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Stay with me.

Talk to me. Keep talking to me.

Hey, what's going on, everybody? For First We Feast, I'm Sean Evans, and

watching Hot Ones. It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.

And today we're joined by Colin Jost.

He's an Emmy Award winning writer and the longest tenured anchor in the

of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. And starting May 11th, he's hosting new

episodes of Pop Culture Jeopardy, which you can watch every weekday on Netflix

through June 5th. Colin Jost, welcome to the show. Thank you. Thank you. It's

great to hear all that information about what I'm doing because I didn't really

know the dates.

Thank you for knowing. We got you covered over here.

And I should mention that you probably have more overlap with former Hot Ones

guests than anyone we've ever had on the show. Did you receive any advice or

watch any tape in preparation for today? No one wanted to help me.

Scarlett just said maybe take an antacid.

Good advice.

It's probably good advice. I didn't, but I probably could still do it. But I

just wanted to have a pure experience.

And you really mean it because you requested no milk on the table. No.

you want a glass of hot sauce.

Is this tactical?

I wanted to, I think the phrase is fight fire with fire.

Now, I have a lot of family members who are firefighters.

Dave never said that phrase.

But I think I was like, you know what? I'm not going to just go with milk. I'm

going to have a Bremen glass of actual hot sauce, even though it looks like

tomato soup.

And you know what? I'm joining you at the party. Thank you. Cheers. Cheers.

everyone here audibly is so grossed out. What a way to start. That's hot wing

thought.

I'm probably going to regret that in like two minutes.

I really, by the way, wanted to do, I was going to pitch that you should do an

after show called Talkin' Toilets. Well, we could maybe do a pilot with you

after this. Maybe we do that. I have access to a couple bathrooms nearby.

It's like a little hot pepper that's winking at you, and he's wearing a robe.

It's weird. No one's like, oh, I had a bunch of hot sauce, maybe sex.

Well, there is even to like a little bit of an innuendo in the title, you know,

like they're very on theme over here.

As someone who grew up on Jeopardy, what did you see as the magic of Trebek as a

host? He seemed omniscient. And I think, you know, when you start, when you mess

something up, like if you misread something, you feel like you're shaming.

alex trebek but then the production team was like he would he would occasionally

mess up clues and then he would just he wouldn't even re -record them he'd be

like nah it's fine just keep it so i think you just have the confidence he

the confidence of having done it and it is the alex trebek stage for a reason

like he really he earned it so at first it's kind of like starting at snl like

when i was starting especially week and update your first instinct is oh my god

i don't want to destroy this institution and then you get a little past the

existential

angst of it and you try to figure out how you can make it your own a little

do you have in your mind like have you been

assembling kind of like your top five to ten sauces of all time and do you have

those in like a row At your house that you're always, like, putting new ones in

that you particularly love? I think about that every once in a while. Like,

the years, there have been definitely sauces that hit in kind of like a

in a Mount Rushmore of hot one sauces. And maybe someday we'll do, like, an all

-star hot sauce lineup on this show.

The wheels are turning through every wing over here with you, Colin. I mean,

come on. I'm already giving you talking toilets.

For a small, small, large fee.

So I've interviewed Pete Davidson twice on this show, despite his severe stomach

issues. And my view of Staten Island has largely been colored by what he's told

me about it. Are there any foundational differences between your Staten Island

and Pete's?

Yes.

I mean, he is more like South Shore and I'm more North Shore, which is

like kind of a little bit of a historic difference.

In a way, I feel like no one believes that I'm from Staten Island or they

see it in me.

Like they believe Pete is from Staten Island. Story checks out. And they love

Pete on Staten Island. And I feel like I'm always kind of like, I'm from there

too. I swear.

Do you have a proudest journalistic achievement from your time working at

regional newspaper, the Staten Island Advance?

I have a lot of great memories. And I got to say that people who work there,

like even compared to journalists at...

their most prestigious newspapers now, I feel like they were really good

journalists. And the editors there, the news editors really trained me to be

really on top of facts, double check everything.

