Shane Gillis Hosting 'SNL' Sets Social Media On Fire: REACTIONS

Shane Gillis sparked a firestorm of reactions on social media after hosting "Saturday Night Live."

Gillis hosted "SNL" five years after being fired from the show in 2019 before making a single appearance. It was a true full circle moment.

While "Saturday Night Live" has become pretty much unwatchable in recent years, Gillis has experienced a meteoric rise in the comedy world.

He's probably the third most important comedian at the moment behind only Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr. 

Social media was on fire Saturday night with reactions to Shane Gillis hosting "SNL." (Credit: Arturo Holmes/WireImage via Getty Images)

Social media reacts to Shane Gillis hosting "SNL."

Gillis showed up Saturday with a monologue that poked fun at his firing, Down syndrome, his sister having black adopted kids, masturbation, his dad coaching women's sports and more.

Personally, I felt like he held back a little compared to what his podcast listeners are used to, but as he noted, very little of his material is okay on broadcast TV. Fact check: 1000% true.

Naturally, there were some critics with NPR writing the following in part:

"Gillis' turn on SNL last night felt more like an attempt to court a new demographic and poke a bit at liberal sensibilities, allowing longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels to still feel like a rebel rather than the Lord of Showbiz Comedy he has become. In the process, viewers got an okay episode that, more than anything, might leave them wondering why a middling talent like Gillis got tapped to host the show in the first place."

While NPR might not have been impressed, the overwhelming reaction on social media was incredibly positive. People loved seeing Gillis host the show that dumped him like trash five years ago.

Check out some of the reactions below, and let me know your reactions at David.Hookstead@outkick.com:

What does Gillis hosting mean for comedy and cancel culture? I'm hesitant to make any sweeping declarations, but it is great to see a guy the woke mob failed to ruin host a show that fired him. He's become an unstoppable force in comedy, and "SNL" bent the knee. Pretty incredible how much the dynamics have shifted since 2019.

Hopefully, more comedians follow Gillis' lead and start pushing the limits again. His podcast is incredible. The dude will seriously say anything, and that's why he's crushing it while so many others are not.

Finally, if you want a truly incredible Gillis comedy moment, his bit about Alabama football recruiting black guys is awesome. Check it out and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.