Shane Gillis' old jokes keep coming back to bite him. He has people trying to cancel him once again.
Figureheads of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans come together for a press conference, discussing the stand-up comedian's new show Tires on Netflix. They all mutually acknowledge his use of Asian slurs and stereotypes, feeling he needs to feel some consequences for his actions. The solution? Take the cash flow out of his pocket.
They believe that the only way there can be true repentance is if he sees a more direct detriment to his words. They're calling for Netflix to cancel the show before it hits the ground running for potential renewal. Moreover, they also implore Bud Light to strip him of promo and funding for his stand-up tour unless he apologizes.
California House representative Judy Chu succinctly explains their stance in a statement read at the press conference. She says, "For centuries, xenophobic stereotypes and slurs that cast Asian Americans as perpetual foreigners have endangered our communities, as seen most recently in the spike in anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents since 2020." "I hope now, after these years of hate and discrimination against our communities, Mr. Gillis has taken the time to reflect upon his past words and actions and will finally apologize to the Asian American community," she adds.
What Was The Joke That Has Gillis in Hot Water?
In fairness, they aren't shaking their fists at Gillis without reason. He blasphemes Chinatown and hurls an Asian slur to keep them in their own space. "Chinatown is fucking crazy... Let the f--king ch—s live there." Additionally, he calls aspiring presidential candidate Andrew Yang at the time a "Jew ch--."
Naturally, the viral sensation scrambles for an apology after being cut from Saturday Night Live at the time. "I'm happy to apologize to anyone who's actually offended by anything I said. My intention is never to hurt anyone. But I'm trying to be the best comedian I can be. And sometimes that requires risks."
In another podcast, Gillis would inevitably go back on his apology, insisting he's not really hurting anyone. The founding president of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, Guy Aoki, acknowledges this. With this, he also sees the pattern of weak apologies, lying low, and rebuilding as a viable way public figures keep their careers. "If you duck a few years, slowly build your career back up and continue on as if nothing had happened, you can come back even stronger than ever," Aoki explains. "There's a history of the industry allowing comedians who make offensive racial remarks... to not have to apologize."
Time will tell if this actually hurts Gillis' career.
