From Cancelled to Conqueror, the Rise of Shane Gillis

Chuckleberry Finn — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 22:43:14 +0000

From the ashes of cancellation, Shane Gillis has soared to the top of the comedy world, capturing hearts and laughter across the nation with his unabashed, authentic humor. Love him or loathe him, there’s no denying the seismic impact he’s made since his controversial departure from “Saturday Night Live” in 2019. Now, with his latest Netflix special, “Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs,” he’s officially claimed the throne as the streaming giant’s #1 comic.

Gillis, hailing from the heart of Pennsylvania, has become a household name among thousands of men who resonate with his unapologetic, frat-boy wit. His stand-up is a masterclass in cleverness, his podcast appearances brim with quick-witted banter, and his anecdotes leave audiences in stitches.

Reflecting on his journey, it’s hard not to marvel at the resilience and tenacity Gillis has displayed. Cast aside by SNL amid a storm of controversy, he could have faded into obscurity. Instead, he confronted his setback head-on, using self-deprecation as his shield and comedy as his sword. Even on the night he should have been making his SNL debut, he was already crafting jokes about his own misfortune on stage at The Stand comedy club in New York City.

But Gillis didn’t stop there. He doubled down on his craft, nurturing a devoted fanbase through his podcast, aptly named “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast.” Despite its rocky start, the podcast became a sanctuary for fans hungry for Gillis’ unfiltered humor. His YouTube channel with buddy John McKeever amassed a staggering 488,000 subscribers, while his debut stand-up special, “Live In Austin,” garnered over 14 million views.

In a stroke of genius, Gillis graced Spotify’s “The Joe Rogan Experience” in July 2021, catapulting his fame to new heights. Embracing his anti-woke persona while simultaneously subverting it, Gillis proved himself a master of comedic nuance. Whether poking fun at his “Fox News Dad” or dismantling racial stereotypes with razor-sharp wit, he navigates controversial terrain with finesse.

Even his portrayal of Donald Trump, rendered with comedic finesse rather than political fervor, has endeared him to audiences. With each impression, Gillis invites laughter rather than division, showcasing his unparalleled comedic prowess.

As Gillis continues to ascend, one can’t help but wonder about the road not taken. Would SNL have elevated him to greater heights, or would it have stifled his unique voice? Perhaps, as some critics argue, the show’s rigid structure might have constrained his comedic genius. Regardless, Gillis’ journey is a testament to the power of resilience, authenticity, and, above all, laughter.

In a world hungry for authenticity and unfiltered humor, Shane Gillis stands as a beacon of comedic brilliance, a testament to the enduring power of laughter to transcend controversy and adversity. So here’s to Shane Gillis, the phoenix who rose from the ashes of cancellation to conquer the comedy world and beyond.

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Netflix’s Controversial Comedy: Unmasking the Matt Rife Deception

Chuckleberry Finn — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 15:57:37 +0000

In the ever-evolving landscape of entertainment, controversies surrounding comedians and their specials have become commonplace. The latest storm surrounds Matt Rife’s Netflix special, “Natural Selection,” which launched on November 15, sparking a wave of criticism and an unexpected twist that has left audiences scratching their heads.

The controversy centers around a domestic violence joke at the beginning of Rife’s special. The comedian weaves a tale about visiting Baltimore, and the hostess he had with a black eye. You can watch the short clip below.

First off, why would he start out the biggest special of his career with a domestic violence joke? Probably because he wanted to subvert expectations – most of his fans are women and so going into this special comedy fans all assumed his comedy would be geared towards them.

To back up a moment, Matt got TikTok famous for his crowd work. It’s what he’s best at. In fact, his Netflix advertisement centered around how he does more than just crowd work. So his desire to subvert audience expectations runs deep.

However, the real twist came in the aftermath when Rife issued an apology with a link that redirected visitors to a website for special needs helmets.

In his comedy special, Rife acknowledged the potential sensitivity, prefacing it by testing the waters with his audience. The subsequent controversy, however, has overshadowed any nuanced discussion about the actual comedic content of the special.

