Kenan Thompson on Shane Gillis' SNL Monologue: I'd Sit Him Down 'Like a Little Kid'

Kenan Thompson, a long-serving cast member on "Saturday Night Live," stated that he would have a conversation with comedian Shane Gillis about his recent hosting monologue, likening the approach to speaking with a child. Gillis' monologue, which included a joke about women's gym attire, drew criticism from some entertainers.

"If he were to come back, I'm sure we would have a conversation of like, ‘How do you think that went?’ You know what I mean? And what do you think you could have done? Like a little kid, you know? Like I would just sit him down and be like, ‘Yeah, so what do you think we could change there, pal?’ And just figure it out," Thompson said at the Axios Media Trends Live summit on Tuesday.

Thompson, in his 24th season on the show, emphasized the need for comedians to balance creative freedom with the avoidance of harmful language. "I guess it's just finding the balance of both things, like allowing creative liberties, but also kind of like watching your step as far as harmful words are concerned," he explained. He noted that focusing on one specific part of a monologue can overshadow the rest of the performance.

While Thompson did not directly condemn Gillis' remarks, he suggested that if Gillis were to host again, a direct conversation would be necessary. "But if he were to come back, then yeah, I think we would have to have some sort of like, a real chat where, you know, people's actions don't, you know, kind of overly like wave pool the rest of us, if you will," he said.

Range Media Partners CEO Peter Micelli, also speaking at the summit, defended Gillis, arguing that fear of offending audiences is stifling comedy. Micelli described Gillis as a "lovely human being" and a "wonderful man" who primarily made self-deprecating jokes. He asserted that comedians require space to take risks without facing backlash, stating, "There's so much focus on what makes you angry and afraid. And there needs to be more focus on what makes you laugh and love and enjoy life."

Gillis' monologue, which aired during his third time hosting the NBC sketch series, contained the line, "I haven’t been to the gym in so long. I didn’t know women just dress like whores now?" He continued to describe the outfits, referring to them as "neon, like, artificial bait-colored [shorts], and the wrinkles go around the cheeks and all combine at the butthole."

Among those who criticized Gillis' remarks was Dan Levy, co-creator and star of "Schitt's Creek," who posted a video on social media stating, "Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them whores. It makes the men calling them whores misogynists." Levy also pointed out the presence of men's nipples at the gym.

Other figures in comedy offered a different perspective. Michael Che, an "SNL" cast member and co-anchor of "Weekend Update," told NBC's "Today" show that jokes do not always resonate with audiences. "That’s comedy. It’s like, you think it’s funny, and then some people don’t," Che said, adding that his own experiences with jokes not landing have made him hesitant to criticize other comics.

Former "SNL" cast member Dana Carvey questioned the criticism on his "Fly on the Wall" podcast with David Spade, stating he didn't "understand the kerfuffle." Carvey argued that comedians are not making literal statements but are engaging in humor, asking, "Isn’t that kind of the idea? No? Did I just get canceled?"

Comedian and media analyst Tim Young suggested that the controversy reflects a growing divide between comedy audiences and those of traditional network television. "Comedy is the last bastion of free speech. So if we’re [going to] start policing comedy, then we’re going to lose basically our First Amendment," Young said. He also noted Gillis' success with his own audience outside of mainstream networks. Young advised comedians against apologizing in response to online criticism, stating, "Never apologize, because the apology is never enough."