TV: SNL: Season 45 Murphy to Host: Shane Gilis hired/fired

[John Price]

 

[John Price]

 

[John Price]

It just angers me that cancel culture can become so prevalent that a mob, without knowing Shane's background or who he is, can demand his ouster and SNL can just succumb like the spineless cretins they are. f*** SNL.

 

[John Price]

 

[Jumptheshark]

I was always a madtv guy anyway

Good burn

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Cancel culture isn't a big thing that ruins careers like people say.

Shane Gillis was rightfully removed from the cast before he started. Of all things to get up in arms about, this isn't it.

 

[RockLobster]

Cancel culture isn't a big thing that ruins careers like people say.

Shane Gillis was rightfully removed from the cast before he started. Of all things to get up in arms about, this isn't it.

Yeah, I agree with this.

And LOL at that long-ass, inane, Twitter rant that was posted...

 

[Pilky01]

This will probably end up being a big net positive for his career.

When it was announced he was being added he was literally just "the third name on a list". He wasn't the woman and he wasn't the Asian so he couldn't have been less interesting for entertainment/culture writers. He never had a sentence written about him until this "controversy".

Now he has a name, and its Too Hot For SNL.

 

[John Price]

Yeah, I agree with this.

And LOL at that long-ass, inane, Twitter rant that was posted...

Do you even know who Tony Hinchcliffe is? He appears on LOS often when they go to Los Angeles.

 

[RockLobster]

Do you even know who Tony Hinchcliffe is? He appears on LOS often when they go to Los Angeles.

How would me knowing or not knowing who he is change my opinion that he--and you given your posts in this thread--are being pissy that someone made a racist comment, barely a year ago, and tried to mask it as a "joke" that was edgy?

To answer your question--I do not know who that guy is, and I do not care. I agree with @ArGarBarGar that the whole notion of "cancel culture is prevalent and ruins careers" just isn't that accurate. It might ruin the careers of those who say (or do) racist things while trying to mask it as a joke (despite there not being any angle to said joke); or it might ruin the careers of sexual assaulters. But if I truly believed that cancel culture was something that ruined everyone's career, then there'd be a lot more comedians who wouldn't be working right now.

 

[John Price]

How would me knowing or not knowing who he is change my opinion that he--and you given your posts in this thread--are being pissy that someone made a racist comment, barely a year ago, and tried to mask it as a "joke" that was edgy?

To answer your question--I do not know who that guy is, and I do not care. I agree with @ArGarBarGar that the whole notion of "cancel culture is prevalent and ruins careers" just isn't that accurate. It might ruin the careers of those who say (or do) racist things while trying to mask it as a joke (despite there not being any angle to said joke); or it might ruin the careers of sexual assaulters. But if I truly believed that cancel culture was something that ruined everyone's career, then there'd be a lot more comedians who wouldn't be working right now.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Cancel culture is only a thing for people who spend too much time on social media.

Just cancel Twitter, we will all be better off.

 

[Acadmus]

I wouldn't worry about it. You think SNL knew before hand about his history? They probably knew and were fine with it.

All this outrage over things people said in the past is stupid. It ruined Kevin Hart's shot at the Oscars.

I haven't bothered watching SNL regularly since 1995 or at all since around 1998 (what I've seen on YouTube hasn't really been funny), but I have to appreciate getting rid of a cast member over past homophobic slurs in his act right before a season opener featuring a host whose act regularly featured what I'm sure were far worse homophobic slurs (i.e. right at the beginning of Delirious). But Murphy's a big name, and I'm sure most people haven't even heard of the other guy yet and SNL was probably supposed to be his big breakthrough to a more mainstream audience, so he's expendable.

I'm seeing a future where people get arrested for laughing. But the real comedians will be gone by then, so there won't be much threat of breaking that law. I'm one who didn't get much out of the sophomoric humor of Will Farrell and Cheri Oteri, nor the inability of SNL's writers back then to realize when a skit was going on too long and no longer funny if it even started that way. The talent level has only dropped off since then, and the writing hasn't changed from what I've seen. The humor lacks wit, is neutered to not offend any group except those that it's politically correct to offend, and simply lacks a broad based appeal, which is why SNL has been on life support for two decades and rumors periodically circulate that they're getting cancelled.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

1. That stuff on Gillis is easily found. Surprised he wasn't better vetted by SNL. Or of course, maybe he was and they didn't care ... until they did care.

