Maybe Colin Jost *didn't* bomb

[Stinky The Clown]

We're watching the rerun on MSNBC. We were shocked to hear laughter at the appropriate times. The feed from CNN earlier was nearly silent between jokes.

To be sure, some of the jokes were flat but not nearly as they sounded earlier.

[RockRaven]

1. What I saw wasn't funny or interesting, IMO... So if a bunch of people laugh

out of politeness or bad taste does that mean he killed it?

What determines bombing or the inverse? Laughter levels caught on microphone? Or something else?

[elleng]

2. Not a bomb, some 'jokes' not so much.

[LeonidPlanck]

3. The best parts of

Weekend Update are the looks on Colin and Michael’s responses as they read the absurd jokes the writers have delivered to them on the teleprompter. “Who wrote this and can I beat them with a lead pipe” are some of the looks that crack me up the most, especially the subtle racist jokes that you know they’re expecting but can’t see.

But nobody beats Stephon. Stephon is the best.

[wnylib]

4. Colin's humor style works well with a partner that

he can play off of and vice versa.

I watched Colin on CSPAN and I did not think that he bombed. He had a few lines that fell flat, but most of his remarks were well received and he got in a few zingers that were really good. Overall, a good performance, IMO.

[LeonidPlanck]

6. Absolutely!

I think it goes beyond playing-off a cohost and extends into him being genuine and sincere about his comedy, all the way down to that look that just shouts “holy shit, did someone actually write that!?” I imagine the writers sitting in a closet asking each other “how can we most embarrass the guy with the great teeth and the superstar wife?” Like it’s his penance for being an attractive person not resigned to writing bad jokes. I think half the comedic function is them breaking the fourth wall and having enough respect for their viewers to get that part of the punchline. Like, “hey, you’re not dumb, this is canned and we keep a bunch of pencil-necked rejects in the back room in the dark and THIS is what they told me to say, and you’re THAT smart” which to me makes it a million times funnier.

But you’re correct, he and Micheal have legit chemistry and when Hader comes-on as Stephon, you know your night is going only to end better.



Thanks for the laugh, I looked-up a few sketches and it made me happy.

[LeonidPlanck]

8. Okay. I assumed....

I don’t really watch TV, so the references to CSPAN and other networks are throwing me.

I assumed you were watching an SNL skit, but did Colin recently become a journalist or did the news networks pick-up sketch comedy for ratings?

What am I missing?

[LeonidPlanck]

13. Ah, shit! I'm a numbskull!

I just watched reference to your post. It wasn’t an SNL skit, but Jost did okay despite a few flops. (Like I said, I don’t watch TV).

They’re expected. I’m sure he rolled with the punches and went home and had fabulous sex with his equally attractive wife.

I mean, I’m not an unattractive dude. I was just complimented today by a relatively attractive young woman today, but nobody is Colin Jost attractive.



You gotta have personality or money. Or both.

And a kick-ass sense of humor.

I didn’t realize that the SOTU was tonight. I worked late, wanted to decompress with DU.

And, Colin, if you read this, let’s hang-out. I’m pretty fucking funny.

[LeonidPlanck]

14. I lack personality

And the other thing.

[Hekate]

5. We watched it on CSPAN, and the room appeared very cold to Jost, making it uncomfortable to watch

I’m glad it looked/sounded better for him on MSNBC.

[Tree Lady]

23. That's what I thought

he did okay but the journalists didn't want to laugh at Trump who is bringing them so much money and drama to write about.

[DJ Porkchop]

7. Yeah he did

1/10
Would not recommend.

[betsuni]

9. I didn't think it was that bad, and somehow didn't know Scarlett Johansson is his wife.

LOLed once, but can't say at which joke because I'll get in trouble.

[pnwmom]

10. I only saw the second half, but I think he did a good job. And his closing was great. nt

[dchill]

11. What I'm sayin'! Bad miking. He got a standing ovation.

The only people who looked really upset were the Douchys from Fox.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. He got a standing ovation. ❤️

[pnwmom]

15. Who said he bombed? Not Variety. "Colin Jost Wins Over Tough White House Correspondents Dinner Crowd"

"Colin Jost Wins Over Tough White House Correspondents Dinner Crowd With Praise for ‘Decent’ Biden"

https://variety.com/2024/politics/news/colin-jost-joe-biden-2024-white-house-correspondents-dinner-1235984608/

You had to hold on ’til the end.

