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Kenan Thompson has shared his thoughts on Shane Gillis’ recent SNL controversy. The comedian faced backlash over his opening monologue. Now, Thompson believes the controversy has overshadowed the episode’s positives.
What Kenan Thompson said about Shane Gillis’ SNL monologue
Kenan Thompson recently spoke at the Axios Media Trends Live summit in New York. He is currently in his 23rd season on SNL, making him the show’s longest-serving cast member. Thompson knows Shane Gillis and doesn’t consider him particularly mean.
However, he believes they would need a conversation. “Yeah, I know Shane. And I don’t know him to be, you know, a mean person necessarily. But, if he were to come back [to the show], I’m sure we would have a conversation of like, ‘How do you think that went?’ Like a little kid.”
Thompson then described how he would approach Gillis. “I would just sit him down and be like, ‘So what do you think we could change there, pal?’ And just figure it out.” He also talked about the challenge of balancing comedy with responsibility.
That means allowing creative freedom while considering potentially harmful words. However, He feels the controversy has become too dominant. He believes people are ignoring other memorable episode moments.
He said, “Everybody’s focusing in on this one specific word. Or one specific part of the monologue. And then, the rest of the monologue, or even the rest of the show, is getting overshadowed.” He pointed out Grace Reiter and Rosalía’s strong performance.
“Like, Grace [Reiter], one of our newest cast members, had a phenomenal show. It’s sad, because nobody is even talking about it. Even Rosalía is even kind of getting overshadowed, because we want to go back-and-forth on what’s offensive and what’s not.”
When asked whether Gillis could host SNL again, Thompson avoided making promises. He said, “That’s not my decision. But, if he were to come back, yeah, I think we’d have to have some sort of real chat where people’s actions don’t … wave pool the rest of us.”
The controversy began during Gillis’ hosting appearance on SNL. During his monologue, Gillis joked about women’s gym outfits. He said women at the gym “just dress like w****s now.” The comment sparked mixed reactions from several celebrities and fans.