Colin Jost and Michael Che's Christmas Joke Swap Had a Scarlett Johansson Reaction Cam
SNL's longtime "Weekend Update" anchors made each other deliver jaw-dropping lines in the 2024 edition — and Jost's wife was visibly shocked, too.
Since December 2018, "Weekend Update" co-anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che have injected semi-annual chaotic energy into their broadcast twice a year by way of their joke swaps. And Jost and Che's 2024 Christmas joke swap was definitely one for the books. As always, the lines the two forced each other to deliver were absolutely jaw-dropping — and you can count Jost's wife, Scarlett Johansson, among those who were visibly shocked as they laughed.
Johansson was in Studio 8H for Martin Short's December 21 Saturday Night Live Christmas episode to help induct the comedian into the Five-Timers Club (she hilariously slammed the door in Jost's face upon her entry in the cold open). Sticking around for the whole show, Johansson gamely allowed a camera to capture her reactions.
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"It's Christmas, and we have a tradition here on update," Jost began at the top of the segment, evoking loud cheers from the audience. "You're applauding now," he cracked, before finishing his explanation of the premise: "We're making each other read jokes live on air that the other person has never seen before." He also (under duress) announced this year's monkey wrench: Jost was required to read his jokes in, quote, "Black voice, so I don't get into trouble."
"So sorry in advance," Jost told everyone.
Scarlett Johansson looked "visibly worried" about Colin Jost's joke swap lines
"I mean, Colin, I don't mind. Do what you got to do, man," Che said, feigning ignorance over the bit he himself penned. "I don't even know what 'Black voice' is!"
After some nervous throat-clearing, Jost rose to the challenge, which involved wielding the catchphrase, "I ain't afraid of you mofos!" after every punchline.
RELATED: Watch Martin Short's SNL Monologue and Sketches from the December 21 Holiday Episode
"I want to dedicate this next joke to my boo, Scarlett Johansson," Jost continued, as the camera cut to the actress standing backstage, shaking her head in anticipation. "Oh my gosh, she's so genuinely worried," he observed, as they were able to watch each other on the monitors.
The subsequent Che-written jokes made Johansson yell "why?!" among other pronouncements — but Jost got his revenge when it was Che's turn to (involuntarily) comment on some of the year's celebrity scandals.
Watch Colin Jost and Michael Che's 2024 Christmas joke swap above, and catch up with every "Weekend Update" from Season 50 here.
Colin Jost has called joke swaps "terrifying and exhilarating"
In an April 2024 interview on iHeart's Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast, Jost shared what it felt like to perform the joke swaps with Che, calling it "a crazy experience to go through. And it's really fun."
"It's both terrifying and exhilarating," Jost said. "There's just not a lot of live television in the world anymore."
