Shane Gillis's SNL joke that women at the gym dress like "whores" draws criticism as misogynistic and defenses from commentators
On Saturday Night Live, Shane Gillis joked that women at the gym now dress like whores. Dan Levy said men who call them that are misogynists; Michael Che called it comedy, and two commentators said the joke described real behavior.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
Hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live on October 10, 2026, comedian Shane Gillis said in his monologue that he had not been to the gym in so long that he didn't know women just dressed like whores now, and went on to describe women's workout shorts. Actor Dan Levy said men who call women at the gym whores are misogynists, and other entertainers criticized the joke online. Weekend Update co-anchor Michael Che called it comedy that some people don't find funny, and commentators Braeden Sorbo and John Doyle said Gillis was describing real behavior.
Read the full background
Gillis was fired from the Saturday Night Live cast in 2019, days after his hiring was announced, over resurfaced podcast clips in which he used racist slurs and made homophobic jokes. He went on to host the show in 2024 and 2025, and the October 10, 2026 episode was his third time as host. The gym passage comes about two and a half minutes into his monologue. According to Newsweek, Saturday Night Live's post of the monologue was viewed more than 11 million times.
Newsweek reported that Levy's Instagram video drew more than two million likes. Comedian Phoebe Robinson and writer Jessica Valenti also criticized the joke in videos, according to TODAY.com. Former cast member Ego Nwodim posted a gym selfie captioned "whore reporting for duty", and Grace Brassel, Gillis's former girlfriend, shared Levy's post and posted her own gym routine, according to Newsweek.
On October 15 the White House posted on X that it had heard people have strong opinions on what to wear at the gym, with an image of a stick figure in a MAGA cap taking a mirror selfie at the gym. The same day Che, promoting his Netflix special on TODAY, said the joke was comedy that some people don't find funny. TODAY.com and Newsweek said they had asked representatives for Gillis for comment. We did not find a public response from Gillis as of October 20, 2026.
People in this case
Shane GillisDirectly involved
Dan LevyDirectly involved
Michael CheDirectly involved
Braeden SorboDirectly involved
Timeline
4 timeline entries on this page. Dates: October 10, 2026 to October 15, 2026
October 2026
Shane Gillis jokes about women's gym clothes in his Saturday Night Live monologue
Incident
Hosting the October 10 episode, Gillis says in his opening monologue that he has not been to the gym in so long that he didn't know women just dressed like whores now, and describes women's workout shorts.
[01]Shane Gillis Stand-Up Monologue - SNL
Official Saturday Night Live upload of Shane Gillis's opening monologue from the October 10, 2026 episode, which he hosted. The monologue covers his weight, a hike, the gym, his sisters and his hairline.
Shane Gillis Stand-Up Monologue - SNLGym passage at 2:24-3:12 of the 7:08 monologue video; the line about women at the gym is at 2:36[02]Shane Gillis faces backlash for 'SNL' monologue joke about women's gym attire
TODAY.com report on the reaction to Gillis's monologue joke, quoting the joke, Dan Levy's Instagram video, Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Valenti. TODAY.com says it asked representatives for Saturday Night Live and Gillis for comment.
Dan Levy criticizes the joke in an Instagram video
Reaction
Levy says women wearing shorts at the gym are not whores and that the men calling them that are misogynists. Newsweek later reports the video drew more than two million likes.
[03]White House Wades Into 'SNL' Shane Gillis Drama
Newsweek report on a White House post on X about gym clothes after Gillis's monologue. It quotes the joke, Dan Levy's Instagram video, Michael Che and posts by Grace Brassel and Ego Nwodim, and gives view counts for the monologue and Levy's video.
White House Wades Into 'SNL' Shane Gillis DramaFull article[04]Michael Che Says He 'Can't Criticize' Shane Gillis for 'SNL' Jokes About Women at the Gym: 'That's Comedy'
TheWrap report on Michael Che's TODAY interview. It also quotes Dan Levy's Instagram video and Ego Nwodim's Instagram story responding to Gillis's joke.
The White House posts about gym clothes on X
Reaction
The White House posts that it heard people have strong opinions on what to wear at the gym, followed by an image of a stick figure in a MAGA cap taking a mirror selfie at the gym.
[03]White House Wades Into 'SNL' Shane Gillis Drama
Newsweek report on a White House post on X about gym clothes after Gillis's monologue. It quotes the joke, Dan Levy's Instagram video, Michael Che and posts by Grace Brassel and Ego Nwodim, and gives view counts for the monologue and Levy's video.
