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class="styl_ntaer__ZKkl3" data-activy-map="social-share-lks-article-top" data-ttid="social-share-menu"><li data-ttid="social-share-facebook" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_facebook__bOW_X"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-facebook"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-twter" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_twter__ww7sF"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-ptert" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_ptert__CaMm1"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-ptert"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-email" class="styl_em__b5A78"><a href="mailto:?subject='SNL' st member's ethnic slur forc show to grapple wh lims of edy& target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-email"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-py" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_py__RACZ3"><button type="button" class="styl_button__b3sx_"><span class="in in-lk"></span></button><div class="styl_pyTooltip__Ut_t1"><span class="in in-alt-check"></span></div></li><li data-ttid="social-share-sms" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_sms__Vohh6"><a href="sms:?&body='SNL' st member's ethnic slur forc show to grapple wh lims of edy via nbews - target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-sms"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-prt" class="styl_prt__cw6Gn"><button type="button" class="styl_button__b3sx_"><span class="in in-share-prt styl_in__P3XZT"></span><span class="styl_text___8iNX">Prt</span></button></li><li data-ttid="social-share-save" class="styl_save__ILVuj"></li></ul></div><div class="article-body__date-source"><time class="relative z-1" dateTime="2019-09-13T23:32:00.000Z" ntent="2019-09-13T23:32:00.000Z">Sept. 13, 2019, 11:32 PM UTC</time></div><div class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Erik Ortiz</a></span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">"Saturday Night Live" remaed silent Friday after the growg furor that one of s newt st members has a history of racist and homophobic remarks.</p><p class="">The ntroversial ments — ma by standup edian Shane Gillis a podst vio upload a year ago — surfaced Thursday on social media, jt <a href=" target="_blank">hours after "SNL" announced his hirg</a>, and led some fans to mand the long-nng sketch edy show drop him ahead of the new season.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">But whether the outcry is enough to make "SNL" reverse urse has only highlighted cricism of the show's lack of diversy and opened up a wir discsn on the ever-evolvg boundari of what mak for acceptable edy.</p><div><sectn class="related related--sgle dn-prt" data-activy-map="related-article-body-related" data-ttid="related" aria-label="Related ntent"><h3 class="related__tle">Related</h3><div id="related" class="related__ems"><div class="related-em related-em__sgle"><div class="related-em__thumbnail-wrapper"><a href=" data-icid="related" class="related-em__lk related-em__picture-lk"><picture class="related-em__thumbnail__image"><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="60" width="60"/></picture></a><span class="related-em__eyebrow thk"><a class="related-em__label" href="/opn"><span>Opn</span></a><a href=" data-icid="related"></a></span></div><div class="related-em__-wrapper"><h3 class="related-em__tle"><a class="thk" href="/opn"><span class="related-em__eyebrow">Opn</span></a><a href=" data-icid="related" class="related-em__lk">Has Dave Chappelle's edy changed — or have we?</a></h3></div></div></div></sectn></div><p class="">"It n be unfair when what you've said is dissected and taken out of ntext," said Nick Marx, an edor of the 2013 book, "Saturday Night Live & Amerin TV." "I don't thk this se that's what we're seeg — the are ments ma the past year. So I don't doubt that there are some pretty tense nversatns happeng behd closed doors at 'SNL' today."</p><p class="">Marx, an associate profsor of film and media studi at Colorado State Universy, said he expects producers to dump Gillis given how other vios have e out showg that the podst "do not seem to be an isolated cint but a pattern of behavr."</p><p class="">In clips om "Matt and Shane's Secret Podst," which have been removed om s YouTube channel, Gillis and his -host nigrate Chatown and Che food, speak riture Asian accents and make sexist ments about Asian women. Gillis also an ethnic slur ed to scribe the Che.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">Gillis has taken part other rerd nversatns which he mocks an Asian boy wh Down syndrome and homophobic slurs about other edians.</p><p class="">In a statement <a href=" target="_blank">tweeted</a> Thursday night, he fend himself as a "edian who ph boundari" and said he would be "happy to apologize to anyone who's actually offend by anythg I've said. My tentn is never to hurt anyone but I'm tryg to be the bt edian I n be and sometim that requir risks."</p><p class="">"SNL" has not returned a requt for ment. The show airs on NBC, a divisn of NBCUniversal, which is also the parent pany of NBC News.</p><p class="">On social media, some have cried how Gillis may bee the victim of<a href=" target="_blank"> "ncel culture,"</a> which large-sle social media outrage n be ed to reject someone's reer or celebry stat, and that a perceptn of oversensivy has forced people to dull their edic impuls.</p><p class="">Standup ic Anthony Jelnik tweeted Thursday: "I tly enjoy the annual tradn of tryg to stroy a new SNL performer on the happit day of their life."