Dan Levy, the actor known for his role in "Schitt's Creek," publicly criticized comedian Shane Gillis on Sunday for remarks made during his latest "Saturday Night Live" hosting appearance. Levy accused Gillis of misogyny and argued that men's failure to challenge such language contributes to an environment where women face sexual assault.
Levy, who hosted the NBC sketch comedy show in 2021, shared a video on Instagram condemning the specific jokes Gillis made about women's clothing. In the video, Levy stated that he was speechless that such content appeared on live national television. He called on other men to actively oppose these types of comments, asserting that complacency creates the conditions for sexual violence rather than treating it as a mere conversation.
The controversy stems from Gillis' opening monologue on Saturday, during his third time hosting the program. While discussing public gyms in New York City, Gillis commented on women's workout attire. He stated that he had not been to the gym in a long time and did not know if women now dressed "like whores." He described seeing neon shorts and wrinkles, adding that viewers were not allowed to look. Gillis apologized for the wording but maintained there was no other way to describe what he saw.
Levy rejected the premise of the joke, stating in his Instagram post that women wearing short shorts does not make them whores, but rather makes the men using that label misogynists. He noted that he has seen more men's nipples at the gym than women showing their bodies off. Levy argued that objectifying women in media influences how they are treated in real life, insisting that this is an issue for everyone. He described women as superior human beings to men and accepted potential backlash for his comments.
Lisa Cusack, president of the Don't L.A. My Burbank PAC, offered a different perspective in a statement to Fox News Digital. She argued that noticing revealing clothing does not automatically constitute misogyny. Cusack stated that while a woman in a skimpy outfit is not necessarily a whore, a man noticing that she is using sex to get attention is not automatically a misogynist. She suggested that modern social media has led to a glut of sexualized images, causing men to respond in a two-dimensional way.
Cusack also discussed the concept of glamour, describing it as the opposite of "pick-me energy" and a way to control perception through mystery. She argued that losing this sense of glamour leads to a loss of romance and reduces everything to its most vulgar form.
Fox News Digital reached out to NBC for comment regarding the incident. Gillis' team declined to comment.