Weekend Update co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che‘s Joke Swap has become a semi-annual Saturday Night Live tradition and a highlight of NBC program’s Christmas episodes and season finales. The segment typically wraps Weekend Update. But not this time.
Maybe not to overshadow the bit that did close out this year’s holiday edition of Weekend Update — returning former cast member Aidy Bryant and departing SNL-er Bowen Yang reprising their classic Trend Forecasters characters — Jost and Che didn’t do a full-blown Joke Swap.
With the explanation that the duo had agreed not to do one this time, Jost was “surprised” by his co-host writing several jokes for him anyway.
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Jost proceeded to read them — as usual squirming while doing it. They included the topics Che always goes for in Joke Swaps — forcing Jost to make inappropriate quips involving race and his wife Scarlett Johansson.
“Critics say a new series of coins from the US Mint celebrating great moments in the country’s history ignores civil rights,” Jost opened with. “But what about the coin that celebrates where Black people actually come from, ships?”
Then came the Johansson zinger.
“New research shows that millions of women leave the workforce due to menopause, which means there’s only a couple years left on my gravy train,” Jost read, as a photo of his movie star wife appeared next to him.
There was more, including Jost “telling” Johansson “Bitch, you having a hot flash” and a line involving Wednesday star Jenna Ortega.
You can watch the segment above.
Jost similarly roasted Johansson in last year’s Christmas Joke Swap, with her getting revenge on Che in the season finale.