</p><p class="">But Marx said "SNL" n't ignore the "cel irony" that the ntroversy over brgg on Gillis me as the show also announced the hirg of Bowen Yang, who is Che-Amerin and now the first st member who intifi as East Asian. Yang, who joed as a wrer on the show last season, will also be one of the few openly gay st members.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Bowen Yang will jo SNL's 45th season as a featured player." height="1919" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">Bowen Yang will jo SNL's 45th season as a featured player.</span><span class="ptn__source">Alex Schaefer</span></figptn></figure><p class="">In 2016, another new "SNL" st member, Melissa Villaseñor, was cricized for observatns she wrote on social media years earlier about black, Mexin and Japane people. But Villaseñor, who <a href=" target="_blank">joed as the first Lata st member</a>, remas on the show, and neher she nor "SNL" mented about the offensive tweets.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">Marx said edians who are of margalized inti n be given more leeway, although more recently, they are also payg a price for past transgrsns. <a href=" target="_blank">Kev Hart whdrew om hostg</a> this year's Amy Awards after he me unr fire for homophobic tweets datg back a .</p><p class="">But for someone like Gillis, Marx add, 's different: "He's a straight whe guy punchg down wh those jok."</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">Comedian Dar Patterson, who hosts the podst "SNL Nerds," said he unrstands balancg the sire to be funny wh not oversteppg jt for the sake of a punchle.</p><p class="">"If you're gog for an actual joke, you have to be ready for all the blowback you may get," Patterson said.</p><p class="">He add that "SNL" uld have to addrs what happened bee Gillis' ments are more recent, but that he uld survive losg his job if they "wa for this to blow over — there's always somethg new to make angry and upset."</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">If anythg, he said, this should teach the show's producers to better vet s new hir.</p><p class="">How the show has tackled race has ma stris recent years, Patterson said, and some rpects, has e a long way om when whe st members wore blackface the 1980s — Joe Pispo once portrayed Jse Jackson and Billy Crystal played Sammy Davis Jr. — and even up to the 2000s.</p><p class="">The lack of diversy on the st was glarg after Maya Rudolph, who is biracial, left 2007, creatg a void of black women. In 2013, black st member Kenan Thompson, who was tasked to play black women such as Maya Angelou and Jennifer Hudson, <a href=" target="_blank">announced he would stop</a> dog so, while also sayg there was a lack of "ready" black female performers for "SNL" to tap.</p><p class="">The statement drew cricism, but also forced the show to step up s diversy hirg, which currently clus Ego Nwodim, who joed the st last year as the seventh black woman s history. Llie Jon, who was hired 2014 and <a href=" target="_blank">endured racial and misogynistic</a> harassment onle, <a href=" target="_blank">left the show</a> last month ahead of the season premiere on Sept. 28.</p><p class="">While "SNL" has aired for more than four s, turng s st members to hoehold nam and pturg the Amerin cultural zegeist wh endurg characters, has done a better job recent seasons to palize on s diversy, Patterson said.</p><sectn class="embed-widget embedWidget embed-widget__youtube embed-widget--medium"><iame loadg="lazy" tle="youtube embed" class="embed-widget__e-prentatn" src=" ameBorr="0" allowfullscreen=""></iame></sectn><p class="">Last year, when the show's four black st members — Thompson, Jon, Nwodim and Chris Redd — appeared on stage together for a Black History Month prentatn, Patterson said he stopped and admired how far the show had e.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">Regardls of what happens wh Gillis' employment, he add, "SNL" has the chance to build on s succs as of late while matag s televisn legacy.</p><p class="endmark">"And you n do all that while beg funny first," Patterson said.</p></div><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Erik Ortiz</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Erik Ortiz is a senr reporter for NBC News Digal focg on racial jtice and social equaly.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail layout-grid-em grid-l-4_5-l grid-l-3_5-xl grid-l-ph-half-xl"><div class="ad article-body__right-rail--ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxrail" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[300,250],[360,360]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="10" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="body-bottom-remend"><div class="ad ad--midrponsive 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melissa villaseñor gay

Contents:

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Is Melissa Villasenor gay? "Saturday Night Live" remaed silent Friday after the growg furor that one of s newt st members has a history of racist and homophobic ntroversial ments — ma by standup edian Shane Gillis a podst vio upload a year ago — surfaced Thursday on social media, jt hours after "SNL" announced his hirg, and led some fans to mand the long-nng sketch edy show drop him ahead of the new whether the outcry is enough to make "SNL" reverse urse has only highlighted cricism of the show's lack of diversy and opened up a wir discsn on the ever-evolvg boundari of what mak for acceptable edy. Gillis also an ethnic slur ed to scribe the has taken part other rerd nversatns which he mocks an Asian boy wh Down syndrome and homophobic slurs about other a statement tweeted Thursday night, he fend himself as a "edian who ph boundari" and said he would be "happy to apologize to anyone who's actually offend by anythg I've said.

