One of my final books of 2020 and it did not disappoint! I love a good memoir but felt like it had been awhile since I read one. This book is the perfect about of funny and heartwarming. Even if you’re not a fan of Saturday Night Live, Jost’s story is funny, relatable, and downright fun.
In the 38-year-old comedian's new memoir, A Very Punchable Face, the SNL co-head writer revealed that he was 'preparing mentally to leave' the NBC series 'in the near future.' Colin has been a. Colin Jost’s first time meeting Scarlett Johansson was straight out of a rom-com. The sketch was a parody of MTV’s “My Super Sweet Sixteen,” writes Jost, 38, in his new memoir.
Synopsis: “If there's one trait that makes someone well suited to comedy, it's being able to take a punch--metaphorically and, occasionally, physically. From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school and 'seeing the sights' (like watching a Russian woman throw a stroller off the back of a ferry), to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump. You'll also discover things about Jost that will surprise and confuse you, like how Jimmy Buffett saved his life, how Czech teenagers attacked him with potato salad, how an insect laid eggs inside his legs, and how he competed in a twenty-five-man match at WrestleMania (and almost won). You'll go behind the scenes at SNL and Weekend Update (where he's written some of the most memorable sketches and jokes of the past fifteen years). And you'll experience the life of a touring stand-up comedian--from performing in rural college cafeterias at noon to opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall. For every accomplishment (hosting the Emmys), there is a setback (hosting the Emmys). And for every absurd moment (watching paramedics give CPR to a raccoon), there is an honest, emotional one (recounting his mother's experience on the scene of the Twin Towers' collapse on 9/11). Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy--with a face you can't help but want to punch.
What I Liked:
Colin Jost Book Review
The Humor—Josh is a great writer from his days at SNL and his humor translates really well to the written word.
The Heart—While this book is very funny, it is still warm and engaging. I loved learning about Jost’s mother’s involvement in the rescue operations of 9/11 plus how his insecurities ended up aiding his career. He also speaks about his future wife (Scarlett Johanson) so lovingly you’ll be “awing” all over the place.
The Format—Like other SNL alum’s, Jost wrote this memoir is a series of essays like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. It’s digestible and makes you want to pick it up because while all the stories do connect, you can enjoy them one at a time as well.
What Didn’t Work:
Colin Jost Google Story
Nothing! Just be sure to enjoy this book on audio. But as Colin reminds you, buy the book for the pictures.
TW/CW: 9/11, body shaming, drug use, excrement, racial slurs
Character Authenticity: N/A (memoir)
Steam Rating: N/A
Colin Jost Book Audio Book
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Colin Jost Book Of Mormon
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▼Tags ▼LibraryThing Recommendations Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Showing 1-5 of 11 (next | show all) If you’re a Saturday Night Live fan, you know that Colin Jost is one of the head writers and co-host of Weekend Update. We all know that I love celebrity memoirs and I originally picked this one up hoping for details on his relationship with his now wife, Scarlett Johansson. I’ll just tell you right up front – there is almost nothing about Johansson in here. But there’s so much other good stuff and it’s so freaking funny that I didn’t even care! A lot of memoirs written by comedians aren’t really that funny unless you listen to them reading it. It’s their delivery that makes it funny. Not so in Jost’s case. I read the print version of this book and was laughing out loud. I read passages out loud to my husband and kids and they laughed out loud too. One of the funniest chapters is about all the times in his life that he’s pooped his pants. Like, as an adult. And while the way he tells it, it’s hilarious, as someone with Crohn’s disease, I kind of want to have a little chat with him. Pooping your pants once or twice a year is not normal! Surprisingly, this book also made me teary. Jost’s mother is a physician and was the chief medical officer for the New York Fire Department on 9/11. Reading his account of that day was emotional. And he loves his mom so much, it’s sweet. (She’s still alive but she lost many