Michael Che has entered the fray over Shane Gillis‘ polarizing SNL joke, sharing that the comedian’s much-criticized gym joke amounts to nothing more than standard comedy fare. The Weekend Update co-anchor made his stance clear even as other stars continue to condemn Gillis’ monologue.
Michael Che calls Shane Gillis’ controversial SNL gym joke ‘comedy’
Gillis sparked outrage during his guest-hosting stint when he mocked women’s workout attire, saying he hadn’t visited a gym in so long he didn’t realize women “dress like w—– now.” The joke got severe backlash, but Che took a far more relaxed view when Today co-anchor Laura Jarrett asked for his reaction. “That’s comedy,” Che said. “It’s like, you think it’s funny and some people don’t.”
Che explained he never caught the SNL monologue live. He was stationed at cue cards, rehearsing his own material for that night’s Weekend Update segment. “So I didn’t even really see it until like the next day,” he said. Pressed again on his personal feelings, Che kept it brief: “I didn’t think about it, honestly.”
Jarrett later brought up Che’s annual tradition of trading blind jokes with co-host Colin Jost, noting the bits can hit hard. That prompted Che to extend some empathy toward Gillis. “Yeah, that’s why I can’t criticize anybody for swinging and missing,” he said. “I’ve definitely swung and missed too. I’ve tried to keep that heat off of me.”
Che’s diplomatic response contrasts with reactions from other corners of the SNL universe. Former cast member Ego Nwodim posted a pointed Instagram story of herself in athletic leggings and a matching workout top. “W—- reporting for duty,” she captioned it.
Dan Levy, co-creator and star of Schitt’s Creek, stated, “Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them w—–. It makes the men calling them w—– misogynists. There’s a difference there.”
Che, meanwhile, continues promoting his new stand-up special while navigating questions about a colleague’s controversy rather than his own work.
