David Spade Tells Shane Gillis SNL Critics to 'Relax' — But His Own Producer Had the Sharpest Take

Shane Gillis hosted SNL this month and made a joke about how women dress at the gym. The backlash was immediate. Now David Spade is weighing in on his podcast“Fly on the Wall,”telling critics to, quote,“just relax,”and defending comedians’right to push boundaries. Dana Carvey backed him up, saying the joke was never meant to be taken literally.

But the most interesting voice in the room belonged to executive producer Heather Santoro, who said plainly that the joke simply wasn’t funny. That reframes the whole debate. Offensive and unfunny aren’t the same thing, and comedians often hide behind the free speech argument when the real issue is a bit that doesn’t land. Spade himself noted that SNL sketches which bomb draw more backlash than the ones that succeed, which says a lot about how audiences dissect comedy in real time.

Spade also raised eyebrows by questioning Hollywood’s selective outrage, citing inconsistent attitudes toward sex workers and actress Sydney Sweeney. Whether or not you agree, it’s a conversation worth having. So where do you land: does comedy deserve a pass as long as it’s funny, or is“relax”not a strong enough defense? Let us know in the comments.