Shane Gillis’ polarizing monologue at the 2025 ESPY Awards sparked immediate buzz—and now, The View hosts are adding their voices to the growing debate.

The 37-year-old comedian opened the annual sports awards with sharp-edged humor, taking aim at everything from Jeffrey Epstein to the January 6th insurrection, and even poking fun at the age gap between NFL legend Bill Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson. The result? A mix of awkward chuckles in the room, a roaring social media response, and now, pointed feedback from the hosts of ABC’s The View.

Whoopi Goldberg, a veteran of hosting major awards shows herself, didn’t hide her skepticism. “Hosting an award show is a tough gig,” she said, resting her chin on her hand in visible disinterest. But she posed the question plainly: “Do you think he read that room correctly?”

Joy Behar had a quick answer: “No, no, no, no,” she said flatly. “When you do an awards show, they’re there to hear their name called. They’re not there to laugh.” Still, Behar—who spent decades as a stand-up comic—acknowledged how difficult comedy can be in high-pressure, high-profile settings. “It’s like I’m onstage naked and everybody else has clothes,” she added. But one thing, she emphasized, Gillis got dead wrong: blaming the writers. “Never do that,” she said. “That’s a mistake.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin had a different take, noting the contrast between the room’s reaction and online feedback. “He seemed to be playing more for the audience at home,” she said. “He’s funny, but I watch him like I watch horror movies—peeking between my fingers.”

Griffin also defended the core of Gillis’ approach, saying, “We always say comedians have to be able to push the line. That’s how comedy stays authentic.”

But Sara Haines felt the monologue lacked balance, suggesting Gillis could have offered genuine moments of admiration between the jabs. “You could give some real shoutouts without following them up with a joke every time,” she said.

Sunny Hostin, however, found at least some of the comedy funny—particularly the moment Gillis made light of the Epstein conspiracy theories with a sarcastic, “It probably deleted itself. Probably never existed.” Hostin called it “actually kind of funny.”

Behar and Goldberg weren’t entirely dismissive of Gillis’ humor, but they emphasized the importance of tone, timing, and knowing your audience. “You have to know how to work the room,” Behar said. “I don’t know if he knows how to do that.”

Goldberg summed up the debate with a touch of veteran wisdom—and a wink of resignation. “When you know how to do the material, you can make it work. You can make it work without being offensive and terrible,” she said. “So? What do I know? I’m a used-to-be.”