t.co/VcZARD8MjB
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) October 12, 2026 [3]
The response reflected the culture clash surrounding Gillis. His supporters see a comedian willing to mock recognizable behavior, while progressive critics object to the language and targets he chooses when constructing those jokes.
Levy offered his own comparison, saying, “By the way, I’ve seen more men’s nipples at the gym than I’ve ever seen women showing their bodies off.” The column countered that his experience did not address the particular gym behavior Gillis was mocking.
It also challenged Levy to bring the same condemnation to rappers who profit from calling women degrading names without delivering punchlines.
The column similarly pointed to his father Eugene Levy’s participation in “American Pie,” a teen comedy franchise in which objectifying women was central to the plot.
The dispute arrived as Jamie Foxx described cutting material from his new Netflix special. Foxx told The Hollywood Reporter that he removed some jokes after seeing the backlash directed at edgier material in Kevin Hart’s roast.
“People became too sensitive,” Foxx said.
That complaint helps explain Gillis’ appeal to audiences tired of online comedy policing, because he continues performing material despite objections from a loud group of critics who would prefer tighter control over what can be joked about.
Gillis’ latest “Saturday Night Live” appearance showed that his 2019 dismissal did not end his relationship with the show or derail his rise.
Instead, his return gave critics another opportunity to revive the kind of outrage that failed to stop him the first time.