As the holiday season is back, the tradition of swapping jokes has returned, too. Weekend Update co-hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost brought back the joke swap tradition this weekend and gave each other brutal gifts before the SNL holiday break.
Michael Che and Colin Jost
The duo engaged in a comedic exchange by delivering jokes that were written by another co-host. The jokes that they read in their live TV performance were totally new to them. This is when Jost humorously jabs his wife, Scarlett Johansson, on the Asteroid City‘s failure.
Colin Jost Made a Brutal Jab at Wife Scarlett Johansson on Asteroid City‘s Setback
Colin Jost and Michael Che on SNL
Michael Che introduced a fictional poet, author, and activist, Dr. Hattie Davis, to watch their comedic jabs on Saturday Night Live. He then allowed Jost to start with his first joke. Jost couldn’t stop laughing out loud, and deep down, he knew things would not go great for him.
He was right, though. He could barely speak but started reading, “A group of geneticists have announced plans to bring back the dodo and reintroduce it to Africa. And if you ask me, I can think of at least one dodo I’d like to reintroduce to Africa.” Then, a pH๏τo of Barack Obama flashed on the screen. To this, Che responded by shaking his head, “The woman’s an activist, Colin.”
Che concluded the segment by playfully trolling Jost about his movie star wife, Scarlett Johansson. Then Jost continues reading, cracking:
“New York State now allows movie theaters to serve alcohol, which is how I’m finally able to enjoy my wife’s little art movies.”
He added, “I’m kidding, honey. I love all of your movies. And if you ask me, you’re an even better ‘Black Widow’ than Coretta Scott King.” In response, he received a very disapproving nod from Davis.
Comedians Colin Jost and Michael Che
There were other jabs Colin Jost and Michael Che threw on the live show. Che gave his review about the acting in MJ the Musical (the Broadway show about the life of Michael Jackson), stating, it’s “the same as MJ’s trial: Michael is amazing, but the kids aren’t believable at all.”
Che said he doesn’t want to end the segment this way, it’s the holidays, and that he wants to end it “on a positive, uplifting note. Especially with all the turmoil in the Middle East right now. So I want to say, from the bottom of my heart—whether you’re Jewish or Muslim—y’all need Jesus.”
Johansson has been married to comedian Jost since 2020. The Comedian Colin Jost has been a staff writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live since 2005. He has served as the co-anchor of Weekend Update since 2014.