“Saturday Night Live” comedian Colin Jost delivered a mixed bag of Trump zingers, media jokes and Biden age wisecracks in front of a demanding crowd Saturday at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but it took him until the last of his remarks to fully charm the assemblage of journalists and politicos who came to hear him roast the President and the Washington press corps.

Jost finished his remarks by telling President Joe Biden about his 95 year old grandfather, a longtime fireman in Staten Island, N.Y, who voted Democrat in the 2020 presidential election even though that borough of New York City is known to favor Republicans.

“He voted for you, and the reason that he voted for you is because you’re a decent man,” Jost told Biden. “My grandpa voted for decency and decency why we’re all here tonight.

[GoCubsGo]

20. Dozo the Clown "trothed" that on Truth Sinkhole in the middle of the night.

Baby is MAAAAAADDDDD! We all knew he was going to hate-watch the thing, and sure enough... All of those people who bought stock in his failing media outlet should have put that cash into ketchup stocks instead.

[Think. Again.]

16. Unfortunately...

...the U.S. public has been conditioned to react to television performances according to the additional soundtracks layed onto the broadcast, the background music, laughtrack, etc. along with the more obvious writing, visual effects, etc.

It's not surprising that the version you saw on MSNBC may have had a more enhanced audio track than another source, since NBC broadcasts SNL.

[OnDoutside]

17. I read your post, and have now just finished watching his routine. I thought it was very good, maybe not a Jon Stewart

Stephen Colbert or Seth Myers level but I thought there were plenty of funny lines.

[Conjuay]

18. I watched a few minutes.

Didn't know it was on. Watched this dude lob dud after dud, gave up, and went on to something more productive.

[Elessar Zappa]

19. I thought he was pretty funny.

And it’s so good to have a president that can laugh at himself.

[Bluepinky]

21. I thought he was great!

But then, I love anyone who openly makes fun of the Trump clan.
I loved his joke about Lara Trump, how Tom Petty died again after hearing Lara sing his song “I Won’t Back Down”. Then he came out with a second zinger that he hates to say this about any member of the Trump family, but maybe she should stick to politics.

[Bucky]

22. I'm deep in the Democrat tunnel, Trump feeds my schadenfreude. But...

As much as I love laughing at Trump, I thought Jost's routine was pretty vanilla. About half the jokes were variations on humor I've heard before... like the time he spent on the "I can't believe a lunatic crook like Trump is still tied with Biden" variety. It's well worn ground and he didn't have a fresh take on it.

Of course every correspondence dinner comedian lives in Stephen Colbert's shadow. But for one of the head writers for SNL, who just kills it week after week, and for whom the bar should be a little higher, it was disappointing that he stayed in such safe territory.

[elocs]

24. Comedy is subjective. That being said, I haven't watched SNL in literally decades so I have no idea who Colin Jost is.

There's been very few comedians I've liked since George Carlin.

[LeonidPlanck]

25. I love Colin and Michael

Because of the build-up they present from the writers. Like “WTH are they gonna make me say this time”, while feeding-off each other brilliantly. Colin and Michael are the all-time best hosts of Weekend Update because they both bring an air of sophistication but neither can keep their shit together. Classic comedy!

And nobody beats Stephon. Hader at his best! He could rarely keep his shit together and, to me, watching a comedian lose it means it’s funny.

But, you’re correct, sometimes the 30 Rock writers fall flat when uninspired.

[OAITW r.2.0]

26. The greatest moment of the WHPA was Obama torching Trump.

No better de-pantsing, rhetorically speaking, have i ever seen.

[Think. Again.]

27. We're conditioned to react to...

...visual and audio cues on television. That's why laugh tracks are added to comedies.

(MS)NBC owns SNL, they enhanced (or well-recorded) Jost's audience reaction before releasing the taped version where other outlets like CNN and CSPAN didn't go out of their way to catch the room noise.