Actor Dan Levy criticized Shane Gillis after the comedian joked about women’s gym clothing during his latest “Saturday Night Live” opening monologue, according to Fox News. Levy, who hosted the show in 2021, responded in an Instagram video on Sunday.
Levy called Gillis’ remarks misogynistic and urged men to challenge comments of that kind. He argued that men’s complacency contributes to an environment where sexual assault can be discussed as a “conversation” instead of recognized as a crime. Levy also said women’s choice of workout clothing does not justify calling them derogatory names.
Gillis made the comments while hosting “SNL” for the third time. In his monologue, he joked about seeing women in revealing workout clothes at New York City gyms and used an insulting term to describe them.
Lisa Cusack, president of the Don’t L.A. My Burbank PAC, disputed Levy’s characterization in a statement to Fox News Digital. Cusack said that a woman wearing revealing clothing is not necessarily a “whore,” and that a man noticing it is not automatically a misogynist. She also argued that sexualized imagery and social expectations have affected how people present themselves.
Levy said objectification in entertainment can shape how women are treated beyond media, and framed speaking out as a responsibility shared by men. Cusack, by contrast, argued that greater restraint and mystery have been lost in modern culture.
Fox News reported that NBC was asked for comment and that Gillis’ team declined to comment.