White House Wades Into 'SNL' Shane Gillis DramaFull articleMichael Che is asked about the monologue on TODAY
Reaction
Promoting his Netflix special, Che tells TODAY's Laura Jarrett that the joke is comedy that some people find funny and others don't, and says he did not see the monologue until the next day.
[05]Michael Che reacts to Shane Gillis' controversial 'SNL' monologue, talks new Netflix special
TODAY.com account of Michael Che's October 15, 2026 interview with TODAY's Laura Jarrett, in which he was asked about the reaction to Gillis's monologue, with his answers quoted in order.
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Calling women who wear shorts at the gym whores, as Shane Gillis did in his Saturday Night Live monologue, is misogynistic.
What is disputed
Dan Levy said in an Instagram video that women wearing shorts at the gym are not whores and that the men calling them that are misogynists. Michael Che called the joke comedy that some people find funny and others don't, and commentators Braeden Sorbo and John Doyle said Gillis was describing real behavior.
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
4 matching responses. Newest first.
John DoylePolitical commentator and host of The John Doyle Show, on YouTubeDirectly involved Before this statement
Doyle opens episode 125 of his YouTube show with the reaction to Gillis's monologue.
"Comedian Shane Gillis is under fire for accurately describing female behavior, which is, of course, the highest blasphemy one can commit in 2026 America."
Defended or excusedCase context: Shane Gillis's SNL joke that women at the gym dress like "whores" draws criticism as misogynistic and defenses from commentators
Full statement and sources
Doyle says Gillis is under fire for accurately describing female behavior, and that women are proving his point by advertising themselves and their bodies on social media. Later in the segment he calls the joke directionally correct but a bit overstated.
After the statement
He says women are just proving Gillis's point by advertising themselves and their bodies on social media. Later in the segment he calls the joke directionally correct but says he thinks it is a bit overstated.
Why Women Are Committed to Proving Shane Gillis' Point | Ep 1250:00-0:08 of the episodeWhy this label?
The reference point is Shane Gillis's joke in his October 10, 2026 Saturday Night Live monologue that women at the gym now dress like whores. Doyle calls the joke an accurate description of women's behavior and treats the criticism as unwarranted, so we labeled it Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because he later says the joke is a bit overstated; it loses because he still calls it directionally correct and defends its premise.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Michael CheSaturday Night Live Weekend Update co-anchor, in a TODAY interviewDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Che appeared on TODAY on October 15, 2026, to promote his Netflix special. Laura Jarrett asked how he was thinking about what happened that week with Gillis's opening monologue and noted the pushback.
"That’s comedy. It’s like, you think it’s funny and then some people don’t"
MinimizedResponding to: Calling women who wear shorts at the gym whores, as Shane Gillis did in his Saturday Night Live monologue, is misogynistic.
Full statement and sources
Asked on TODAY how he was thinking about the reaction to Gillis's monologue, Che says it is comedy that some people find funny and others don't. He says he did not see the monologue until the next day and did not think about it.
After the statement
Asked whether he laughed, Che said he was at the cue cards and did not see the monologue until the next day, and that he did not think about it. Later in the interview he said he can't criticize anybody for swinging and missing because he has swung and missed, too.
Why this label?
The reference point is Shane Gillis's joke in his October 10, 2026 Saturday Night Live monologue that women at the gym now dress like whores. Che treats the joke as ordinary comedy that some people find funny and others do not, and later says he can't criticize anybody for swinging and missing, so we labeled it Minimized. The closest competing label is Explicitly declined; it loses because Che answered the question and characterized the joke rather than refusing to comment.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Braeden SorboActor, author and political commentator, on his YouTube channelDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Sorbo describes the joke and criticizes a post by Gillis's former girlfriend about their relationship.
"The funniest thing about Shane's joke is not that it was a joke, it's that it was an observation and the hit dog hollers and boy oh boy are they hollering"
Defended or excusedCase context: Shane Gillis's SNL joke that women at the gym dress like "whores" draws criticism as misogynistic and defenses from commentators
Full statement and sources
Sorbo says Gillis's joke about women's gym clothes was an observation rather than just a joke, and that the angry reaction shows it hit home. He says women posting videos of themselves in gym clothes in response are proving Gillis's point.
