Scarlett Johansson’s SNL Roast Beef Clapback on Michael Che with Colin Jost
Behold another chapter in celebrity vendettas: Scarlett Johansson turned her Saturday Night Live hosting gig into an appetizer of cold-shoulders and roast beef payback for Michael Che’s decade-old deli diss. In an SNL cold open that felt like a Shakespearean duel—if Shakespeare’s sword were a slab of leftover roast beef—Johansson invited her real-life husband, Colin Jost, onto the stage to deliver a flavor-packed vengeance.
Johansson kicked off her monologue recalling Che’s infamous “roast beef” punchline from a past Weekend Update, deadpanning, “If roast beef was a relationship, Michael Che would still be stuck in the awkward first date.” The audience gasped, probably because they’d never heard anyone roast Che without actual flames. In classic deadpan fashion, she tossed Jost a meat platter mid-bit, quipping, “This is for all the sandwiches you’ve ruined with that joke, honey.” Cue Jost’s trademark smirk as he feigned confusion, “Wait, is this dinner or therapy?”
The sketch that followed had all the makings of a Culinary Courtroom: Johansson presiding as Judge Sirloin, Jost as bumbling bailiff, and Che—projected on a big screen—standing in for the accused. As Johansson solemnly read Che’s roast beef commentary from a gilded “Charge of Indigestion,” she paused for comedic effect, then deadpanned, “Objection: your honor, the beef is undercooked.” Jost valiantly tried to object on Che’s behalf, but tripped over the sausage links. The real punch was Johansson’s final verdict: “Guilty of one count of unfunny lunch meat humor. Sentence: mandatory karaoke with Sir Mix-A-Lot.”
Viewers on social media lit up faster than a meat thermometer hitting 165°F. Twitter user @LateNightJunkie tweeted, “ScarJo just served Che cold cuts more savage than any sketch this season.” Meanwhile, People Magazine shared a clip of Johansson’s monologue, noting her razor-sharp timing and Jost’s supportive buttress. Dotdash Meredith’s feed confirmed that Johansson has hosted SNL twice now—and each time, her comebacks are better than most people’s entire careers.
In between bites of irony and satire, Johansson reminded everyone why she’s more than an action-hero face: she’s a master of comedic revenge. Michael Che hasn’t publicly replied yet, but one can only imagine him holed up in a deli, reconsidering his life choices. Tune in next time for more celebrity burn wards and televised vendettas—because nothing says “I’ll be back” like a chef-style clapperback on live TV.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Dotdash Meredith
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
