Shane Gillis was supposed to be one of three new comedians added to the upcoming Saturday Night Live season. The platform is so coveted that many people in the entertainment industry dream of being on set just once in a lifetime.
Unfortunately for Shane Gillis, shortly after it was announced that he was hired for the 45th season of Saturday Night Live, he was fired. It came after footage emerged showing him making racist and derogatory remarks.
Once that was brought to the network’s attention, NBC decided to let Gillis go.
After a meeting with the network, Shane Gillis issued a statement about the parting of ways. He said, in part, “I respect the decision they made. I’m honestly grateful for the opportunity. I was always a mad tv guy anyway.”
— Shane Gillis (@Shanemgillis) September 16, 2019
What did Shane Gillis say?
During a 2018 podcast, Shane Gillis used racial slurs about Asian people, including using the word “Chinks”. Footage of the podcast recording was first shared on Twitter by comedy reporter Seth Simons.
today SNL announced the hiring of its first cast member of East Asian descent, and also this guy pic.twitter.com/0FAGJZJUkK
— normal fun seth (@sasimons) September 12, 2019
this, again, is from September 2018 pic.twitter.com/inYFT22zjl
— normal fun seth (@sasimons) September 12, 2019
Gillis also came under fire for other comments, including sexist and homophobic remarks. Saturday Night Live executives apologized, saying they were not made aware of his comments during the vetting process.
Shane Gillis initially defended himself, saying he was a comic who pushes boundaries which sometimes requires taking risks.
What is Spoken Bird Poetry?
If you’ve been following the latest developments in the story, you’re probably wondering what “Spoken Bird Poetry” is. The phrase was mentioned by stand-up comedian Norm Macdonald in a tweet offering his condolences to Gillis for being fired.
@Shanemgillis Hey, Shane, I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine how you must feel. The work it takes to get that show and to have it snatched away by some guy who does "Spoken Bird" poetry. Unacceptable. Please DM me, pal, when you have a moment. I'm so sorry.
— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) September 16, 2019
The phrase is a reference to Seth Simons, who first brought to light the footage of Gillis making slurs. In 2014, a clip posted on YouTube showed Simons reciting poetry as if he were a bird:
The video above had nearly 18,000 views and over 100 comments at the time of writing, however this is likely to rise as the controversy continues to make headlines.
While Shane Gillis is no longer going to be a part of Saturday Night Live, one thing’s for sure — the attention he has received will be making his name much more recognizable.