Yang, who joed as a wrer on the show last season, will also be one of the few openly gay st Yang will jo SNL's 45th season as a featured SchaeferIn 2016, another new "SNL" st member, Melissa Villaseñor, was cricized for observatns she wrote on social media years earlier about black, Mexin and Japane people. Kev Hart whdrew om hostg this year's Amy Awards after he me unr fire for homophobic tweets datg back a for someone like Gillis, Marx add, 's different: "He's a straight whe guy punchg down wh those jok. SHOWBIZ Jerrod Carmichael, Alan Cummg, Andre Leon Talley, AIDS drama 2023-02-05 - Openly gay stand-up ic and recent Goln Glob host Jerrod Carmichael is set to star a edy documentary seri for HBO, acrdg to Entertament Weekly.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* MELISSA VILLASEñOR GAY

Live</tle><rect width="39" height="22" rx="3" fill="#CB1111"></rect><path d="M5.756 5.66H8.186V15.002H12.506V17H5.756V5.66ZM13.5783 5.66H16.0083V17H13.5783V5.66ZM22.5198 17H20.0718L16.7958 5.66H19.2798L21.3498 13.31H21.4218L23.5098 5.66H25.7958L22.5198 17ZM33.3901 15.002V17H26.5861V5.66H33.3541V7.658H28.9621V10.25H32.3101V12.212H28.9621V15.002H33.3901Z" fill="whe"></path></svg></span>on<span class="styl_img__bxg3Y styl_news-now-img__961yW"><svg width="144" height="16" viewBox="0 0 144 16" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>NBC News Now</tle><g clip-path="url(#clip0_3686_260016)"><path d="M143.711 12.9351H106.432V15.7204H143.711V12.9351Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M138.308 11.0828H141.078L143.924 0.253418H141.218L139.725 6.7182H139.678L138.044 0.253418H135.417L133.77 6.7182H133.708L132.215 0.253418H129.276L132.114 11.0828H135.005L136.655 4.66263H136.747L138.308 11.0828Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M120.534 5.67944C120.534 3.79098 121.713 2.45958 123.394 2.45958C125.074 2.45958 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class="styl_ntaer__ZKkl3" data-activy-map="social-share-lks-article-top" data-ttid="social-share-menu"><li data-ttid="social-share-facebook" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_facebook__bOW_X"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-facebook"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-twter" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_twter__ww7sF"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-ptert" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_ptert__CaMm1"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-ptert"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-email" class="styl_em__b5A78"><a href="mailto:?subject='SNL' st member's ethnic slur forc show to grapple wh lims of edy& target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-email"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-py" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_py__RACZ3"><button type="button" class="styl_button__b3sx_"><span class="in in-lk"></span></button><div class="styl_pyTooltip__Ut_t1"><span class="in in-alt-check"></span></div></li><li data-ttid="social-share-sms" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_sms__Vohh6"><a href="sms:?&body='SNL' st member's ethnic slur forc show to grapple wh lims of edy via nbews - target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-sms"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-prt" class="styl_prt__cw6Gn"><button type="button" class="styl_button__b3sx_"><span class="in in-share-prt styl_in__P3XZT"></span><span class="styl_text___8iNX">Prt</span></button></li><li data-ttid="social-share-save" class="styl_save__ILVuj"></li></ul></div><div class="article-body__date-source"><time class="relative z-1" dateTime="2019-09-13T23:32:00.000Z" ntent="2019-09-13T23:32:00.000Z">Sept. 13, 2019, 11:32 PM UTC</time></div><div class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Erik Ortiz</a></span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">"Saturday Night Live" remaed silent Friday after the growg furor that one of s newt st members has a history of racist and homophobic remarks.</p><p class="">The ntroversial ments — ma by standup edian Shane Gillis a podst vio upload a year ago — surfaced Thursday on social media, jt <a href=" target="_blank">hours after "SNL" announced his hirg</a>, and led some fans to mand the long-nng sketch edy show drop him ahead of the new season.