Shane Gillis, an emerging comedian and actor, hosted this year’s ESPY Awards, where his roasting style took center stage. On Wednesday evening, he delivered a monologue filled with sharp jabs aimed at various figures in the sports and political arenas, including NFL star Aaron Rodgers and former U.S. President Donald Trump. While Gillis’s humor was met with laughter from many in attendance, it also faced significant backlash, indicating that his comedic approach may not have landed well with the entire audience.
During the ceremony, which honors outstanding athletes and moments in sports, Gillis highlighted several well-known personalities. Among his targets were Bill Belichick, the former general manager of the New England Patriots, and WNBA player Caitlin Clark. Humorously referencing Belichick’s off-field antics, including a rumored romance, Gillis aimed to elicit laughs through a series of playful quips. In a particularly controversial moment, he jested that once Clark retires from professional basketball, she would work at Waffle House to continue engaging in “fist fighting Black women.” This remark, while intended as a joke, sparked considerable debate over the appropriateness of humor surrounding serious topics.
Gillis didn’t shy away from political commentary in his monologue either. He made a notable quip about Donald Trump’s potential plans to host a UFC fight on the lawn of the White House, jokingly recalling an incident when former Vice President Mike Pence had a scare during a staged fight in Washington D.C. He even hinted at a joke regarding Jeffrey Epstein that didn’t make it to the stage, suggesting that it had likely been censored. The mix of sports and political satire seemed to create a cocktail of comedy that resonated with some audience members while leaving others uncomfortable.
Reactions to Gillis’s performance were decidedly mixed, both in the venue and on social media. His quips elicited roars of laughter from segments of the crowd but also some boos, showcasing a clear division of opinion about his comedic style and thematic choices. This division continued online, where commentary varied widely. Supporters defended Gillis, with one individual posting on platform X that those who took offense to his monologue were likely not very enjoyable to be around. In contrast, dissenters expressed their dissatisfaction with one user commenting, “Unpopular opinion: Shane Gillis isn’t as funny as everyone acts like he is,” reflecting a critical viewpoint on his humor.
Towards the end of his monologue, Gillis took a moment to pay homage to the late comedian Norm Macdonald, who himself was a significant figure in the world of comedy and briefly hosted the ESPY Awards in 1998. Macdonald’s legacy was cemented through a similar style of roasting, and Gillis expressed that he aimed to honor that tradition during his hosting gig. Notably, a video of Macdonald’s 1998 performance is still accessible on YouTube under the title “Norm MacDonald Eviscerates ESPN Awards Show (1998),” indicating the lasting impact of both comedians and their hard-hitting humor.
Overall, Shane Gillis’s hosting of the ESPY Awards sparked discussion around the intersections of comedy, sports, and politics, illuminating the potential pitfalls and rewards of a roast-style comedic approach that can elicit laughter, criticism, and deep reflection on societal norms. His performance undoubtedly spotlighted the varied attitudes towards humor in contemporary society, where political and social commentary remains a contentious area of comedic exploration.
