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If you dont know Gillis but his name sounds familiar in an Oh, that guy!
Whats This Guys Deal With SNL?
Other examplesof Gillis using racist, sexist, and homophobic language emerged throughout the day.
On the evening of September 13, Gillis addressed the controversy via a since-deleted tweet.
Im a comedian who pushes boundaries.
Im happy to apologize to anyone whos actually offended by anything Ive said.
Later it was revealed that the lack of support was coming from the web connection, not Michaels.
NBC was in something of a panic,Michaels toldThe New Yorkerin 2022.
Four days after his hiring,SNLannounced Gillis would not be joining the cast after all.
We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days.
The language is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable.
Gillis posted his own statement on Twitter after theSNLannouncement.
It feels ridiculous for comedians to be making serious public statements but here we are, he wrote.
Im a comedian who was funny enough to get SNL.
That cant be taken away.
I respect the decision they made.
Im honestly grateful for the opportunity.
I was always a mad tv guy anyway.
Whats He Been Up to Since Then?
The press generated by GillissSNLdebacle turned out to be a boon for his stand-up career.
On the latter, Gillis demurred at the idea that being fired fromSNLhad made him a martyr.
I dont want to be a victim, I want to be a comedian, he said.
Its like,No, I get it.
I understand why I was treated that way.
I said wild shit.
Im going to keep saying wild shit.
Gillis has parlayed all of this momentum into continued success as a stand-up, podcaster, and sketch comedian.
Whats His Stand-up Like?
No comedian working today is more successful at playing the fence than Gillis.
Its a tricky thing to pull off, and Gillis does it in four seconds.
Much of Gilliss comedy follows a similar template.
(In both instances: Fucking Mr.
Potato Head is Trans?!)
(Gillis met Trump in July 2023.)
Onstage, Gillis plays the part of an oafish Everyman.
The closest comparison point of Gilliss sensibility, for better and for worse, is Louis C.K.
(Gillis and C.K.
are good friends.)
Gilliss fans extend beyond Burr and C.K.
:Sam Jay has called himthe best comedian working, and Jerrod Carmichael is also avocal supporter.
Why DoesSNLWant Him to Host?
For the same reasons Lorne Michaels wanted him on the cast in the first place.
Gillis is not an aberration but a culmination of certain trends atSNL,mixed with some underlying principles.
Bargatze, who by most accounts crushed his turn as host in October 2023, is instructive.
Its not a coincidence that Gilliss hosting stint is happening in an election year.
Michaelss agenda is to appear as to not have an agenda.
But more than anything, Gillis is hosting because he was fired and because Michaels lives for the drama.
