Ego Nwodim Mocks Shane Gillis With Sarcastic Gym Selfie After Outrageous SNL 'Whores' Monologue

Ego Nwodim responded to Shane Gillis' Saturday Night Live monologue with a gym selfie captioned 'Whore reporting for duty' after he joked about women wearing revealing workout clothes. The former SNL cast member shared the post on Instagram Stories on 12 October, two days after Gillis' appearance, joining the public criticism of his remarks.

'Whore reporting for duty,' Nwodim wrote alongside a mirror photograph showing her in black gym clothes. She followed it with a picture of her post-workout meal, joking about getting 30 grams of protein after 'heauxing'.

Nwodim joined SNL in 2018 and left after seven seasons, ahead of the show's 51st season. Her post used the same term Gillis had used onstage.

The posts came amid criticism from some comedians and viewers of Gillis' remarks about women's workout clothes.

Ego Nwodim Joins Criticism of Shane Gillis

During his third hosting appearance on SNL, Gillis joked about returning to the gym and noticing women's shorts. He also suggested that men risk appearing in workout videos posted online while trying not to stare.

Schitt's Creek co-creator and actor Dan Levy criticised the routine in an Instagram video. He argued that wearing short shorts did not justify calling women offensive names and urged men to challenge language that objectifies women.

Comedian Phoebe Robinson similarly described the material as lazy and misogynistic. Their objections centred on the words Gillis used, rather than an attempt to prevent comedians from addressing uncomfortable subjects.

Other entertainers took a different view. Former SNL cast member Dana Carvey defended the routine as a joke, while British comedian Jimmy Carr argued that a performer's intention should carry weight when assessing controversial comedy.

Gillis later said he had no objection to women wearing revealing workout clothing. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, he noted that men sometimes wear tight compression shorts too. His explanation did not resolve the disagreement over how the joke landed.

Gillis Explains How the Monologue Was Prepared

During the 13 November episode of Rogan's podcast, Gillis recalled reassuring people working on SNL that his material would cause no controversy. He had expected to spend much of the monologue joking about his own weight.

'I promise there's no controversy,' he recalled telling them. The reaction to his remarks about women's gym attire suggested otherwise.

Gillis also disputed the suggestion that SNL had formally approved every part of his routine. Comedian Mark Normand had recalled watching Gillis perform the material at New York's Comedy Cellar, where it reportedly received a positive response.

According to Gillis, comedians prepare their own monologues, although producers can stop material they consider unsuitable. That account should not be taken as an independent statement from SNL about its production process.

The controversy revived attention to Gillis' history with the programme. In September 2019, SNL announced him as a new cast member but dismissed him before his debut after earlier podcast recordings containing racial and homophobic slurs resurfaced.

Gillis said he responded differently this time. Rather than keep reading criticism online, as he had in 2019, he deleted his social media accounts.

He also acknowledged briefly considering removing comedians who criticised him from his touring lineup, but ultimately decided against doing so.