Kenan Thompson Wants a "Real Chat" With Shane Gillis Before Any SNL Return

Kenan Thompson has a message for Shane Gillis, and it’s basically“we need to talk.”The SNL veteran told Axios’Media Trends Live that if Gillis ever returns to host, the two would have to sit down for a“real chat”about people’s actions not dragging everyone else down. Gillis hosted earlier this month, and his monologue included the line that women“just dress like whores now,”which set off a wave of backlash.

Thompson made clear he doesn’t think Gillis is a mean person, but he argued there’s a difference between pushing creative boundaries and using words that can genuinely cause harm. He compared the conversation to walking a kid through what needs to change. And whether Gillis actually gets invited back? Thompson says that call isn’t his to make, so consider his comments less of a veto and more of a well-meaning heads-up.

What really seemed to get Thompson was how much the controversy swallowed the show itself. New cast member Grace Reiter had a phenomenal night, musical guest Rosalía brought the heat, and, as Thompson put it, it’s sad nobody’s even talking about it. So what do you think: does a host’s controversial moment overshadow the whole episode, or can audiences separate the two? Sound off in the comments.