I'm reflecting on Shane Gillis' recent SNL monologue where he made a joke about women being whores for wearing tight shorts to the gym. On first reaction, it seems quite offensive. This joke was told shortly after he joked about hiking alone and encountering a woman that was hiking alone. During the encounter, he made a joke essentially showing his awareness that he could be perceived as someone that could be perceived as sexually aggressive or violent. So there seems to be a thread of some sort.
I've had friends express their discomfort and explicit condemnation about the comments as harmful towards women. I'm trying to hold a tension between acknowledging the potential for harm and also hold room to see the joke as opportunity to open up conversations about how men and women see each other in society. I notice the tension in me arises when I feel compelled by others to express my outrage and condemnation to show that I'm on the side of the victims (in this case, women).
What do you all think?