And they were really, they were, and they also challenged you. I remember

putting a thing in like an article where I said, you know, there was a welcome

mat on the door.

I was trying to get someone to interview for something.

There had been a shooting, and they weren't responding. And I was like,

was a welcome mat on the door, but I didn't feel very welcome at the house.

And my editor was like, the hell?

My editor was like, you know what else has a welcome mat? Every other door.

He's like, this is not interesting information. I thought I'd come up with

great line.

So they challenge you in good ways. But my favorite article...

that I got to do when I was a reporter at the advance was I worked at late

shifts. I worked 11 p .m. to 8 a .m., and I was there overnight, and there was

car crash that I was sent to report on in Staten Island. And I got there, and

everyone was okay in the crash, luckily, but one of the cars had hit a raccoon.

And so the paramedics were already there, so they performed CPR on the

and saved the raccoon's life. Wow.

which was pretty exciting. So I'm writing this article, and then the EMTs

rescued him called me at the newspaper and were like, you can't believe how

messed up it is.

Animal control. We gave him over to animal control, and they euthanized him.

So they had just saved this raccoon's life, and then he was put down. So then

ultimately became front page news.

It's a developing, breaking news.

Yeah, and I had like a byline.

on the front page for my raccoon story, and then it got into, like, what are the

rules? Can you, you know, should you be reporting these raccoons, or are they

going to be all euthanized?

And I really broke open the whole euthanizing community.

And a hot ones brand, so respect.

And delicious, too. And delicious, as well. Which camera do I look into?

So you've been punched in at least four SNL skits to date. What stands out as

your most memorable physical battery on live television?

My favorite getting punched on camera was when Leslie Jones

was punching me and then Lorne in the pre -tape says, get out

of my way, I'll finish him off.

And then Lauren starts punching me. Like, I don't know if Lauren's ever

another cast member on TV. I can't imagine he has. And he's, like, going

And everyone's laughing.

Everyone's having a great time.

And it obviously plays as a joke. And I'm like, it's pretty nuts that my boss

punching me and everyone's just cheering him on.

And I guess that's just where I'm at in my life. That's my place on the show.

What's a 10 to 1 sketch?

And can you give me an example of one that typifies that Jack Handy slot?

I feel like the quintessential kind of 10 to 1. And I remember there was a Jack

Handy one. I forget if it aired or not, where someone is in a wheelchair and

there's wires hooked up to the wheelchair.

And they're in the sketch and they're like, man, if only someday I could fly.

And they keep saying it throughout the sketch, but then they never do.

And the audience can see the wires and you're kind of waiting for something to

happen the whole time.

And it just never does. I think it was a jack candy. And to me, that's like the

perfect thing at the end, because it's not so early that the audience is going

to be furious.

Like Lorne often preserved that spot.

Sometimes it can be all or nothing. You sometimes lose one of the funny

sketches.

Grabbing.

Just prepping.

I accidentally took like a big step right there because I had kind of a milk

muscle memory and really just gulped that Franks right there. That's where

experience hurts you.

You know what I'm saying?

10 ,000 hours back right there.

Do you think then there's like another 10 ,000 hours where you're really good

it and then like then there's a 10 ,000 hours where you've fallen off?

You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. Is it like after the second 10 ,000 where you

start losing it?

Well, you know, you've been doing... Someone answer me!

You've been doing Saturday Night Live for 20 years. You know, I've had this

thing going for 11. Like, we're probably approaching that third act of like 20

,000, 30 ,000 hours. Yeah, I could get really bad really fast.

Well, keep an eye out.

Thanks. And everyone write in if you see I'm getting bad.

Please.

Smash that subscribe button.

What's the most harrowing experience you had covering the Olympics?

Well, definitely bobsledding. I thought the surfing was harrowing. Surfing, by

the way, I was, so I got, I got like my foot scraped up on coral reef in Tahiti.

And I just didn't really do what you would call treating the wound.

