Unlocking the Humor: The Secrets Behind Shane Gillis’ Comedy Genius

Last night, Shane Gillis stepped onto the Saturday Night Live stage for his second time, and it was clear he sensed the audience’s skepticism. His past was hard to ignore. In 2019, he was hired as a cast member but was quickly fired after old podcast clips surfaced, revealing racist and homophobic remarks. Instead of fading away, Gillis made a comeback as a successful stand-up comedian, securing a Netflix deal and even working on a Bud Light campaign. Last year, he hosted SNL for the first time, acknowledging the bizarre situation he found himself in.

This time, he appeared more confident. He opened with some safe political jokes, poking fun at Joe Biden and Donald Trump. He even joked about the crowd’s liberal reputation, saying, “You guys are pretty liberal.” But then he shifted gears with a more controversial topic involving relationships and race. He joked about a common question some white guys ask their girlfriends: “Have you ever had sex with a Black guy?” In a bid to show awareness of the problem, he admitted it was indeed a racist question—a nod to his own past mistakes. He shared a story about a girlfriend who found his friend attractive but responded negatively to his inquiry, which he took humor in. However, the punchline, implying he wasn’t the worst, fell flat.

Gillis also delivered some awkward humor about Ken Burns’s documentary series The Civil War, claiming it’s “kryptonite to women.” He followed this with a questionable analogy about using the documentary as a means to manipulate women, referring to notorious allegations against Bill Cosby. While trying to be funny, these jokes contributed more to discomfort than laughter.

Consequently, Gillis struggled. His style, characterized as crude and aimed at a conservative male audience, didn’t resonate broadly. Many of his jokes seemed exclusive, failing to engage the entire crowd. Yet, his sketches throughout the night showed promise. In one parody, titled “CouplaBeers,” he played a frustrated office worker who deals with anxiety through drinking. This sketch cleverly critiqued both the culture of quick-fix solutions and the consequences of his character’s behavior.

Another sketch, “Mid-Day News 2,” built on the satire from Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s earlier appearance. In this reprise, Gillis played a white news anchor alongside Heidi Gardner, joining Black anchors Ego Nwodim and Kenan Thompson in their comedic take on race and crime reporting. With the added layer of Gillis’s past, the sketch worked surprisingly well, offering humor that implicated everyone.

In sketches, Gillis thrived. But in his solo stand-up, he slipped back to more crude humor. When he allowed the writers’ input to shape his character, he performed significantly better. His strength lies in collaborating with others, highlighting that comedy thrives not just on shock but on crafting jokes that connect with a wider audience.

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