Gillis had also used homophobic language to describe other comedians in another episode of the podcast, he called stand-up Chris Gethard and director Judd Apatow “white f*ggot comics.” that’s more annoying than any other minority playing music loud on their phone.” “Why do the fucking ch*nks live there?” Gillis asked, explaining why Chinatown disgusts him. But later that same night, freelance journalist Seth Simons tweeted that during a September 2018 episode of the comedian’s podcast Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, which at the time was available on YouTube (but are now removed), Gillis and co-host Matt McCusker took time to “joke” about why they dislike Chinese and Asian people, Chinese food, and Chinatown. SNL announced that Gillis would be joining the cast last Thursday, September 12. We are sorry we did not see these clips earlier, and that our vetting process was not up to standard. The language is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable. We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. “We want SNL to have a variety of voices and points of view within the show, and we hired Shane on the strength of his talent as comedian and his impressive audition for SNL. “After talking with Shane Gillis, we have decided he will not be joining SNL,” a spokesperson on behalf of Lorne Michaels said in a statement. It’s the first time that a cast member has been removed from SNL prior to their first appearance, a motion that arrives in response to serious criticism of the show over the last several days. When we are unable to distinguish between poor comedic taste and bigotry, we diminish the evil of genuine racism.ĭavid Gordon is a sophomore majoring in business.Comedian Shane Gillis has been fired from the upcoming season of Saturday Night Live, according to NBC, just days after the network announced that he would be joining the cast.Īfter video surfaced of Shane Gillis using racial slurs in a 2018 podcast, and describing other comedians with homophobic insults, critics called for Gillis’s removal. A sincere apology and proof of how one has changed should be enough to earn our forgiveness.Ĭontinuing to boycott and shun those who have said stupid things will get us nowhere. If we are going to be able to progress as a society, there has to be some form of rehabilitation for those who have said offensive things. But a lot of the outrage that comes from TV shows such as SNL is over the top and disingenuous. I’m not arguing that comedians should be exempt from the professional costs that come with using racial slurs. And the boundaries of what topics are acceptable to joke about are constantly changing with time. Giving people a second chance is not downplaying the pain that racially hurtful language can cause, it is merely a recognition of the fact that we are all humans who say regrettable things.Īs Yang put it, Shane Gillis “does not strike me as malignant or evil… He strikes me as a still-forming comedian from central Pennsylvania who made some terrible and insensitive jokes and comments.”įor comedians, determining what constitutes edgy humor and what is legitimately hurtful is often difficult. While Yang does not represent the entirety of the Asian-American community, his response to Gillis’ anti-Asian jokes offers a refreshingly nuanced approach to how we should deal with offensive language. Yang wrote on Twitter, “As a society, we have become unduly punitive and vindictive about people making statements that some find offensive or distasteful” and later saying, “I think that he deserved another chance to keep his job.” Yang even reached out to Gillis about meeting to discuss why Gillis’ jokes were hurtful. Yang, who was one of the subjects of Gillis’ racial slur, came out in defense of Gillis, expressing his belief that Gillis should not have been fired from SNL. Presidential candidate Andrew Yang expressed similar views on the topic. While Gillis’ hurtful language and weak apology make him a difficult person to defend, Gillis’ situation with SNL is just another example of how we fail to adequately deal with offensive language, especially in comedy. Some found SNL’s decision to fire Gillis commendable while others viewed it as political correctness intruding on the art of comedy. I’m happy to apologize to anyone who’s actually offended by anything I’ve said.” Gillis has since released a statement on the matter, writing, “I am a comedian who pushes boundaries. A few weeks ago, SNL announced that it would be firing newly-hired comedian Shane Gillis after a podcast clip went viral in which Gillis mocks Chinese accents and uses an anti-Asian racial slur.
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