CNN
—
Shane Gillis roasted everyone from the NFL’s Aaron Rodgers to President Donald Trump in his ESPY Awards monologue on Wednesday, but not everyone loved it.
The comedian and actor hosted the annual sports award show and poked fun at the likes of former head coach of the New England Patriots Bill Belichick’s romance with Jordon Hudson and WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
“When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at a waffle house so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist fighting Black women,” Gillis joked.
He also tapped into politics.
“Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn. The last time he staged a fight in DC, Mike Pence almost died,” Gillis said. “Actually, there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted.”
His quips drew laughs and some boos at the event.
That split decision was mirrored on social media, where reaction seemed divided among responses.
“If you were offended by Shane Gillis ESPY’s monologue I can assure you that no one likes to hang around you,” one person wrote on X.
“Unpopular opinion: Shane Gillis isn’t as funny as everyone acts like he is,” another posted.
Gillis wrapped things up with a tribute to the late comedian and “Saturday Night Live” star Norm Macdonald.
Macdonald hosted the ESPYs in 1998 and also did a roasting monologue. A video of that is posted on YouTube titled “Norm MacDonald Eviscerates ESPN Awards Show (1998).”
