Shane Gillis has some explaining to do when he hosts “Saturday Night Live” … according to Asian advocacy group reps who say it’s not too late to make amends for his racist remarks.
The comedian is scheduled to host on February 24 … this after Lorne Michaelsfired him from the show in 2019 for making distasteful jokes directed at Asians.
Shane made the comments during a 2018 podcast, referring to noodles as “nooders” and using a derogatory term for Asians in an expletive-laden discussion about Chinatown. Many people remain outraged by Gillis’ jokes .. but the comedian is now being offered a path forward if he wants to right a wrong.
Jo-Ann Yoo, the executive director of the Asian American Federation, tells TMZ … Shane getting tapped to host is bad timing, considering the Asian community has been devastated by a wave of hate that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says people in the community don’t need to be reminded of the type of rhetoric that caused that trend.
However … if Shane’s serious about making amends, Yoo invites him to cut a check to the org’s Hope Against Hate campaign, and join their food tours for a real Asian cuisine experience.
Yoo says she’s planning to tune in … not for Shane, but rather for what she proudly calls the Bowen Yang Variety Hour. Of course, Bowen Yang is the first Asian-American hire at ‘SNL.’
Over at The Asian American Foundation, CEO Norman Chen says he hopes Shane has learned from his experiences and expects him to issue a “genuine” apology on ‘SNL.’
Chen tells us his org was “disheartened” to hear Shane was invited to host, saying … “Asian Americans are not the punchline of a joke. While these jokes may result in cheap laughs, they also result in real-world, deadly consequences for Asian Americans.”
Now, Shane did apologize on social media after his ‘SNL’ firing, saying … “I’m a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you’re going to find a lot of bad misses. I’m happy to apologize to anyone who’s actually offended by anything I’ve said. My intention is never to hurt anyone but I am trying to be the best comedian I can be and sometimes that requires risks.”
However, Chen says that apology seems to be scrubbed from Shane’s X (formerly Twitter) account, and his foundation wants to know if the apology still stands — and, if so, a global stage like ‘SNL’ would be a great place to reaffirm it on camera.
All eyes will be on Shane’s opening monologue, plus any skits he does with Bowen.
