Any good funnyman (or woman) in 2025 can tell you that comedy is in dire straits.
Comedy, by definition, is meant to offend — at least a little — and that creates a natural tension with the more sensitive culture that’s been cultivated in modern times.
Given that, you would understand trepidation from any major network when it comes to deploying an honest-to-goodness comedian to host a primetime award show.
(Just ask CNN how that can go.)
ESPN opted to go that route with its 2025 ESPY Award show.
The embattled sports network, to its credit, threw caution to the wind on that front, when it announced comedian Shane Gillis as the host of its annual award show.
And to reward that faith, Gillis injected the ESPYs with some good, old-fashioned, offensive comedy — that actually drew some authentic laughs, mind you.
Gillis came out firing at the ESPYs, and as most good comedians do, immediately went after a sacred cow: far-left USWNT soccer star, Megan Rapinoe.
@Shanemgillis Shane Gillis came out swinging immediately in his ESPY monologue, immediate direct hit to Megan Rapinoe 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/jQqHr3KfeQ
— 💩🥀Cantominimalisticmaximalist (@CantoMini) July 17, 2025
“Megan Rapinoe could not make it tonight,” Gillis said. “… Nice.”
That last quip drew some light awkward laughter, prompting Gillis to respond, “No? We’re going to pretend she’s a good time? Alright …”
That shot was hardly the last fired by Gillis at the event, as nobody — not even President Donald Trump — was immune to the comedian’s biting remarks:
Shane Gillis: “Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn. The last time he staged a fight in D.C., Mike Pence almost died… Actually, there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted…” #ESPYspic.twitter.com/lneVij5IDY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 17, 2025
“Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn,” Gillis began, referring to some of Trump’s plans for America’s 250th birthday bash. “The last time he staged a fight in D.C., [ex-Vice President] Mike Pence almost died.”
Gillis was obviously broaching the Jan. 6 topic with that one, but then he took it a bit further, noting he didn’t write that joke after it drew some laughter.
“Actually, there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted,” Gillis added.
Gillis again invoked Trump — as well as podcast mogul Joe Rogan — in another viral bit later:
Shane Gillis NEVER hosting the ESPYs again OMG
“Joe Rogan wanted me to be here to host this award show so that I could capture Adam Silver because Joe thinks he’s an alien…Donald Trump wanted me to be here to capture Juan Soto for the same reason.” 😭
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) July 17, 2025
“Joe Rogan actually wanted me to be here to host this award show, so that I could capture [NBA commissioner] Adam Silver because Joe thinks he’s an alien,” Gillis said of the tall, pale and slender Silver. “And Donald Trump wanted me to be here to capture [New York Mets outfielder] Juan Soto for the same reason.”
Is Shane Gillis funny?
When the crowd responded with awkward laughter and a smattering of boos, Gillis responded, “It’s an alien joke. What? Who booed up there? Dude, shut up.”
Yet, the line of the night, at least according to multiple outlets, including OutKick, came when Gillis took a jab at WNBA “fans”:
This might have been Shane Gillis’ best joke of the night.
Introducing his friend’s wife as a 4x WNBA All Star and the crowd totally bought it 😂 pic.twitter.com/qofeQGJ75X
— OutKick (@Outkick) July 17, 2025
“Four-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Hicks is here,” Gillis said. “Give it up for Brittney everybody.”
The camera then appeared to pan to a random black woman in the crowd (for those addicted to the news, she almost looked like former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre), who was seemingly “Brittney Hicks.” Oh, but about her…
“I’m uh … I’m joking around. That’s my friend’s wife. I knew none of you knew WNBA players. Hahaha. That’s crazy that you’d clap for that.”
And keep in mind, this collection of vignettes are the ones that are safe for reprint. Gillis threw in a number of jokes that aren’t.
As for the actual ESPYs themselves, some notable winners from Wednesday’s festivities include the NBA’s reigning MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (best male athlete), the NFL’s Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (best team) and Indiana Fever wunderkind Caitlin Clark (best WNBA athlete).
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