2. There's an inherent irony to comedians complaining about people being overly sensitive.

3. I wish the "offensive" argument would be reframed as simply "not funny." I'm not denying that it's offensive to some, but comedians can get away with pushing boundaries when they're actually funny and clever about it. Part of the issue to me is that these jokes and impressions in Gillis case are just basic, lame, low-hanging fruit. 10-year-olds know how to swap their L's for R's and do an Asian "impersonation." It's both insulting AND not funny. It makes no clever point. It doesn't advance any discussion or make you think. It's lame and dumb. If you're going to be "edgy" and "push boundaries" have an actual damn edge, have a thought you want to convey beyond "durrr, these people speak this way."

4. Comedy evolves. It always has. It always will. It's evolving again.

5. I'm not as hard on the recent Chappelle and Burr specials as some, but I do think it's far from their best work. I laughed some, but I get why some of the jokes offend people. Again, I'd say at least part of the problem is that the actual jokes aren't particularly clever. These are smart, accomplished, funny men. And they've said ostensibly "offensive" things before and haven't gotten in trouble. Why? My theory is that they're not as funny and they're leaning on the crutch of "pushing buttons" because they really don't have anything clever to say. Toss out a slur or come up with some weak parallel to being trans.

6. Just like rock and rap, I think comedy is a younger person's game at heart. Success and age takes your edge.

7. Being offensive is basically Anthony Jeselnik's brand. But he doesn't catch flack (or nearly the flack of some others). I'd argue it's because he's actually funny.

Thank you for attending my TedTalk.

 

[RockLobster]

Cool?

So it doesn't change my opinion that it's an overblown term used by people who are pissy that either they, or people they like, can't just say or do any racist thing and then try and mask it as a joke.

So I'll list some people that I believe would not be working if cancel culture was something as serious as you're making it out to be, all because poor Shane got fired for making a straight-on racist comment that had no joke angle at all. Now not all of these would be "cancel culture'd" for strictly racist comments. Some probably would be, while others for things like LGBTQ jokes, jokes about Down Syndrome (MacDonald there), etc.

-Chris Rock
-Norm MacDonald
-Chelsea Handler
-David Cross
-Daniel Tosh
-Tracy Morgan
-Bull f***ing Maher

That's a few just off the top of my head.

And Silverman is right, to a degree, about comedians needing to be mindful of what they say. But it's more about being able to back up the statement of "it was a joke!" If you say something racist, and there's no joke angle to it, then that excuse doesn't measure up. Sarah Silverman herself could have been on the list I just wrote. She's certainly said some controversial things for the sake of comedy, yet she is still working. I wonder why that is...

 

[Beau Knows]

5. I'm not as hard on the recent Chappelle and Burr specials as some, but I do think it's far from their best work. I laughed some, but I get why some of the jokes offend people. Again, I'd say at least part of the problem is that the actual jokes aren't particularly clever. These are smart, accomplished, funny men. And they've said ostensibly "offensive" things before and haven't gotten in trouble. Why? My theory is that they're not as funny and they're leaning on the crutch of "pushing buttons" because they really don't have anything clever to say. Toss out a slur or come up with some weak parallel to being trans.

I'd have to agree with that. Chappelle is one of the best ever, but for example his joke about trans athletes was shockingly lazy and recycled. We've all heard that same type of joke (put Lebron in WNBA etc) many, many times and it was really surprising to not see him do anything unique with that subject matter. Usually he can find new ways to look at things and make fun of things in ways nobody else could have, but that stuff was not interesting at all.

 

[Pilky01]

 

[bleedblue1223]

I'd have to agree with that. Chappelle is one of the best ever, but for example his joke about trans athletes was shockingly lazy and recycled. We've all heard that same type of joke (put Lebron in WNBA etc) many, many times and it was really surprising to not see him do anything unique with that subject matter. Usually he can find new ways to look at things and make fun of things in ways nobody else could have, but that stuff was not interesting at all.

That joke was both about trans athletes like Fallon Fox and women's sports in general. It might be recycled, but it will continue to be done until it's no longer culturally relevant.

 

[Beau Knows]

That joke was both about trans athletes like Fallon Fox and women's sports in general. It might be recycled, but it will continue to be done until it's no longer culturally relevant.

I'm sure it will, but I expect a more interesting point of view and a much more well-crafted joke from a master like Chappelle. I thought that part of his set was pretty disappointing personally.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

You know that when Rob Schneider is on your side, you are on the right side of history.

 

[K Fleur]

What person has cancel culture ever really “cancelled”?

 

[BonMorrison]

What person has cancel culture ever really “cancelled”?

 

[K Fleur]

Not that it’s that important but I think Tony Hinchcliffe is so terribly unfunny that he would actually be a great fit for SNL

 

[bleedblue1223]

Plenty of people have lost endorsements or opportunities, but it's more about forced views. People on both sides of the political aisle have suffered. You have people that try to get even with the other side, and it just gets worse.

 

[Pilky01]

What person has cancel culture ever really “cancelled”?

Shane Gillis?