"SNL" star Michael Che's not coming to anyone's rescue, and that includes Shane Gillis.
When asked to address the wave of backlash tied to Gillis's opening monologue, including a crack about women dressing "like whores" at the gym during a Thursday, Oct. 15, appearance on "Today," Che responded: "That's comedy."
He added: "You think it’s funny and then some people don’t."
Ahead of the press tour tied to the release of his upcoming standup special, "Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota," Che bemoaned having to address the Gillis controversy in an Oct. 13 Instagram post, writing "thanks a lot Shane."
"Wondering what every [expletive] questions gonnna be about," he wrote, three days after Gillis appeared on the show.
The Manhattan-born comic said he was too
busy "thinking about what I was gonna say that was gonna make people upset" to even react to Gillis' jokes: "So I wasn’t really, I didn’t even see it 'til the next day."
When pressed to offer a more substantial answer, Che doubled down: "I didn’t think about it honestly. I think it just didn’t, it just was like … you know."
Che continued: "There’s so much going on. It’s really hard to see what everyone’s doing, you know? Especially for me. I’m not what they call 'good at my job,' so I don’t pay attention to all that."
Michael Che says he 'can't criticize' Shane Gillis
Michael Che can empathize with Shane Gillis. He, too, has had jokes that haven't landed.
"That’s why I can’t criticize anybody for swinging and missing, ‘cause I’ve definitely swung and missed too. I try to keep that heat off of me," Che said.
Gillis was fired as a cast member of "SNL" in 2019, just days after being hired, for racist comments. He addressed the controversy when hosting the show for the first time in 2024, telling viewers: "I was actually fired from this show a while ago, but don't look that up, please. If you don't know who I am, please don't Google that."
Che's remarks about the Gillis controversy come days after various comedians, including Dan Levy and Kathy Griffin, slammed Gillis's set.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Che 'can't criticize' Shane Gillis for divisive 'SNL' opening
