SNL's Michael Che defends Shane Gillis' gym joke controversy

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 13:21 · Archive

Michael Che dismissed backlash against Shane Gillis' controversial monologue about women's gym clothing as just 'comedy'.

Shane Gillis sparked controversy when hosting Saturday Night Live, joking in his opening monologue about women's workout clothing at public gyms in New York City. He described their shorts as 'neon, like, artificial bait-coloured' and joked about the difficulty of not looking at women while they exercise.

When asked about the backlash on the Today show, SNL's Weekend Update co-anchor Michael Che said the response was typical of comedy. 'That's comedy. It's like, you think it's funny, and then some people don't,' he said while promoting his new Netflix special, Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota.

Che revealed he had not seen Gillis' monologue when the show aired on Saturday, as he was busy working on cue cards for the programme. Before his Today appearance, Che had posted on Instagram that he would face difficult questions during press for his special, writing that he wondered 'what every f------ questions gonna be about' and thanking Gillis sarcastically.

How it is being reported

• SNL star disgusts fans after defending Shane Gillis’ sexist monologue: ‘This is painful’Shane Gillis has faced major criticism for his monologue jokes on Saturday Night Live (Picture: NBC) Saturday Night Live star Michael Che has been criticised after weighing in on the backlash surrounding Shane Gillis’ controversial joke about women at the gym. The SNL Weekend Update co-anchor was…Metro · 16 Oct, 13:05
• 'SNL' cast member Michael Che shrugs off Shane Gillis' monologue joke saying, 'that's comedy'Michael Che dismissed the Shane Gillis "Saturday Night Live" monologue backlash on the "Today" show Thursday, saying controversial jokes are just "comedy."Fox News · 15 Oct, 22:27

In this story: Michael Che · Shane Gillis · Saturday Night Live · NBC · Netflix · Today · New York City

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