friends that day.) Even though he’s only 38, he has a lot of interesting stories to tell. For instance, he almost died surfing with Jimmy Buffet and he was at Harvard at the same time as Mark Zuckerberg and rowed crew with the Winklevoss twins. While there isn’t much about ScarJo included, he does dish on some of the past SNL hosts, which I appreciated. Highly recommended, especially right now when something to laugh about is needed more than ever! ( ) mcelhra | Feb 14, 2021 | Just wonderful. Hilarious, smart, fun, frank, and sometimes moving. There was one essay I was not wild about (the Jimmy Buffet anecdote), but the rest were absolutely 5-star events. Jost is a delight to hang out with. He perhaps lays it on too thick with the self-effacement. New rules: - You may not reasonably harp on how unathletic you are while also talking about how you rowed crew with the Winklevii at Harvard - You may not say you are shocked you graduated Harvard when you did nothing but work on the Lampoon when you graduated cum laude with a degree in Russian lit -You may not discuss how undesirable you are when you have just married Scarlett Johansson (they were engaged when the book was published but the rule stands.) All that said, it is hard to feel too intimidated by a guy who writes about shitting his pants while wearing powder blue golf shorts and it is impossible to not love the person who wrote the beautiful essay about his mother's horrifying experience of 9/11 (she was Chief Medical Officer for the FDNY.) He seems like a mensch to me, and a very very funny mensch at that. ( ) Narshkite | Jan 6, 2021 | A VERY PUNCHABLE FACE: A MEMOIR by Colin Jost. Dear Colin. I loved your book. It got me through election week 2020, and for that I am eternally grateful. Your writing is self-deprecating humor at its finest; so many tidbits about SNL and its talented (and very frenzied staff); so many personal incidents revealed that are quite alarming. I would advise a lot of therapy at your earliest possible convenience. Sincerely, One of your (and SNL’s) biggest fans. P.S. I think I should get a ticket to a taping of SNL for buying your book. Seriously. I did like the book very much. I saw Colin Jost on camera many times in SNL’s Weekend Update segment and knew he was a comedy writer. But I din’t know he did stand-up or tour with his routines. I picked up a March 16, 2020 issue of the New Yorker and read (and reread) his story “Commuting”. I really, really liked this story and it put me on the alert for more of Colin Jost’s writing. “Commuting” appeared in the book and I was glad to see it again. Seriously. I would recommend this book, A VERY PUNCHABLE FACE, when one has to survive a horrible, stressful event like staying in a hurricane shelter or living through the 2020 election. It will keep you alive, optimistic and laughing. Five Stars ***** ( ) diana.hauser | Nov 11, 2020 | Very funny, but I think you have to be a fan of SNL and have some familiarity with Colin Jost's sense of humor to fully appreciate the book. He has lots of asides and he is very self-deprecating, which is refreshing in a memoir. What I learned about him: he is very injury prone - some due to bizarre circumstances, some due to bad choices and alcohol; he is very smart - he won a citywide scholarship to Regis HS and went to Harvard - my favorite line in the book: 'Harvard is like a Professor X's School for mutants, except their mutant powers are playing cello, or computer programming, or being a Saudi prince.' (53); he is very talented - president of Harvard Lampoon, head writer on SNL within a few seasons of joining, stand-up comedy; he is very aware of how lucky he is to be all these things. His chapter on his Mom made me cry - she is a Dr. in private practice and also the chief medical officer for the NYFD and was on the scene on Sept. 11. So many of the Jost family's Staten Island friends and relatives were killed that day - Colin was a sophomore in college. Lots of funny anecdotes about SNL cast and where they get their ideas and how hard they work, and what it is like to have to be creative on cue. Definitely worth a read if you fit the initial criteria. ( ) CarrieWuj | Nov 3, 2020 | Starts out amusing and touching, gets a little dicey in the middle, but finishes well. Some truly laugh-out-loud moments, and also some cringe-worthy. I enjoyed hearing his words in his own voice. He did mention some pictures in the print version that I missed with the audiobook. ( ) elifra | Oct 21, 2020 | Showing 1-5 of 11 (next | show all) ▼Published reviews ▼Common Knowledge
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