And instead I was still continuing to report barefoot in sand and dirt.

Raw dogging it. Raw dogging it. Which is technically not a great medical thing.

And so I was in the tent more than any other Olympic athlete, like the medical

tent. And while I was in the medical tent, a woman who was surfing from

Joanne Duret, I think is her name, she hit her head on the reef, got cut,

her head, got taken in on a jet ski, sewn up, taken back out on a jet ski,

won the heat while I was there. Just in my toes.

Like, how awesome is that? And then she won the bronze medal. Like, she won the

bronze medal, overcome it, and I was just like, and I barely, I had to go

I see five peppers on here.

I feel like I also, as I get older, I kind of like getting into the joints a

little bit more.

Getting into the gristle. I feel like it captures a little more of the sauce in

it, and I like that it crisps the sauce a little bit.

Connecting to the food a little bit more. It's more of an immersive dining

experience, yeah.

It sounds like kind of the sign of a serial killer.

I like to get into the gristle. I like to get into the joint.

Which was more fun, co -hosting the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards with Michael Che

or tag -teaming WrestleMania together? Do you have a more profound memory of

versus the other?

WrestleMania was one of the best experiences of my life. That was so fun.

the fact that we got to do it together.

It's hitting me a little bit now.

I didn't need to get into that joint as much. Get into the joint. That's what

happens. Well, joint meet in 19.

The Giants had just traded Odell Beckham. Yeah, you were in the Browns

Yeah, to the Browns. And so I came out with a fresh Odell Beckham Browns

And everyone, all the Giants fans were like literally throwing things at me. It

was awesome.

And there were.

There were WWE villains backstage waiting to go on after me, and they saw

that shirt, and they were like, are you really going out in that?

Which is kind of cool. And then I came in second place. You know what I mean?

Not everyone looks back on all the results, but in the full 26 -man

I came in silver medal, which they don't give out.

But Braun Strowman was the only one who could defeat me in battle.

It was also the most, like, after that where I was walking down the street and

just, like, any hot dog vendor was like, hey, Colin!

Like, that was the first time they'd ever seen me do anything.

So now we're going to the bad ones.

Do you still remember your actual hottest one?

The hottest that ever hit you? Yeah, and you know what? It actually has remained

on the show. We're so lucky. Here we go. It's remained on the show.

Oh, I didn't know if you would just change it out, new one. We always do. So

do that like three times a year, except for this one sauce that always hits

here, Da Bomb. That is, I've never had a sauce like that in my life. Yeah. And I

practice.

I mean, Scarlett brought it home after she did hot ones with you, and just

smelling it clears out your whole nervous system. It's enough to make you

of evil. Yeah.

I don't know what it is, like the vinegar or something in it also. It's

like, oh.

Which TV or film idea from before you worked at Saturday Night Live do you

had the most potential if someone gave it a shot?

Like, do you think Admissions Impossible has legs?

I think that could be good. Yeah, good research.

Simon Rich and I, when we were in college, we had the idea of Admissions

Impossible.

where we pretended to be from a university like Harvard or whatever and

aspiring students to do their interviews.

Kind of messing with them, knowing they would probably say anything to get to

try to get into the school.

It's a really rough time to exploit a kid.

But I bet you get some really good. I mean, it would destroy their life.

You'd have them say some horrible thing and then you'd be like, oh, no. But at

the time we were almost that age. So we were like, oh, we don't care. We'll

destroy everyone.

Oh, look, a dragon with breathing fire.

When you're doing a mix of wings, it's always nice to have one that has a

bit of that candied texture to it, just for variety.

We think about everything over here.

Whenever you're eating ten wings of different kind.

How would you describe the Harvard Lampoon for someone who's never heard of

Crying a little. Oh, yeah, it touched my eye. Yeah, be careful.

That's a good idea. Yeah, yeah, no, no, I know. I'm a pro.

I'm a pro.

Still getting an audible groan from everyone watching this.

Ooh, that didn't help. It doesn't help.

