New 'Saturday Night Live' Cast Member Criticized for Racist Comments
by EG
New Saturday Night Live cast member Shane Gillis used a racial slur to make jokes about Chinese restaurants not quite a year ago on a podcast, and now he's going to have to face the consequences. Get ready for the "it was a long time ago and I've evolved since then and it was only a joke and comedy is about being offensive" excuses. Read on for details.
Shane Gillis, one of three new Saturday Night Live castmembers announced Thursday, is seen using a racial slur in a since-deleted video on a YouTube channel called "Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast."
"Chinatown’s f**king nuts," Gillis says in a segment of the video. "Let the f**king ch---s live there."
Original audio of the Sept. 26, 2018, podcast and the YouTube video has since been deleted. Freelance writer and editor Seth Simons shared a clip on his Twitter account. Gillis also discusses Chinese restaurants in the video, saying, "The translation between you and the waiter is just such a f**king hassle."
— Shane Gillis (@Shanemgillis) September 13, 2019
Gillis has shared a statement via his Twitter account, tweeting "I'm a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you're going to find a lot of bad misses. I'm happy to apologize to anyone who's actually offended by anything I've said. My intention is never to hurt anyone but I am trying to be the best comedian I can be and sometimes that requires risks."
This Saturday I’m at the comedy connection in providence. Two shows 8&10:15. Buy tickets or u r geyhttps://t.co/ewScAJnYdD
— Shane Gillis (@Shanemgillis) July 8, 2019
Representatives for NBC did not immediately reply to The Hollywood Reporter's request for comment.
Gillis joins Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang, who is the long-running NBC sketch show's only Asian-American castmember. They join SNL following Leslie Jones' exit from the show after five years to concentrate on upcoming movie projects and a Netflix comedy special.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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