Shane Gillis discussed the behind-the-scenes tensions surrounding his recent Saturday Night Live hosting appearance during an episode on the Joe Rogan Experience.
During the conversation, Gillis revealed that some SNL staff members were unhappy with his monologue material but ultimately allowed him to perform it. He said he deliberately avoided controversial jokes, opting instead for self-deprecating humor.
“The funniest part was I was going in and they were like, ‘What’s going on with the monologue?’ And I was like, ‘It’s not great, but I don’t say anything bad,'” Gillis recalled. “That was the whole time I was like, ‘Fellas, I’m giving you a solid C minus of a monologue, but I promise there’s no controversy. I’m calling myself fat for 10 minutes.'”
He explained that he had tested a version of the monologue at the Comedy Cellar a week before the show and received no negative reaction from the audience. Despite keeping the material relatively safe, the experience left him dealing with considerable online attention.
Gillis eventually decided to delete his social media accounts rather than keep up with the reactions. Recalling what it was like in the days that followed, he said, “I woke up like it was probably like 3 days after I deleted social media and this is me waking up every day… just wake up, look at your phone, go, ‘Oh no.'”
The comedian also described how the stress affected him physically. During a blood work assessment at a wellness center, a staff member recognized him and suggested that the results reflected the pressure he had been under.
“The lady was like, ‘I know who you are and I’m sure you’ve been stressed the last like month or so. That’s what it showed up,'” Gillis said. “I had a severe cortisol spike.”
Rogan also brought up the reaction within the comedy community, revealing that staff members at his Austin comedy club, the Mothership, had put together a list they called “Fellas Against Gillis.”
Rogan, meanwhile pointed to the difference between online reactions and how people behave when they meet comedians in person.
“In real life versus the internet, real life most people come up to me and they’re just friendly,” he said.
The conversation also touched on how SNL handles monologue material from established comedians. Gillis explained that hosts generally write their own sets rather than submitting material to the show’s staff writers to have it written for them.
He noted, “Not to defend SNL, they don’t approve it. They could shut it down. They could, but they don’t… like you don’t write your set and give it to them.”
Despite the reaction to his appearance, Gillis has continued performing and stayed away from social media. He also spent time in England working on his comedy, describing the experience as challenging but rewarding.