Not a fire. I don't know if fighting fire with fire works. Maybe never.

To be honest. I don't know.

Yeah, how did that become popular?

I don't know. We've got to look that up.

The funniest, nerdiest person in your school, right, like writer, if you got

of those together when they all went to college. So they also gained confidence

from that, and they also enjoyed partying together as nerds. You know

mean? Like where you feel like a nerd liberation.

I would say nerd liberation. Nerd liberation.

Do you have a favorite architectural feature of the castle?

Trying to sweat it out of me?

What I love about the general building is, that it was designed by this

incredible architect, Edmund March Wheelwright, who was in The Lampoon, and

became the city architect for all of Boston. He was a very accomplished

architect. And this was the last building he designed before he was

a mental hospital down the road.

So it really was his last sort of through everything out there before they

wheeled him away. It kind of looks like that. It does kind of look like that,

yeah. An architect descending into madness a little bit. Yeah, I think so.

I don't know, kind of an iconic thing about it that it's still cool is the

pipes that heat the building.

They release steam on the sides of sort of the face of the building. So it looks

like it's blowing steam out of its ears, which is just, you know, that's kind of

a cool feature to put in there.

And I think he also designed it where it basically like steals steam from the

university, which is just an added little nice. Crazy like a fox, you know.

know what?

And also just regular crazy.

You didn't need to add beyond insanity.

This is a little bit like a showdown. Not intentional, but it's a showdown

because you're both checking in on each other like, how are you doing? Yeah, I

agree with you. It looks like we're staring each other like...

Take that.

How do you like that? But in actuality, we're just like, are you okay?

Are you okay? That's exactly, yeah.

It's an empathetic energy that I'm trying to give off right now.

It hits.

Yeah, and this is the real first time in the show I went to go reach for the

milk and realize there is no way. You're on an island. Oh, my God.

Now, do you think? Oh, God.

I was going to say, do you think at this point?

This is helpful, but no. No, turns out it's not.

That's where I thought maybe late in the game, late in the game, I'd be like,

oh, that's now mellow.

No, not at all. Adding to it.

Again, it's like playing a larger fire with a smaller fire.

It's just creating a bigger fire.

If you were locked in a Margaritaville restaurant for a full day, what would

order for breakfast, what would you order for lunch, and what would you

for dinner? Can you give us a veteran's guide to conquering the ville?

Yeah, there's sort of omelet ones that I would do. I feel like there's a eggs

over Margaritaville vibe, where it truly is like an omelet, but they'll also

pour a little margarita onto it.

It'll come with a little...

A Coronito, like a little one of those beers.

A little kind of Andre Chaser, yeah. Yeah. They'll be like, it's breakfast,

you got this little beer, so it's Margaritaville.

How much does it look like it hurts?

You know what? You're a stoic man.

Okay. All right? And I think that that's being stress tested right now, but not

broken. The seams are not busting.

You still have that. I mean, I feel like it's eyes first for us.

There's an intensity in the stare.

And that's, I think, where the heat, the spice of this gauntlet is living right

now. But we're keeping it right there. It's sort of the same stare that an EMT

has with someone on a journey where they're like, stay with me.

Just stay with me. Talk to me. I don't see anything else in this room but you.

No, no.

And I barely see you. It's all blurry.

What makes spicy seafood linguine the proper litmus test for an Italian

restaurant? Like, why is that a barometer for overall quality?

Great question. I feel like there was a question before this that I didn't

totally answer, but that's okay.

It's my favorite dish, if it's done well, is a fra diablo, like seafood,

linguine, especially like a shrimp. But ideally, I think you get, I want to see

how they do spice.

You know, I want to see how they do, like, you get a sense of how they'll

their pasta. Is it a good al dente? You'll get a plethora of a harvest of

seafood.

And you just, you know, I feel like you get a vibe of everything. And I think

the presentation tells you how invested in this dish they are.

And you can get, you know, very disappointing versions of it. But when

good version, you're like, I will come back here.