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">But whether the outcry is enough to make "SNL" reverse urse has only highlighted cricism of the show's lack of diversy and opened up a wir discsn on the ever-evolvg boundari of what mak for acceptable edy.</p><div><sectn class="related related--sgle dn-prt" data-activy-map="related-article-body-related" data-ttid="related" aria-label="Related ntent"><h3 class="related__tle">Related</h3><div id="related" class="related__ems"><div class="related-em related-em__sgle"><div class="related-em__thumbnail-wrapper"><a href=" data-icid="related" class="related-em__lk related-em__picture-lk"><picture class="related-em__thumbnail__image"><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="60" width="60"/></picture></a><span class="related-em__eyebrow thk"><a class="related-em__label" href="/opn"><span>Opn</span></a><a href=" data-icid="related"></a></span></div><div class="related-em__-wrapper"><h3 class="related-em__tle"><a class="thk" href="/opn"><span class="related-em__eyebrow">Opn</span></a><a href=" data-icid="related" class="related-em__lk">Has Dave Chappelle's edy changed — or have we?</a></h3></div></div></div></sectn></div><p class="">"It n be unfair when what you've said is dissected and taken out of ntext," said Nick Marx, an edor of the 2013 book, "Saturday Night Live & Amerin TV." "I don't thk this se that's what we're seeg — the are ments ma the past year. So I don't doubt that there are some pretty tense nversatns happeng behd closed doors at 'SNL' today."</p><p class="">Marx, an associate profsor of film and media studi at Colorado State Universy, said he expects producers to dump Gillis given how other vios have e out showg that the podst "do not seem to be an isolated cint but a pattern of behavr."</p><p class="">In clips om "Matt and Shane's Secret Podst," which have been removed om s YouTube channel, Gillis and his -host nigrate Chatown and Che food, speak riture Asian accents and make sexist ments about Asian women. Gillis also an ethnic slur ed to scribe the Che.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">Gillis has taken part other rerd nversatns which he mocks an Asian boy wh Down syndrome and homophobic slurs about other edians.</p><p class="">In a statement <a href=" target="_blank">tweeted</a> Thursday night, he fend himself as a "edian who ph boundari" and said he would be "happy to apologize to anyone who's actually offend by anythg I've said. My tentn is never to hurt anyone but I'm tryg to be the bt edian I n be and sometim that requir risks."</p><p class="">"SNL" has not returned a requt for ment. The show airs on NBC, a divisn of NBCUniversal, which is also the parent pany of NBC News.</p><p class="">On social media, some have cried how Gillis may bee the victim of<a href=" target="_blank"> "ncel culture,"</a> which large-sle social media outrage n be ed to reject someone's reer or celebry stat, and that a perceptn of oversensivy has forced people to dull their edic impuls.</p><p class="">Standup ic Anthony Jelnik tweeted Thursday: "I tly enjoy the annual tradn of tryg to stroy a new SNL performer on the happit day of their life."</p><p class="">But Marx said "SNL" n't ignore the "cel irony" that the ntroversy over brgg on Gillis me as the show also announced the hirg of Bowen Yang, who is Che-Amerin and now the first st member who intifi as East Asian. Yang, who joed as a wrer on the show last season, will also be one of the few openly gay st members.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Bowen Yang will jo SNL's 45th season as a featured player." height="1919" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">Bowen Yang will jo SNL's 45th season as a featured player.</span><span class="ptn__source">Alex Schaefer</span></figptn></figure><p class="">In 2016, another new "SNL" st member, Melissa Villaseñor, was cricized for observatns she wrote on social media years earlier about black, Mexin and Japane people. But Villaseñor, who <a href=" target="_blank">joed as the first Lata st member</a>, remas on the show, and neher she nor "SNL" mented about the offensive tweets.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">Marx said edians who are of margalized inti n be given more leeway, although more recently, they are also payg a price for past transgrsns. <a href=" target="_blank">Kev Hart whdrew om hostg</a> this year's Amy Awards after he me unr fire for homophobic tweets datg back a .