Colin Jost shared that his wife, Scarlett Johansson, was “genuinely so shocked” by a joke Michael Che made him read on Saturday Night Live last month, even though she had been warned about a potential “vagina joke.”
Jost spoke about the moment during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Monday, giving more insight into how he and Johansson reacted to the semi-annual “joke swap” segment of SNL’s “Weekend Update.”
“I was obviously surprised by everything, but they gave her a heads-up,” Jost said. “They told her, ‘Hey, would you be okay if Michael made a little vagina joke?’ and she was like, ‘Sure, you know, whatever, I’m open to it.’”
About twice a year, Jost and Che switch jokes, with Che often getting Jost to read the most embarrassing ones. This time was no different, as Che made sure Johansson was present to witness her husband’s reaction in real-time.
During the December broadcast, Jost was forced to read a line that referenced the couple. “Costco has removed the roast beef sandwich from its menu, but I ain’t tripping: I’ve been eating roast beef every night since my wife had the kid,” Jost read aloud. The show then cut to Johansson’s off-stage reaction, where she responded with a shocked, “Oh my god!”
But that wasn’t the end of it. As Jost finished the joke, he added, “I’m just playing, baby. You know I don’t go downtown.”
Jost revealed that despite the heads-up, Johansson wasn’t fully prepared for the joke. “I didn’t know where it was going, and then the graphic came up for Arby’s,” Jost laughed. “It really was [legitimate shock],” he continued, “I can’t act that well.”
The jokes that night weren’t all about Johansson. Jost had to make several other outrageous comments, though he managed to get a few jabs back by joking that Che attended freak-out parties at Diddy’s.
In the end, Che came out victorious. “I think I’m in trouble with a lot of people,” Jost concluded.
