Michael Che

Michael Che is the co-anchor of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live and the comedian behind the new Netflix special Shot in Minnesota.

We sit down to talk about how an hour like Shot in Minnesota gets built, what more than a decade inside SNL has taught him, and why bombing is part of the job.

Che came up on Chris Rock, George Carlin and Patrice O'Neal, comics who didn't waste words, and he brought that economy to the Update desk. He's willing to bomb with a joke for a year or two because he can see the spark: "It might take me two years to get this right, but I'll know when it's right." His view on edgy material: "We're like doctors being afraid of blood. We work in words. In the right hands, anything can be funny."

We get into the origin of Joke Swap with Colin Jost, born from jokes that died at dress rehearsal, and why Che pushes back on fans who love "the racist jokes segment." His answer: it's about making each other uncomfortable. He takes us inside the machine, a show written on Tuesday and live on Saturday with nine sets in one room, explains why he leaves the sketches to Kenan, and shares the card Lorne Michaels sent with flowers the night he taped the special: "Please don't embarrass me."

Michael Che is the co-anchor of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live and the comedian behind the new Netflix special Shot in Minnesota.

We sit down to talk about how an hour like Shot in Minnesota gets built, what more than a decade inside SNL has taught him, and why bombing is part of the job.

Che came up on Chris Rock, George Carlin and Patrice O'Neal, comics who didn't waste words, and he brought that economy to the Update desk. He's willing to bomb with a joke for a year or two because he can see the spark: "It might take me two years to get this right, but I'll know when it's right." His view on edgy material: "We're like doctors being afraid of blood. We work in words. In the right hands, anything can be funny."

We get into the origin of Joke Swap with Colin Jost, born from jokes that died at dress rehearsal, and why Che pushes back on fans who love "the racist jokes segment." His answer: it's about making each other uncomfortable. He takes us inside the machine, a show written on Tuesday and live on Saturday with nine sets in one room, explains why he leaves the sketches to Kenan, and shares the card Lorne Michaels sent with flowers the night he taped the special: "Please don't embarrass me."

More than a decade at the Update desk, and he's still willing to bomb for a joke he believes in.

00:00 Intro

02:02 Shot in Minnesota and the Update desk

05:42 Callbacks and Lorne's card

07:51 Likeability and bombing for a joke

11:50 Joke Swap with Colin Jost

17:01 The r-word and the N-word

23:19 Character, trust and dark material

25:25 SNL's stakes and the weekly machine

33:28 Bombing, Norm and today's Update

39:22 The Plug: Ashley Padilla and listening

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@theplugwithjustinjay

Website → https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-plug-w-justin-jay/id1517322794

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3M3BwnadvgbuwtErUHN1pl

Email → theplugpodcast.jj@gmail.com

Justin Jay Photography → https://justinjay.com

HI 1K - 10 Years / 1000 Moments On Hawaii's North Shore by Justin Jay → https://www.hi1k.com

More than a decade at the Update desk, and he's still willing to bomb for a joke he believes in.

00:00 Intro
02:02 Shot in Minnesota and the Update desk
05:42 Callbacks and Lorne's card
07:51 Likeability and bombing for a joke
11:50 Joke Swap with Colin Jost
17:01 The r-word and the N-word
23:19 Character, trust and dark material
25:25 SNL's stakes and the weekly machine
33:28 Bombing, Norm and today's Update
39:22 The Plug: Ashley Padilla and listening

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@theplugwithjustinjay
Website → https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com
Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-plug-w-justin-jay/id1517322794
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3M3BwnadvgbuwtErUHN1pl
Email → theplugpodcast.jj@gmail.com
Justin Jay Photography → https://justinjay.com
HI 1K - 10 Years / 1000 Moments On Hawaii's North Shore by Justin Jay → https://www.hi1k.com