</p><p class="">But for someone like Gillis, Marx add, 's different: "He's a straight whe guy punchg down wh those jok."</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">Comedian Dar Patterson, who hosts the podst "SNL Nerds," said he unrstands balancg the sire to be funny wh not oversteppg jt for the sake of a punchle.</p><p class="">"If you're gog for an actual joke, you have to be ready for all the blowback you may get," Patterson said.</p><p class="">He add that "SNL" uld have to addrs what happened bee Gillis' ments are more recent, but that he uld survive losg his job if they "wa for this to blow over — there's always somethg new to make angry and upset."</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">If anythg, he said, this should teach the show's producers to better vet s new hir.</p><p class="">How the show has tackled race has ma stris recent years, Patterson said, and some rpects, has e a long way om when whe st members wore blackface the 1980s — Joe Pispo once portrayed Jse Jackson and Billy Crystal played Sammy Davis Jr. — and even up to the 2000s.</p><p class="">The lack of diversy on the st was glarg after Maya Rudolph, who is biracial, left 2007, creatg a void of black women. In 2013, black st member Kenan Thompson, who was tasked to play black women such as Maya Angelou and Jennifer Hudson, <a href=" target="_blank">announced he would stop</a> dog so, while also sayg there was a lack of "ready" black female performers for "SNL" to tap.</p><p class="">The statement drew cricism, but also forced the show to step up s diversy hirg, which currently clus Ego Nwodim, who joed the st last year as the seventh black woman s history. Llie Jon, who was hired 2014 and <a href=" target="_blank">endured racial and misogynistic</a> harassment onle, <a href=" target="_blank">left the show</a> last month ahead of the season premiere on Sept. 28.</p><p class="">While "SNL" has aired for more than four s, turng s st members to hoehold nam and pturg the Amerin cultural zegeist wh endurg characters, has done a better job recent seasons to palize on s diversy, Patterson said.</p><sectn class="embed-widget embedWidget embed-widget__youtube embed-widget--medium"><iame loadg="lazy" tle="youtube embed" class="embed-widget__e-prentatn" src=" ameBorr="0" allowfullscreen=""></iame></sectn><p class="">Last year, when the show's four black st members — Thompson, Jon, Nwodim and Chris Redd — appeared on stage together for a Black History Month prentatn, Patterson said he stopped and admired how far the show had e.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">Regardls of what happens wh Gillis' employment, he add, "SNL" has the chance to build on s succs as of late while matag s televisn legacy.</p><p class="endmark">"And you n do all that while beg funny first," Patterson said.</p></div><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Erik Ortiz</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Erik Ortiz is a senr reporter for NBC News Digal focg on racial jtice and social equaly.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail layout-grid-em grid-l-4_5-l grid-l-3_5-xl grid-l-ph-half-xl"><div class="ad article-body__right-rail--ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxrail" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[300,250],[360,360]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="10" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="body-bottom-remend"><div class="ad ad--midrponsive ad-ntaer dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="midrponsive" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[700,1],[5,5]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="300" data-reh-terval="0" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div></div></div></div></article></div></div><div id="hfs-footer" class="dn-prt" data-activy-map="hfs-footer"><footer class="hfsf" ><div class="ner"><div class="logo"><a href="><svg class="peack" viewBox="578 62 67 39" xmlns=" fill="currentColor"><g fill-le="evenodd"><path d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M597.563 75.863l9.442 21.613-19.478-13.35c-4.887-3.24-3.896-8.79-1.19-11.237 3.83-3.24 9.245-2.12 11.226 2.97"></path><path class="feather" d="M610.57 70.93l-3.433 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