Scarlett Johansson reacts to husband’s brutal jokes about her on ‘SNL’

SNL’s Colin Jost sparks controversy with Scarlett Johansson roast during Joke Swap.

The hosts of Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” do a joke swap at the end of each year, in which they compose jokes for one another to read aloud on-air without ever seeing them. Naturally, they take advantage of this chance to make fun of one another, frequently exploiting their racial differences as shock value.

Co-host Colin Jost frequently reads racist jokes that Michael Che has written aloud, occasionally asking a Black person to sit next to him while he does so. Che used more aggressive techniques this year, having Jost read out all of the jokes in what he referred to as “Black Voice,” while Che wrote the gags in a sort of derogatory slang. However, he took it a step further and added Jost’s real wife, Scarlett Johansson, to the mix, making it much more intimate.

When Johansson’s recent 40th birthday appeared as a graphic next to Jost’s, it inspired his first joke about her. “I dedicate this next joke to my partner, Scarlett.”

She is truly concerned. Hello, sweetie. I’m leaving because Scarlett recently celebrated her 40th birthday. Let’s hear the moans and laughter, and then transition to Johansson in the real Saturday Night Live halls, watching her husband make jokes about her live on a wall-mounted television. “Nah, I’m just playing,” Jost went on in his absurd rhythm. “You guys haven’t seen any photos of our newborn yet. We just had him together. He’s black as hell.

The next joke simply made matters worse. Jost said clumsily, “Costco has removed the roast beef sandwich from its menu, but I’m not tripping.” “I’ve been eating roast beef every night since my wife turned 40.” Cut to Scarlett Johansson, horrified and staring at the screen, as the microphone records her saying, “Oh my God!” Jost went on, “No, honey, I’m just having fun. I don’t go down, you know.”

While some people find it refreshing that Saturday Night Live is genuinely subversive, others felt that the Johansson jokes went too far. Certainly, she is wealthy and well-known, so she should be able to manage it. However, can you imagine your boyfriend comparing your genitalia to roast beef in front of millions of viewers on live television, and then posting it online for eternity?

Colin Jost’s jokes for Michael Che to recite were cruel in their own ways and cleverly topical, even though they weren’t quite as personally offensive.