A Very Punchable Face ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Genre: Memoir
US Publication: July 14, 2020
Print: 312 pages
Audio: 7 hours 41 minutes
Confetti Rating: 4 stars
REVIEW:
“I always wanted to punch his face before I read his book. Now I just want to kick him in the balls.” ~Larry David
Hey Larry, I hear you. Has there been a more aptly named memoir than this one? Count me among the many who just didn’t like Colin Jost for no real reason whatsoever, but fortunately I trusted my book-reviewing pals more than I disliked the guy. They were liking A Very Punchable Face more than I could have expected. And guess what? After reading it now I like him!
For anyone wondering, “Uhh, who’s Colin Jost?” He’s 1) the head writer on Saturday Night Live, 2) the cohost of the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, and 3) now the husband of Scarlett Johansson. He’s also now the author of a very funny memoir that happens to be humble and surprisingly touching too. He takes us from his (chubby) childhood on Staten Island, to his college years with the Harvard Lampoon, through his standup gigs to his life at SNL now.
It will probably help if you have any interest in Saturday Night Live, but it’s not a prerequisite. The early chapters before he gets there are just as good if not better than when he takes readers behind the scenes of the show. In particular, one chapter is entirely devoted to his mother’s involvement in the September 11th attacks as part of the NY fire department. That chapter is called, “Why I Love My Mom.” How can you not love that?
Jost does spill a little tea about his SNL castmates and celebrity cohosts, but overall his intention doesn’t seem to be to skewer anyone. (Except - as he says - someone with the initials R.C. with “ussell” following the R and “rowe” following the C. Don’t think anyone can blame him there.) And he seems genuinely in love with his wife, ScarJo. Awwwww.
On that note, I’ll leave you with this. Universe, please stop trying to make “ScarJost” happen. It’s not going to happen. Don’t make me kick you in the balls.
PUBLISHER 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.