A comedian hailing from the United States has been called out by Australians after his bizarre claim that the country is ‘doing nothing’ and has ‘zero exports’.
Shane Gillis, 35, references Australia in his new stand-up special Beautiful Dogs, which is currently streaming on Netflix.
In a viral clip shared to Netflix Is A Joke’s social media pages promoting the special, the comedian explains why Australia is a good country and what he likes about it.
‘Australia’s good, Australia might be number two, that’s a good country dude,’ he says.
‘It’s just a whole country doing nothing. That’s what I like about them. They’re just down there – zero exports, creating nothing, dude.’
‘The only export I’ve seen come out of Australia is just that YouTube video of that guy punching that kangaroo in the face,’ he adds, laughing.
Australia does, in fact, have many exports.
They include iron ore, coal, natural gas, gold, agricultural products like beef and wheat, and minerals such as aluminum and copper.
Our university system, which attracts students from around the world, is also considered an export because it brings in money from overseas.
Australia is also responsible for many inventions and innovations that shape the modern world – including Wi-Fi, the black box flight recorder, hearing aids, the polymer banknote, the HPV vaccine and the ultrasound scanner.
Gillis’ light-hearted joke sparked fury among patriotic Aussies, who blasted the skit on Instagram.
One user ranted: ‘”Australia might be number 2″ – Pretty bold from someone who lives in a country without free ambulance usage, free hospital coverage, four weeks of sick leave, and, of course, the fact that we can send out children to school without fearing that they will be mass-murdered.
Comedian Shane Gillis, 35, references Australia in his new stand-up special Beautiful Dogs, which is currently streaming on Netflix. The funnyman makes a bizarre claim that the country is ‘doing nothing’ and has ‘zero exports’
‘So thankful to be “second place” to that hole of a country.’
Some users commented listing several exports Australia has provided.
‘Wi-Fi, Cervical cancer vaccines, inflatable escape slides for aeroplanes, ultrasound scans, electric drills, cochlear implants, pacemakers, blackboxes,’ one wrote.
‘Umm, uranium, coal, meat, wool, gas, gold, wheat, copper, iron ore, alcohol, aluminium, crude petroleum. No, we don’t export anything,’ added another.
The light-hearted joke sparked fury among patriotic Aussies. And it’s not the first time Gillis has copped backlash from his ruthless jokes
Someone simply added: ‘The most American comment ever.’
It’s not the first time Gillis has copped backlash from his ruthless jokes.
The funnyman has previously spoken about being ‘destroyed’ online after Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels terminated him over offensive remarks he made in 2018.
Gillis was let ago from SNL in 2019 after clips from his 2018 appearance on Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast surfaced only five days after the cast announcement.
Shane Gillis was fired from Saturday Night Live and canceled by the media in 2019. However, the comedian has made a comeback following a string of appearances and his new comedy special, Beautiful Dogs
The comedian used homophobic slurs on the podcast and referred to Asian people as ‘ch***s’, an ethnic slur directed at people of Asian descent, especially those from China.
After the offensive videos and podcasts surfaced, Gillis said: ‘I’m happy to apologise to anyone who’s actually offended by anything I’ve said. My intention is never to hurt anyone but I am trying to be the best comedian I can be and sometimes that requires risks.’
The apology landed badly, but the damage had already been done. Not only was he canceled by the live sketch show, he was also cut adrift by parts of the media and celebrities such as Sandra Oh.
Not only has Gillis apologised, he has continued to be open about the matter years after it happened, focusing on how he was ‘destroyed’ by Twitter.
Shane Gillis was originally going to be a featured Saturday Night Live cast member on Season 45. However, he was fired five days after the cast announcement
‘It was a bad joke’, he said during an episode of Bussin’ With The Boys on April 28, 2022. ‘I’m not saying I shouldn’t have been fired.’
Gillis continued: ‘It all blew up… It was number one on Twitter for like three days.’
He claimed that SNL attempted to keep him on the show, but that a part of him knew that he would be fired the moment the clips resurfaced.
He said: ‘I had a feeling… I knew it was coming the second that I got in trouble.’
‘I understood the rules, but why do we have those rules?’
