Kenan Thompson's Shane Gillis Complaint Deserves a Hearing
Last week, Kenan Thompson gave the Shane Gillis row a reason to continue. He wanted viewers to remember who else was in that Saturday Night Live episode.
Variety's October 22 report recounts his complaint: the gym joke backlash overshadowed new cast member Grace Reiter and musical guest Rosalía. He would want a conversation with Gillis if he hosted again. Whether that invitation comes is somebody else's decision.
Thompson is right about the viewing habit. You can spend longer arguing about a monologue than watching the episode that contained it. By then the host has become the whole show, and the people playing opposite him barely get a look.
There is also something cheap about treating offence as evidence of a good joke. Surprise can be funny. So can discomfort. Neither saves a punchline that doesn't land for you. The freedom to tell a joke includes the possibility that the audience finds it tiresome.
That goes for defending the rest of the episode, too. Thompson's praise of Reiter gives you a performance to investigate. It doesn't oblige you to agree. Being overshadowed doesn't automatically make a sketch funny, and politely applauding everyone else would be an equally dull way to watch comedy.
Watch past the monologue
Go back to the Gillis and Rosalía episode of Saturday Night Live, with Reiter's scenes as your starting point. Watch who makes a sketch move. A delayed reply or a reaction in the background can be the thing you laugh at, even when somebody else has the big speech.
After each sketch, name the performer who made it work for you. Give the musical performances their own hearing. You may come away agreeing with Thompson, or wondering what he saw in it. Either is more interesting than borrowing his verdict.
The test is simple: find one moment beyond the monologue that you would send to a friend. Give the rest of the episode a chance to supply your favourite clip.
