'SNL' cast member Michael Che shrugs off Shane Gillis' monologue joke saying, 'that's comedy'
"Weekend Update" anchor Michael Che didn't think much of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" host Shane Gillis' controversial monologue when asked about the backlash against the comedian on the "Today" show Thursday.
Gillis sparked controversy Saturday while hosting "SNL" for the third time. During his opening monologue, the comedian joked about going to public gyms in New York City before turning his attention to women's revealing workout clothing.
"I haven’t been to the gym in so long. I didn’t know women just dress like w----- 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."
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"Today" co-anchor Laura Jarrett asked Che, who was promoting his new Netflix comedy special "Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota," about a recent Instagram post where he appeared to mock the backlash against Gillis, writing, "Gotta do more press this week to promote the special. Wonder what every f------ questions gonna be about. Thanks a lot shane."
Che laughed at the show airing his censored post but did not think much of the pushback Gillis received for his comments.
"That’s comedy. It’s like, you think it’s funny, and then some people don’t," Che said.
He admitted that he did not initially see Gillis' monologue when the show aired, as he was busy working on the show's cue cards. By the time he did see Gillis' monologue, Che said that he "didn’t think about it, honestly."
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"There’s so much going on. It’s really hard to see what everyone is doing, especially for me. I’m not what they call ‘good at my job,’ so I don’t pay attention to that," Che said.
He added that his own experience delivering controversial jokes with his co-anchor 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."
Fox News Digital reached out to NBC for comment. Gillis' representative declined to comment on the matter.
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Comedian Tim Young called the backlash against Gillis proof that "woke" was not "dead" and agreed with Che's view on the situation.
"The backlash to Shane Gillis’ joke is more about attention-seeking behavior than actually being offended," Young told Fox News Digital. "And it’s not shocking that the same people seeking attention on the internet in tiny shorts at the gym are the same ones pretending to have their feelings hurt now."
He added, "Che is completely right here. Jokes aren’t meant for everyone. Some audiences love them and others don’t, but people can choose to tune in to what entertainment they like and don’t like. Also, some jokes hit and others don’t. Gillis’ jokes seem to hit much more than others since he is now the world record holder for largest comedy show ever. Both he and Che are hilarious comedians and are at their level for a reason and neither will be canceled because a certain group of people don’t like something they say."