'SNL Weekend Update' Joke Swap Hailed As 'Best' Ever

Saturday Night Live’s latest joke swap between Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michel Che has been hailed by social media users as the best one ever.

The tradition—where Jost and Che write jokes that the other must perform, without having seem them beforehand, no matter how offensive—returned in Saturday’s Christmas episode.

In a twist that would make Jost squirm, Che began the segment by introducing an actor playing a fictional “Dr. Hattie Davis,” a poet, author and civil rights activist, who sat next to Jost as he delivered the jokes Che had written for him.

It worked, with Jost struggling to get out the words of the first joke.

“A group of geneticists have announced plans to bring back the dodo and reintroduce it to Africa,” Jost said. “And if you ask me, I can think of at least one dodo I’d like to reintroduce to Africa.” Then, a photo of former President Barack Obama appeared on the screen.

“The woman’s an activist, Colin,” he said.

Then it was Che’s turn, where he had to read a joke about Beyoncé being criticized for posting a photo on social media that some commenters had described as “too white.”

“In fact, Beyoncé looked so white that I was finally attracted to her,” Che said, as Jost laughed.

Jost then had to read a joke where he noted that the Adult Survivors Act which “allows sex abuse victims to file lawsuits, even after the statute of limitations expired, has resulted in several new suits.”

“Figures,” he said. “Because b****** love bringing up old stuff.”

“Am I right?” he said, turning to the actor playing the activist for a fist-bump.

Che then delivered his review of the acting in a Broadway show about the life of Michael Jackson. His opinion was “the same as MJ’s trial,” Che said. “Michael is amazing, but the kids are not believable at all.”

Che continued that he wanted to end the segment “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!”

“Saturday Night Live” hosts Colin Jost (left) and Michael Che. The return of the joke swap segment has been hailed as the best ever on social media.
NBC

Jost’s final joke saw him announce that alcohol now being served in movie theaters in New York was the only thing that allowed him to enjoy his wife Scarlett Johansson’s “little art movies.”

As part of the joke Che had written for him, Jost went on to issue a fake apology to his wife. “I’m kidding, honey. I love all of your movies,” he said. “And if you ask me, you’re an even better Black Widow than Coretta Scott King.”

Viewers took to social media to declare the segment was the funniest of Jost and Che’s joke swaps.

“For those wondering, the latest Weekend Update on @nbcsnl, was the best iteration of Michael and Colin switching jokes,” one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Another wrote that Weekend Update with Jost and Che “is always the best part of #SNL, but the holiday joke exchange tonight was par excellence!”

Another wrote that the Weekend Update Christmas joke swap “is the best thing SNL does.”