Shane Gillis, a vulgar though insightful comedian, is on the rise. He jokes about politics and sex and his uncle with Downs. And honestly, the jokes about his family are hilarious and thoughtful. So, of course, some people hate him. To me, aside from the family jokes, what make Mr Gillis unique is his career arc. A failed athlete and West Point drop out, he turned to stand up and worked his way from shabby bars and clubs in Harrisburg to Philly to SNL…kinda.

In late summer of 2019, Shane was cast as member of SNL and then fired four days later. A clip from a podcast where he impersonated racists landlords from the 40’s was used to cancel him. And the amazing thing is, he apologized to anyone “actually offended” but he did not bow down to the culture. He did not submit to re-education. He simply absorbed the blow and kept on chugging. As he explained in an interview with Andrew Yang, a Chinese American, “I know I’m not a racist, but I also know how I shouldn’t say those kinds of things. I paid the price and now I’m moving on.”

I’ve thought a lot about that interview and Gillis’ perspective on what happened to him. It’s really astounding. And now I think the biggest con, the highest hurdle to overcome, are the lies that tell us we’re wrong. You’re a Christian, so you must be a bigot. Against abortion? You must hate women. Fascist. The truth I know very few actual racists and no fascists. I’m not a hater or bigot. And I’m not trying to tell other people what to do. And though the world may take opportunities from me, I will soldier on. No need to defend myself or apologize or feel bad for my mistakes.

Sorry world, you can’t tell me who I am or what I’m worth. Thanks Shane.