Book Review #4 of 2025 - A Very Punchable Face

This recommendation came from one of my oldest friends, Sarah. We met in the 6th grade at Canton Middle School and I can’t say exactly how our friendship started but we learned very quickly that we were both big readers. She became the first recommender in my life, and even introduced me to the “His Dark Materials” series which became a big influence in my upbringing. I’ll always be grateful for that. So when I announced I was taking recommendations, I wasn’t surprised at all when she was the first to chime in. I was, however, surprised by her selection this time.

I’ll start off by expressing how much I love Saturday Night Live. It feels like it’s always been a part of my life but I didn’t fully get into it until The Lonely Island officially joined and started creating “Digital Shorts.” We thought they were the funniest videos and we’d watch them multiple times on YouTube and start singing, “I’m On A Boat” at the most random times. I wasn’t fully aware of how SNL worked and sadly, it didn’t occur to me until much later that the performers on the show were also the writers. And when it came to my favorite parts of the show, Weekend Update wasn’t high on my list. With all that in mind, when it came to Colin Jost, I really didn’t think much of him.

First of all, just look at his face. It’s a classically handsome one that screams, “I grew up owning a yacht that I would hang out on with my nanny while my parents were hiding from the IRS.” And when you watch Weekend Update, it’s easy to believe that the anchors just read the cue cards and say one joke at the end that was written by someone else. And he went to Harvard! If that doesn’t say entitled, what does? But Colin Jost is fully aware that is how many people see him. He starts off with a title everyone can get behind, “A Very Punchable Face” because he knows if anyone has one, it’s his.

It’s very entertaining to see Jost lean into this idea of what people think of him and even show how SNL has embraced this persona (see Beck and Kyle sketch). He also has this 30 Rockeque way of being able to tell you a very serious story, like when he was alone and isolated in Russia, but sprinkle it with so many funny insights that you respect the journey he went through and the wit that grew because of it. When he talks about his mother (who worked for the NY Fire Department) and what she endured during 9/11, it’s told from a fresh perspective that gives the proper gravitas to the situation while not weighing you down. There were definitely times when I had to stifle my laughter because I was out in public and didn’t want to cause attention. And there was one very clear instance where I laughed so much I started crying and all my boyfriend could do was look on in confusion (see Breast Cancer Scare section). Not to mention, he wrote some of the most recognizable sketches (Diner Lobster) and has been the head writer for multiple years. I appreciated the SNL section where he delves into some of the sketches he’s worked on and how they came to be. It’s also refreshing to read that some ideas just came from pure desperation and the need to meet a deadline (as a copywriter, I can relate). So Colin Jost proved to me, pretty early on, that he was a funny guy.

Then he proved to me that he was also smart. Not just because he went to Harvard. He didn’t want to even go, he wanted to go to one of the best public universities, UNC (Tarheel 4 lyfe)!!!!! Already, he had proven his intelligence to me with that blurb. But what really convinced me was his work ethic and how as a writer he knew that the best way to get better was to just keep writing. It’s such a simple idea but it does take every writer longer than it should to realize it. I’m still working on it because I need things to be perfect but as Colin talks about frequently, when you’re working for an intense show like SNL where you have to think of new ideas every week, perfection goes out the window. You have to trust that you are creative and talented and something from the pile of work you present is good. As a fellow writer, this resonated with me.

I also appreciated his honesty in dealing with how people perceived him when he first anchored Weekend Update. It was a whole different skill he had to learn and while he could’ve acted like he didn’t care about it, he chose to use all the resources he could to better himself. And throughout his career, for every success, there’s a failure that can pull you down and make you doubt your ability. It amazed me that after working somewhere for 20 years, someone could question their worth but I know for me, there won’t be a job where I feel completely comfortable, especially if it’s in the creative field. It was reassuring to read it from someone who looks like they have it all together (that’s why you want to punch his face so much, you just want to mess up something of his).

This book was enjoyable in all the best ways. It was funny, insightful, and even provided some great tips on how to be a better writer. I found I could relate more to a Harvard white guy than I thought possible and the urge to punch his face has gone significantly down.