Dan Levy condemns Shane Gillis’s SNL monologue as misogynistic, urges men to speak out
Dan Levy, the 43‑year‑old actor best known for "Schitt’s Creek," posted an Instagram video on October 13, 2026, labeling Shane Gillis’s opening monologue on Saturday Night Live as misogynistic and urging men to confront such remarks.
The controversy centers on Gillis’s description of women’s gym attire, specifically short shorts he called “neon… like artificial bait‑colored” and said women were “dressing like whores now.” Levy’s response frames the jokes as part of a larger problem of objectifying women, which he says contributes to an environment that enables sexual assault.
“Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them whores. It makes the men calling them whores misogynists,” Levy said in the video. “More men need to stand up in opposition because complacency has created the environment in which women are sexually assaulted. This is not a women’s issue, it’s an everybody issue.”
Levy’s condemnation sparked a wave of commentary across social media. Former SNL cast member Ego Nwodim posted a gym selfie with the caption “whore reporting for duty,” echoing the criticism, while country singer Maren Morris shared an Instagram Reel giving Gillis a middle finger and insisting the jokes should stay out of gym discussions.
Not all responses aligned with Levy’s stance. Lisa Cusack, president of the nonprofit “Don’t L.A. My Burbank PAC,” told Fox News Digital that noticing revealing clothing does not automatically make a man misogynist, arguing that cultural pressures on women to dress provocatively complicate the issue.
The incident adds to Gillis’s fraught history with the network. He was initially hired by SNL in 2019 but was dismissed a week later after past podcast clips surfaced in which he used racist and homophobic slurs. No comment was received from SNL or Gillis’s representatives after the latest backlash.
Levy concluded his video by apologizing in advance for any online fallout, emphasizing that “the more men objectify women in the media, the more other men see them as objects and treat them as objects.” He called on viewers, especially men, to use their platforms to challenge sexist humor and to foster a culture that respects women’s bodies.
The conversation continues to ripple through entertainment circles and social media, with observers awaiting whether Gillis will issue a further apology or whether SNL will address the broader concerns about misogyny in comedy.
