The Rust Belt Resilience of Shane Gillis
After being fired from SNL five years ago he is set to host later this month.
The late great Patrice O’Neal appeared on a Fox News program in 2007 to discuss the danger of trying to cancel funny people. He was defending Don Imus, who was famously fired for insensitive remarks, and Opie and Anthony who were always facing suspensions or firings.
His main point was that comedians should be allowed the leeway to joke about something offensive and people who don’t like comedy need to stay out of that world. He told the woman there debating him that she doesn’t speak for funny.
By the end of the segment, O’Neal had the camera crew and the show host laughing. He even got laughs from the person debating against him.
This was 17 years ago. O’Neal thought that cancel culture was out of control then when people were trying to ruin the careers of comedians over jokes.
It was an insane concept to think about back then but nothing has changed. Cancelling people over…
