SNL Veterans Spade and Carvey Defend Shane Gillis Amid 'Misogynistic' Joke Backlash

Saturday Night Live legends David Spade and Dana Carvey have defended comedian Shane Gillis against the backlash over a controversial monologue joke he delivered while guest-hosting the NBC sketch show.

During his recent appearance, Gillis, 38, made a joke about women at the gym, stating they "just dress like w****s now" and are constantly filming content. This led to an outpouring of criticism on social media, with some calling the remarks "misogynistic."

Appearing on their joint podcast, "Fly on the Wall," Spade and Carvey offered a different perspective. Carvey, a former SNL cast member, argued that Gillis's joke was not intended to be taken literally and expressed concern over the tendency to label jokes that are found unfunny as something that "should not be allowed to be said."

"Well, I just didn’t understand the kerfuffle, only ’cause to me, I just saw it as what we call – I’ll just say it – a joke," Carvey said. "Like he didn’t – when you say jokes, you’re not literally saying women are w****s. You are literally joking. Isn’t that kind of the idea?"

Spade, also an SNL alum, conveyed his exasperation with the public outcry, suggesting that "we just relax." However, Heather Santoro, Spade's assistant and the podcast's executive producer, countered that "the joke has to be actually funny. If you're gonna call a woman a w****, it's gotta be funny, and it wasn't."

Carvey theorized that Gillis's material likely performed well in comedy clubs but conceded that Saturday Night Live might not have been the appropriate venue, acknowledging the show's audience demographic. Spade, while seemingly agreeing the joke may have been ill-suited for SNL, urged Carvey not to "cave that fast," noting that Gillis did elicit laughs but was aware the joke would be provocative.

Spade also critiqued what he described as a shifting public sentiment on certain topics, referencing the debate around sex workers and OnlyFans. "Let's all decide what we hate and don't, and how about we just relax?" he remarked.

Gillis's monologue, which also included jokes about men's nipples and the design of women's activewear, garnered an average of 4.4 million live viewers, marking the most-watched episode of his three hosting appearances.

However, the comedian faced criticism from figures like Dan Levy, who denounced the joke in an Instagram video, stating, "Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them ws. It makes the men calling them ws misogynists. There’s a difference there."

NFL player Travis Kelce also drew attention for liking a post of Gillis's monologue on Instagram, leading to online criticism. Previously, Gillis was fired from Saturday Night Live in 2019, shortly after being hired, due to resurfaced clips containing racially insensitive remarks. He had issued an apology at the time, calling himself a "comedian who pushes boundaries."

Despite the past controversy, Gillis has since seen a resurgence in his career, releasing a stand-up special that achieved Netflix Top 10 status in several countries.