Podcaster Joe Rogan has come to the defense of comedian Shane Gillis after a joke from Gillis’ recent “Saturday Night Live” hosting monologue drew sharp criticism online.
Gillis, who has built a reputation for politically incorrect comedy, made the remarks while riffing on going to a public gym. In the bit, he joked about women working out in revealing clothing while filming themselves.
“Also, I haven’t been to the gym in so long. I didn’t know women just dressed like whores now? Look, I’m sorry. There’s no other way to describe … Have you seen it? I’ve seen it. The shorts. Have you seen the shorts?” Gillis said during the monologue.
“And don’t look! You’re not allowed to look. For real. Don’t look because they are filming. I’m in the background in like 10 TikToks right now.”
The joke prompted accusations of misogyny from critics online. Rogan addressed the controversy Thursday while speaking with influencer Cody Tucker on his podcast.
“I guess the word ‘whore’ is what gets them. I get it. I get that you get upset. Well, it’s also because like real misogyny actually exists,” Rogan said.
“So, when you see a guy joking around about a woman dressing like a whore, you connect it to horrible thoughts, like horrible actions, like real actual evil men that actually. Because, like, there’s a lot of men that genuinely hate women. Shane Gillis is not one of them,” Rogan said. “And he’s a great guy. It’s just a joke.”
Gillis has appeared on Rogan’s podcast in the past, which regularly features fellow comedians as guests.
“But for some people, those words — and then you see like the word police people, which is hilarious. ‘We need to stop using that word.’ ‘We’re still using the word whore.’ Like, you’re not?” Rogan said. “It’s a great word. It’s a great word for also yourself.”
Rogan went on to argue the word itself isn’t inherently offensive, pointing to his own experience as an example.
“Like, I freely admit that when I did the second iteration of ‘Fear Factor’ is because I was being a whore. They offered me a f—load of money to come back in 2011 and host ‘Fear Factor’ again. And I’m like, ‘I’m a whore. Let’s go,'” Rogan said, adding that the word isn’t inherently bad but should be used with care.
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