Simu Liu Calls Out New SNL Cast Member Shane Gillis’s Racist Jokes & Asks for NBC’s Response
It seems as if even Marvel superheroes are willing to speak out against Shane Gillis and his idea of “comedy.” Simu Liu, star of Marvel’s upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Saturday Night Live’s latest hire and how Gillis’s racist jokes shouldn’t be pushed aside as just something from his past.
After Saturday Night Live’s recent hiring announcements, news quickly spread that one of them, Gillis, thinks throwing around racial slurs in May of 2019 is fine in the name of comedy (it isn’t funny), and so many have taken to Twitter to share their upset and anger over his casting. While we were happy to see SNL making history (though more than a bit late) in casting their first-ever East-Asian cast member with Bowen Yang, the news is now being spoiled by the news about Gillis, which isn’t particularly fair to Bowen Yang, among all the other reasons it’s terrible.
Saturday Night Live has yet to make a peep about Gillis, letting him share an “apology” on this Twitter account that basically just says, “Sorry if racism isn’t funny to you, but I’m a comedian!”
— Shane Gillis (@Shanemgillis) September 13, 2019
You love to see a ratio.
Liu, who slammed Gillis’s idea of using the racist slurs as being “edgy,” didn’t just shame Gillis with his tweet. He was also one of the few who called out Saturday Night Live in the process, rather than just Gillis.
It wasn’t funny then, and it sure as hell isn’t funny today.
This word has been used to dehumanize my people for over 150 years. You don’t get to use it in the name of edgy comedy.
Like the other members of my community I am eagerly awaiting @nbcsnl’s response. pic.twitter.com/oWAl7NuLKK
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) September 15, 2019
Many were willing to talk to Gillis and address the issue directly with him, but he was hired by SNL and there needs to be a discussion about the show and what they plan on doing.
I, like Simu Liu, await SNL‘s response. In the past, they’ve kept relatively quiet when things like this have happened. Melissa Villaseñor deleted racist tweets when her casting was announced, and the show never said a word. So, will it break the habit with Gillis? It should, because this isn’t something from years ago. This was months ago, so his “edgy” humor probably isn’t going away any time soon.
Don’t worry, though. He called Chris Gethard to apologize for using a homophobic slur against him, but the racist slurs? Those are in the name of his bad comedy, I guess.
(image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
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