You never have to blow your nose at all, huh?

It's not a competition.

I know.

I think that is my spice reaction. Even like a milder spice, I do have. But not

really for you, huh?

No, I guess. I haven't really noticed that, but no, you're right. I don't

I get that loose.

I don't think I get that loose in the sinuses.

You got a tight sinus, huh?

Wow. That's what Shishito said.

It's got to come out somewhere. Your feet? I don't know. Your shoes are

wet right now.

Now, not fun, this one, but I find that after Dabama kind of, like, scorches the

earth in a way that makes... This also has got some, like, chunky flakes on it.

We should also...

Keep in mind that we've eaten now nine wings and done quite a few hot sauce

chasers behind it, you know? Yeah, so just on a volume level.

We've definitely confused our body. We're competing with a lot over here.

absolutely.

Yeah.

My body's definitely not like, oh, I'm glad this is the first thing you eat.

What's the sickest trophy that you ever won at a speech and debate competition

while at Regis High School?

Like, do you have a most satisfying Lincoln Douglas -style whoopin' in your

career?

Thank you for asking, because my speech and debate trophies have never been

inquired about before, and I have never gotten the respect I deserve.

It's so sad when you go home and you have all these trophies. Are they still

a shelf at your parents' house? No.

When I brought a girlfriend home from college to my room and seeing her eyes

kind of light up when she saw trophies, And then opposite of light up when she

saw what they were for, when she was like, oh, these must be baseball. But

is it just an angel holding a little book?

One year, I just tried to qualify for like national in extemporaneous

And I qualified out of New York, which was really hard to do. And my friends

did it regularly were like so angry at me. And which was fun because they would

sometimes come over and they would be like, I'll just try like.

doing a dramatic or a humorous performance, and so it was fun to go the

way and be like, oh, look at that.

You sons of bitches.

That was satisfying.

Let it go. Nothing there, huh?

I can give it a try if you'd like me to.

You know, nothing there. Nothing there. Dry as a bone.

Okay, what do I do? Dip this?

Everyone here is like, this show ended 40 minutes ago. I hate the fucking

Okay.

Oh.

I hate you feel that dead heat. Mm -hmm.

You know what I mean?

I know what you mean all too well.

It's like seeing a person that you know is later coming to assassinate you.

Exactly, because you know what it's going to grow into.

And it started that process right now.

But the good news is, Colin Jost, the wings of death are behind us. And to

things out...

On a recent episode of Amy Poehler's podcast, Good Hang, she talked about a

that SNL cast members would play called Do It or Die, where someone calls out a

celebrity impression. You have 10 seconds to do it. Otherwise, you die.

Since we're on the brink of death ourselves, I think now is as good a time

any. Can you do a Lorne Michaels?

Oh, I don't know. I probably can.

Can you do a Michael J?

Can you do Mikey Day doing an impression of me?

Is he cake?

And with that, Colin Jones, look at you taking on the wings of death, living to

tell the tale.

And now there's nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for you. This

camera, this camera, this camera. Let the people know what you have going on

your life.

Colin Jost, late teens, early 30s.

I've got Pop Culture Jeopardy that's coming out May 11th. And I've got The

Breadwinner with Nate Bergetzi, which I'm very excited about.

Cheers. This is really... It's been a good one.

And on that note... I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.

My body is starting to a little bit, like, trying to stop me.

I feel, like, inflammation, like, in different parts of my body. Yeah,

through a heavy air. My bones are shutting down right now.

Great job, my man. Absolute pleasure.

Glad to shake your hand right after that.

All right, Hot Ones fans, you've seen the gauntlet, you've heard about the

flavors, and now it's time to taste the action.

Get your hands on the Season 30 Hot Ones 10 -pack delivered right to your door.

That's hotones .com, hotones .com, hotones .com to get your hands on the

30 Hot Ones 10 -pack.

The last dab, you don't have to if you don't want to, but do it. Be careful

around the eyes. Ice cream, not included. And remember, fortune flavors

bold.