THE FRONT PORCH: Where should comedians draw the line?

By Dakota Baker, RealWV

Recently, comedian Shane Gillis has come under fire for his SNL opening monologue, more specifically for his commentary on women in public gyms. Gillis stated on live TV as part of his monologue, “I haven’t been to the gym in so long I didn’t know women just dressed like wh*res now?” The comment has sparked debate across social media platforms.

Canadian actor, writer, producer, and director Dan Levy, responded to the monologue on social media, stating, “Women wearing short shorts to the gym does not make them wh*res. It makes the men calling them wh*res, misogynists… I am speechless that something like that can exist on live national television, and to be perfectly honest more men need to be standing up in opposition to it, because it is complacency that has created the environment with which women are sexually assaulted and it’s a conversation as opposed to a crime. Men need to be defending women more, this is not a women’s issue, this is an everybody issue.”

Some claim the monologue isn’t comedy; it’s just showing how people view women, while others praise Gillis for “saying what everyone is thinking.”

Another social media user made a post stating, Tthe normalization of casual misogyny like this directly contributes to rape culture. If you are against what happened at Cornell, you need to be against this too.” 

Many will say, “It’s just a joke,” as comedy is considered a form of artistic expression and free speech. However, is there a line to be drawn when it comes to harmful content? Is it impossible to enjoy comedy without doing so at the expense of someone else’s safety or dignity? 

View the full Dan Levy video here.

View the full Shane Gillis monologue here.