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Twitter Reacts To Shane Gillis's Firing From 'Saturday Night Live'

September 17, 2019

Shane Gillis will go down in Saturday Night Live history as a castmember who never made it to his debut. Following the announcement of his hiring, a 2018 video arose displaying the comedian making blatantly racist remarks about Asian people. Then came a news cycle that dug up other recent remarks that trafficked in sexism, homophobia, Islamaphobia, and slurs. When Gillis's tweeted apology failed to move mercury, Lorne Michaels announced he'd been let go. And Gillis responded with all the grace you'd expect from a dude who thinks "ch*nk" is a boundary-pushing punchline.

Here's how Twitter reacted to Gillis' firing and his post-firing public statement.

Some mocked Gillis's parting shot, that declared he is "a mad tv guy anyway" [sic].

However, Gillis had defenders, including Mike Cernovich, who compared the comedian's recent use of racist and homophobic slurs to James Gunn making tasteless jokes on Twitter ten years ago.

SNL alum Rob Schneider, who has built a movie career on racist and sexist stereotypes, defending Gillis.

And former SNL alum David Slade weighed in by letting two other comedians discuss Gillis's firing. Jim Jeffries decried "cancel culture," while Bill Burr wonders if those outraged consider the possible "good things" Gillis has done. Then Slade showed sympathy for Gillis, suggesting he was unfairly targeted for scrutiny after being hired for one of the most coveted jobs in comedy, which would put him on the national stage weekly.

Some suggested the makers of SNL are hypocrites, considering past sketches and future guests:

For reference: Belushi was on the show from 1975-1979. Myers tenure was 1989-1995. And Eddie Murphy's comedy specials Delirious and Raw were recorded in 1983 and 1987 respectively.

And Democratic Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang, who Gillis called a "jew ch*ink" last May, offered:

Muslim activist Omar Suleiman suggested that the so-called cancel culture is against God's will. Others suggested he, like SNL, could stand to do a bit more digging.

And finally, some Twitter users had thoughts on this cancel culture that is being portrayed as a life-ruining menace.

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