Colin Jost Full on Pop Culture Jeopardy, SNL & Writing Jokes For Mick Jagger

TL;DR

Colin Jost shares behind-the-scenes SNL stories, including being ambushed by Mick Jagger needing jokes and hosting Pop Culture Jeopardy season two on Netflix.

Key Points

• 1.Pop Culture Jeopardy season two premieres on Netflix starting May 11th. Jost admits he'd be better at regular Jeopardy, noting he has major blind spots in pop culture, especially anything post-'90s, and says the semi-finals and finals are genuinely dramatic television.
• 2.Jost has been at SNL for over 20 years, starting in 2005 as a writer before becoming Weekend Update anchor. His first episode featured Steve Carell and Kanye West; he started alongside Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, and Andy Samberg.
• 3.Writing jokes for Mick Jagger was Jost's 'welcome to Hollywood' moment. Lorne Michaels called him into his office where Jagger was sitting and asked if Jost had any jokes for Jagger's Indianapolis show — completely unannounced and on the spot.
• 4.The Weekend Update joke-swap bit with Michael Che originated from Jost's own idea to not know what's coming. Originally conceived as a way to air censored jokes, Jost suggested they surprise each other — a move he calls foolish in hindsight given the structural disadvantage he faces.
• 5.SNL's writing process has shifted dramatically toward Friday and Saturday due to the fast-changing news cycle. Cold opens that used to be written Wednesday for the table read are now almost entirely rewritten by Saturday because the top story always changes.
• 6.Jost recalled Paul McCartney sensing his parents had just missed the rehearsal and spending five minutes talking with them anyway. McCartney attended SNL's 50th anniversary and closed the episode playing the final three songs from Abbey Road, bringing original cast members to tears.
• 7.Travis Kelce's SNL hosting experience is praised by Jost as fantastic, citing full commitment as the key. Kelce received advice from Peyton Manning to 'buckle up and enjoy the roller coaster,' and the American Girl store steak sketch is highlighted as a standout moment.
• 8.Jost's other 'welcome to Hollywood' moment was opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City, then attending a Lakers game together. The evening ended with them smoking in the Staples Center tunnel before meeting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a private lounge.
• 9.Being married to Scarlett Johansson creates unique comedy challenges and everyday absurdities. Jost can't do self-deprecating relationship jokes on stage, sandwich orders come back completely wrong because staff get starstruck, and passport agents have asked Johansson if anyone has told her she looks like Scarlett Johansson.