Dan Levy Slams Shane Gillis Over "SNL" Monologue About Women
Dan Levy is speaking out after comedian Shane Gillis made crude remarks about women during his "Saturday Night Live" monologue, and his message has struck a chord with millions.
The "Schitt's Creek" co-creator and star posted an Instagram video Sunday calling out the joke, saying he was "speechless that something like that can exist on live national television," Parade reported.
What Gillis Said
Gillis hosted the October 10 episode of "SNL," marking his third time hosting the NBC sketch comedy show. During his opening monologue, he joked about going to public gyms in New York City before turning his attention to what women wear to work out.
"I didn't know women just dress like whores now?" Gillis said. "Look, I'm sorry, there's no other way to describe [it]." He also mentioned that he prefers working out at his friend Joe Rogan's private gym, where he can be alone. He went on to describe women's workout shorts in crude terms before telling the audience, "And don't look! You're not allowed to look."
The bit quickly drew criticism online, with some viewers questioning how the material made it to air.
Levy Fires Back
In his video, Levy pushed back directly on the joke. "Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them whores. It makes the men calling them whores misogynists," he said.
"I've seen more men's nipples at the gym than I've ever seen women showing their bodies off," Levy added, according to Fox News.
The actor argued that the issue goes well beyond comedy. He said men need to speak up, because "it's complacency that has created the environment in which women are sexually assaulted."
"Men need to be defending women more. This is not a women's issue; this is an everybody issue," Levy said. "The more that men objectify women in the media, the more that other men see them as objects. They are not objects. They are superior human beings to men."
He closed by acknowledging the risk of speaking out. "And I'm sorry if this gets me in trouble with the Internet," he said.
Celebrities Show Support
Levy's video has been viewed more than two million times, Global News reported. Viola Davis and Elizabeth Banks both voiced support in the comments, with Banks writing, "Nailed it." Jenni "JWoww" Farley of "Jersey Shore" responded with a string of clapping emojis.
Other commenters praised Levy for using his platform. One fan wrote that they "literally gasped" at Gillis's line, while another, pointing to the national conversation over sexual assault allegations at Cornell University, called the episode tone-deaf. A third argued that "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels should be held accountable if the show knew what was in the monologue.
Not everyone agreed with Levy. Lisa Cusack, president of the Don't L.A. My Burbank PAC, told Fox News Digital, "A woman wearing a skimpy outfit isn't necessarily a whore. A man noticing that she's using sex to get attention isn't automatically a misogynist." She added, "If you dress like a sex object on a screen, men are going to respond in a two-dimensional way."
Gillis Stays Quiet
Gillis's team declined to comment, and NBC did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Gillis has a complicated history with the show. He was fired from "SNL" in 2019, just days after being announced as a cast member, when clips resurfaced of him using racial slurs on a podcast. He has since returned to host the show multiple times.
Levy hosted "SNL" himself in 2021. He is best known for co-creating "Schitt's Creek," which also starred the late Catherine O'Hara.
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