After the statement
He says women all over the internet are now posting clips of themselves in the clothing Gillis described, and later compares the reaction with criticism of a Sydney Sweeney advertisement a month earlier.
Shane Gillis' ex-girlfriend just proved his point..2:44-2:56 of the 9:14 videoWhy this label?
The reference point is Shane Gillis's joke in his October 10, 2026 Saturday Night Live monologue that women at the gym now dress like whores. Sorbo says the joke was an accurate observation and treats the backlash as confirmation of it, so we labeled it Defended or excused. No competing label fits; he does not criticize the joke.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Dan LevyActor and co-creator of Schitt's Creek, in an Instagram videoDirectly involvedBefore this statement
In an Instagram video, Levy said women wearing shorts at the gym are not whores.
"It makes the men calling them whores misogynists. There’s a difference there."
CondemnedResponding to: Calling women who wear shorts at the gym whores, as Shane Gillis did in his Saturday Night Live monologue, is misogynistic.
Full statement and sources
Levy says women wearing shorts at the gym are not whores and that the men who call them that are misogynists. He says he is speechless that the remark could air on live national television and that more men need to stand up in opposition to it.
After the statement
He added that he was speechless that something like this could exist on live national television and that more men need to be standing up in opposition to it.
White House Wades Into 'SNL' Shane Gillis DramaFull articleWhy this label?
The reference point is Shane Gillis's joke in his October 10, 2026 Saturday Night Live monologue that women at the gym now dress like whores. Levy says the men who call women at the gym whores are misogynists, which Newsweek describes as calling the joke misogynistic, and he calls for more men to stand up in opposition, so we labeled it Condemned. No competing label fits; he offers no defense or qualification of the joke.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(7)
Original video
Shane Gillis Stand-Up Monologue - SNL
About this source
Official Saturday Night Live upload of Shane Gillis's opening monologue from the October 10, 2026 episode, which he hosted. The monologue covers his weight, a hike, the gym, his sisters and his hairline.
- Author
- Saturday Night Live (NBC)
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
Why Women Are Committed to Proving Shane Gillis' Point | Ep 125
About this source
Episode 125 of The John Doyle Show on YouTube. Doyle opens with the reaction to Gillis's monologue and spends the first segment on it before turning to other topics.
- Author
- John Doyle
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
Shane Gillis' ex-girlfriend just proved his point..
About this source
Braeden Sorbo's YouTube commentary on the reaction to Gillis's monologue, including posts by Gillis's former girlfriend and women who filmed themselves in gym clothes. He compares the reaction with criticism of a Sydney Sweeney advertisement.
- Author
- Braeden Sorbo
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
White House Wades Into 'SNL' Shane Gillis Drama
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Newsweek report on a White House post on X about gym clothes after Gillis's monologue. It quotes the joke, Dan Levy's Instagram video, Michael Che and posts by Grace Brassel and Ego Nwodim, and gives view counts for the monologue and Levy's video.
- Author
- Marni Rose McFall
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Michael Che Says He 'Can't Criticize' Shane Gillis for 'SNL' Jokes About Women at the Gym: 'That's Comedy'
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
TheWrap report on Michael Che's TODAY interview. It also quotes Dan Levy's Instagram video and Ego Nwodim's Instagram story responding to Gillis's joke.
- Author
- Jacob Bryant
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Michael Che reacts to Shane Gillis' controversial 'SNL' monologue, talks new Netflix special
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
TODAY.com account of Michael Che's October 15, 2026 interview with TODAY's Laura Jarrett, in which he was asked about the reaction to Gillis's monologue, with his answers quoted in order.
- Author
- Drew Weisholtz
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Shane Gillis faces backlash for 'SNL' monologue joke about women's gym attire
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
TODAY.com report on the reaction to Gillis's monologue joke, quoting the joke, Dan Levy's Instagram video, Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Valenti. TODAY.com says it asked representatives for Saturday Night Live and Gillis for comment.
- Author
- Drew Weisholtz
- Published
- Accessed
Share or embed this case
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the case page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Shane Gillis's SNL joke that women at the gym dress like "whores" draws criticism as misogynistic and defenses from commentators
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/shane-gillis-snl-gym-joke-backlash
The Dispute Index. "Shane Gillis's SNL joke that women at the gym dress like "whores" draws criticism as misogynistic and defenses from commentators". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/cases/shane-gillis-snl-gym-joke-backlash