DH Thinks Shane Gillis is Great

[Delphinium20]

We watched SNL and DH kept laughing and I didn’t really get the jokes, but then it came to the infamous “why are all women dressed like whores at the gym” and I was disgusted. DH laughed at it but saw my face and tried to pretend like it wasn’t that funny.

we talked a bit and it turns out DH loves this comedian and can’t stop defending him.

FWIW, I have laughed my head off to many edgy comedians like Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais. Somehow, this Gillis guy seems really off (and not terribly clever). DH’s defense is giving me the ick. We just started a week away trip that is supposed to be romantic and all I want to do is be far away from him.

Doesn't make it right!

But they don't wear shorts. They wear ridiculously tight leggings or cycling style shorts which leave little or nothing to the imagination front or back...

Yes indeed! I’ve seen posts - whole threads, even - denouncing scrunch bum shorts.

However, I don’t remember the wearers ever being called whores on MN for their choice of clothes.

And that makes them whores?

(BTW, I go to the gym 2-3 times per week and NEVER see this)

But it is funny that you plan to run 5k, cycle 10, lift your own bodyweight several times but can't walk 50 yards to the door.

Why do comics include words like whore i don't know, but the shock value of calling a woman a whore may be a factor.

It doesn't really matter whether you find it funny or not. Comedy is subjective. It wouldn't have been useful to me to know the specifics of the joke because whether I find it funny or not is not the point of my post.

@PersonaNonFatta No, I think users of mumsnet are aware that using that word would result in the post being removed. Instead they use other insulting and negative words about the women making that choice.

There is humour in the ridiculous though - and some clothes are ridiculous.

I am wondering how many women would react to a man wearing scrunch bum shorts in the gym - I think it would provoke an overall negative reaction by both sexes.

And? Does that mean they deserve to be called whores?

Imagine getting one of the biggest comedy gigs in the world, and thats all you've got in the tank 😳🤬

Why is it ok for this man to use whores but not to use racist words? I am not saying he should, but as others have noted, everyone would agree that no one would want to be married to a man who loved racist jokes, but it’s ok to love misogynistic jokes.

This has blown up probably because Dan Levy commented that women who wear short shorts to the gym are not whores. And now everyone is saying ‘oh you have no sense of humor.’ Well guess what - until men stop murdering their wives, girlfriends, mothers, random women they see - no, I will most definitely not have a sense of humor about a comedian calling women in gym shorts whores. And every man and many women laughing.

I don’t know any of Gillis stuff but I am bored of men obsessing over what women wear to the gym or anywhere.

What does a whore dress like? Why is women’s attire their business?

I saw Dan Levy and loved him for that!

I will say while I think the joke was tiresome misogyny I can see why “whore” is accepted in a way racial slurs aren’t.

Generally people are more accepting of derogatory terms about behaviour than they of derogatory terms about innate immutable traits.

Who is saying they can't walk 50 yards to the door though? A person might choose to drive to the gym and park outside for many reasons. Doesn't mean they can't walk to the door.
That's less of a joke and more of your personal gripe. Which is weird.

So women are just here for shock value? Women do not deserve to be called a whore just so a mediocre man can 'shock' his audience. Perhaps if he was a better comedian he wouldn't feel the need to use misogyny as the punchline.

Yes! 100%

Finally we have a man calling out a man for his behaviour/words and then the man calling out gets criticised. The world will never improve

For me I just don’t see the humour. There are very well crafted offensive jokes. Much as I loathe Dave Chappelle he does dance that line quite well.

But the “why do women dress like this at the gym” is a tired boring discussion so it takes a really good joke to be funny. I just don’t get “women at the gym dress like whores”? What’s the punchline? The humour?

Do disabled people deserve to be joked about? Trans people? Religious people?

Does your desire to sanitise comedy only apply to things you personally don't find funny?

I agree that offensive comedy should be well crafted otherwise it is just offensive. That doesn't mean it should be cancelled.

Ricky Gervais talks very well on the subject and argues that people frequently get offended because they confuse the subject of a joke with its target. He says that you can make a joke about a taboo or dark subject (like illness, disability, or trans identity) without the joke actually mocking the people affected. He uses jokes to mock the absurdity of a situation, rather than to condone bad behaviour.

He also believes everyone is allowed to offend and be offended.

No they don't.

Misogyny isn't comedy. It's not about sanitising comedy, it's about challenging misogyny.

He could have told that joke without calling women whores. I wouldn't have necessarily found it funny, but it wouldn't have cause the uproar it has.

See my post just now about Ricky Gervais. He has mocked all these things.

I don't think they should be. All because some comedians do, doesn't mean they should

And again I say - he would not use racist slurs so why is he cheered on for using misogynistic slurs?

BTW - he can say whatever he likes, I support free speech. I just would not want to be married to a man who agreed with him. And guess what- I can decide I don’t want to be married to a man who likes that humour. It’s all part of the free world.

I agree with Ricky Gervais on this.

But this isn't what Shane Gillis did. In fact, he did the opposite by calling women whores. It wasn't well crafted, it was just offensive.

He can probably say that as a white straight man, as less likely to be mocked and then be offended

Not sure why we need offensive comedy, the world is shit enough

So you agree with the straight white middle class man who defended jokes he made about audience members with disabilities?