Longtime “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson said he would sit Shane Gillis down “like a little kid” to discuss the comedian’s controversial joke about women’s gym attire during his recent hosting stint, which drew criticism from fellow entertainers earlier this month.
Speaking at the Axios Media Trends Live summit on Tuesday, Thompson addressed the criticism of Gillis and discussed how he would handle the comedian’s potential return to host the show for a fourth time.
“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.
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Thompson, who is now in his 24th season of the show, stopped short of condemning the routine, but suggested performers must strike a balance between taking “creative liberties” in comedy and avoiding “harmful words.”
“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,” Thompson said.
“Because I think 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.”
Thompson also said the decision to invite Gillis back was not up to him, but he suggested the two would need to talk if the comedian returned.
“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.
Sitting alongside Thompson on the panel, Range Media Partners CEO Peter Micelli defended Gillis, arguing that fear of offending audiences is stifling comedy.
Calling Gillis a “lovely human being” and a “wonderful man” who spent most of his opening monologue poking fun at himself, Micelli argued that comedians need room to take risks without fear of backlash.
“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,” Micelli said.
“Comedians need some space to do some stuff to make us laugh. And if every time they step a little too far, in your opinion … then we’re gonna shut the whole thing down, then what kind of world are we [going to] live in?”
Gillis drew criticism from entertainment figures after joking during his opening monologue earlier this month that women at gyms “just dress like whores now.” The appearance marked his third time hosting the NBC sketch series.
“I haven’t been to the gym in so long. I didn’t know women just dress like whores now?” Gillis said. “Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe [it]. Have you seen it? I’ve seen it. You’ve seen the shorts? They’re those neon, like, artificial bait-colored [shorts], and the wrinkles go around the cheeks and all combine at the butthole. And don’t look! You’re not allowed to look.”
Among those who criticized the routine was “Schitt’s Creek” co-creator and star Dan Levy, who posted a video on social media condemning Gillis’ remarks.
“Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them whores. It makes the men calling them whores misogynists,” Levy said. “There’s a difference there. By the way, I’ve seen more men’s nipples at the gym than I’ve ever seen women showing their bodies off.”
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Other comedians, however, offered a different perspective. Fellow “SNL” cast member Michael Che addressed the controversy on NBC’s “Today” show Thursday, arguing that jokes don’t always land with audiences.
“That’s comedy. It’s like, you think it’s funny, and then some people don’t,” Che said.
He said he did not initially see Gillis’ monologue when the show aired. When he eventually watched it, Che said he “didn’t think about it, honestly.” He added that his experience delivering jokes that haven’t landed while co-anchoring “Weekend Update” with Colin Jost has kept him from criticizing other comics.
“That’s why I can’t criticize anybody for swinging and missing, because I’ve definitely swung and missed, too,” Che said. “I try to keep that heat off of me.”
Former “SNL” cast member Dana Carvey also questioned the criticism during Monday’s episode of his “Fly on the Wall” podcast with David Spade, saying he didn’t “understand the kerfuffle.”
“When you say jokes, you’re not literally saying ‘women are whores.’ You are literally joking,” Carvey said. “Isn’t that kind of the idea? No? Did I just get canceled?”
Comedian and media analyst Tim Young had a similar take, telling Fox News Digital that the controversy surrounding Gillis reflects what he sees as a growing divide between comedy fans and audiences of traditional network television, including “SNL.”
“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 pointed to Gillis’ success selling out arenas outside traditional network television.
“This wasn’t for that audience in New York, and it wasn’t for the ‘SNL’ audience,” Young added. “It was for his audience, and his audience, I think, is much larger than the ‘SNL’ audience.”
Young also argued that comedians should resist pressure to apologize in response to criticism on social media.
“Never apologize, because the apology is never enough,” Young said. “This audience, the leftists, they want this attention. They want to keep drowning out any other voices that they disagree with, and when you acknowledge that by apologizing, and you give them the power, they will never give it up and they will always want more. So it is very important to never apologize.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Thompson’s representatives for comment but did not receive a response. Gillis’ team declined to comment.
Fox News’ Lindsey Kornick contributed to this report.