Colin Jost
The Weekend Update smirk weaponized into precise, surprisingly dark standup.
1 special · 2024
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Colin Jost delivers standup exactly the way you expect him to. He stands comfortably at the mic, grinning slightly, dropping a harsh premise, and then waiting for the room to catch up. The rhythm is strict setup and punchline, a muscle built from years of reading off cue cards. When a crowd groans at a particularly cynical turn, he doesn’t back down. He just flashes a dimpled, self-aware smile, completely acknowledging his own smugness, and casually moves to the next beat.
Specials
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Colin Jost & Michael Che Present: New York After Dark with Michael Che
A live Brooklyn stand-up showcase where the hosts get roasted.
Peacock · 57 min
On stage
He occupies a specific, massive tier of comedy fame. As a long-running anchor on Saturday Night Live, he packs theaters purely off his television recognition. The crowds come expecting his desk cadence, and they get it, just with the network censors removed. Unlike many broadcast stars who treat the road as an afterthought, he puts in the actual club work to make the hour hold up.
The jokes work because they fight against how he looks. He dresses like a yacht club treasurer, but the material leans dark and biting. He plays up his own punchable qualities, treating his privilege as a defect. The sets are dense with punchlines, though that rigid structure can sometimes be a trap. A live hour can occasionally feel like a very long, polished television monologue rather than an unpredictable night out.
He mines his own biography to justify the attitude. He uses the contrast between his Staten Island childhood and his Harvard education to play the part of a local kid who somehow became the guy in charge.
Turning points
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Becomes Longest-Serving Weekend Update Anchor
Taking over the desk from Seth Meyers in 2014, Jost broke Meyers' record in October 2021 to become the longest-serving anchor in the history of Weekend Update.
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Purchase of Decommissioned Staten Island Ferry
Jost and Pete Davidson purchased the retired MV John F. Kennedy Staten Island Ferry boat to repurpose it into a floating comedy club and live venue.
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Host of White House Correspondents' Dinner
Jost served as the featured entertainer at the annual dinner, delivering a monologue addressing President Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and the press corps.
At a glance
Fans also like
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Michael CheChe is Jost's longtime Saturday Night Live Weekend Update co-anchor, co-head writer, and comedy partner on specials including New York After Dark.
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Pete DavidsonA fellow Saturday Night Live cast member and Staten Island native who teamed up with Jost to buy and stage comedy events on a decommissioned Staten Island ferry.
Also on screen
- 2014–present
- Saturday Night Live
- Staten Island Summer
- How to Be Single
- Tom & Jerry
- Coming 2 America
A clip to start with
Colin Jost - One Star Review