It’s worth noting that around one-third of the special is dedicated to Rife expressing his desire not to offend anyone and addressing the issue of internet trolls. He sets the tone by declaring that starting with a controversial topic should pave the way for smooth sailing throughout the rest of the show.

So What Happened As Soon As This Special Premiered?

Considering Netflix heavily promoted (too much in my opinion) Rife’s special, the “buzz” online was basically a thud. The internets version of “cricket sounds”.

Most people said “it’s not funny” and “he’s better at crowd work”. Some of it was the over promoting Netflix did. They even had full size billboards across the country. Their was a full-blown online commercial. I can’t remember the last Netflix commercial I saw.

It was embarrassing for both Netflix and Matt.

The First Controversy Began

The internet started talking about Rife’s offensive joke about people with autism. This was when he joked “I didn’t know that is where the extra chromosome went” when talking about how autistic people have hidden talents.

Again, most of the comments I saw were “The special wasn’t funny”.

Just 2 Days Later

Once the special was about a week old the internet woke up and began to do its thing. Calls to cancel Matt Rife began appearing everywhere. This time linked to his domestic abuse joke (again, this joke was at the beginning of his special).

That’s what made his special go viral. The right controversy had finally taken control of the internet.

And wouldn’t you know… the comments section now has ZERO people saying what an unfunny special it was. Everyone is arguing about whether or not it’s offensive.

If You're Offended Then You Are a Pawn

No one is saying his special isn’t funny anymore, and every single media publication is talking about it.

Rife, in a recent interview with Variety, expressed his intention to appeal to both men and women, highlighting a misconception about his fan base being predominantly female. The comedian emphasized that the special was crafted for everyone, not catering to a specific demographic.

Given that 1/3 of his special was addressing internet trolls, and people who get offended too easily, the set up is too obvious to me as someone that works in media. Netflix even has a history of leveraging controversy to boost viewership.

What I’m saying is, if you’re offended by his joke so much that you talk about it, comment on it, or engage at all with anyone (particularly online) then the real joke is on you. You’re being used to make Netflix rich.

It’s gotten to the point now that people are seeking out his special who never had any idea who Matt Rife was. Your outrage caused this.

If we peel back the layers, it becomes evident that the real issue might not be the content of the special itself but the narrative spun around it. The focus has shifted from evaluating the humor to dissecting the controversy, a distraction that conveniently overshadows any critique of the comedic quality.

Netflix, as a streaming behemoth, has a history of leveraging controversy to boost viewership. The question then arises: Are audiences being unwittingly drawn into a carefully orchestrated drama for the sake of engagement? Let me know in the comments!

The giveaway, to me, is not just his response to the controversy, but the last 1/3 of his special. His lack of “apology” is what ignited this controversy to massive proportions, but in his special he was already saying “he never wants to offend anyone”… which is what he would have said in the apology everyone wanted.

What's In a Joke?

Is the world too sensitive today? That’s a matter of personal opinion. The fact is, we live in a world that is increasingly aware and empathetic to insulting words, stereotypes and jokes.

Was Matt’s joke about domestic abuse offensive? Kind of, yes. If you were a victim of domestic abuse then it could certainly trigger you. But the reason what he even said is a joke in the first place is because hitting someone because they didn’t cook well actually happened in the past, and is such a ridiculous reason to hit someone that it doesn’t really happen today. If this happened regularly today, or didn’t happen in the past, it wouldn’t even be a joke.

Domestic abuse happens, but because someone overcooked the meatloaf? Rarely if never. So I don’t even think his joke is that offensive. It’s about on par with half of the jokes we hear everyday.

More importantly, to me anyway, was his joke funny? The setup is about how bad Baltimore is, and then he talks about the black eye for a bit and then comes in with his punchline. It’s a similar joke guys tell to each other when they are 100% joking. I found it kind of funny because my wife is a feminist, and so old fashioned misogynistic jokes are great for me to have in the arsenal. But it’s old fashioned, kind of played out, and not super original. It also ignores the setup, which was Baltimore is trash, but also nice in some areas.

Jokes are almost always funny because you’re laughing at someone else. Great comics know this, but they don’t “punch down”.

For some GREAT comedy on controversial topics see the clips below:

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