Dropped SNL Comic Jokes About His Firing

Shane Gillis says he's 'been reading every one of my death threats in an Asian accent'
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 19, 2019 12:14 PM CDT
Dropped SNL Comic Shane Gillis Jokes About Firing
This photo released by NBC shows Shane Gillis who was to join the cast of "Saturday Night Live," premiering its 45th season on Sept. 28.   (Phil Provencio/NBC via AP)

Shane Gillis performed an 11-minute set at a New York City comedy club Wednesday night, his first public appearance since he was ousted from the new cast of Saturday Night Live over racist slurs he used in the past. And the comedian didn't avoid the subject on stage, reports Variety, which notes that much of his set centered around social media and so-called "cancel culture." "Everybody’s been like, you can’t say s--- and not expect consequences," he said. "I’m fine with the consequences. I’m not arguing. F--- it. But I do want everyone to know that I’ve been reading every one of my death threats in an Asian accent." Addressing an audience member he thought was recording him, he joked, "You were taking an artistic chance and I appreciate that. Sometimes you take risks. Where do you work, though? You should probably be fired."

He joked that "the whole f---ing country hates" him, but it's apparently not the entire country, as Variety notes he got a lot of applause when he walked on and even shouts of his name. During the set, he acknowledged he's been getting support from conservatives (indeed, sources say SNL chose him in an attempt to appeal to conservatives), but insisted he's not a Trump supporter, USA Today reports. (He also made a dicey joke involving assassination that USAT has.) "It’s funny to hear so many people these days be like, 'I’m not racist,'" he said. "Are you sure? Being racist isn’t a yes or no thing. It’s not like you have it or you don’t have it. Being racist is like being hungry. You’re not right now but a cheeseburger could cut you off in traffic and you could get hungry real quick. You didn’t even know you were hungry for that type of cheeseburger. The cheeseburger’s not Asian in that joke." (More Shane Gillis stories.)

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