Colin Jost Fights Fire With Fire While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones

[00:03] Stay with me. Just stay with me. TALK TO ME. KEEP talking to me. watching Hot Ones. It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings. And

[00:18] Emmy awardwinning writer and the longest tenured anchor in the history of And starting May 11th, he's hosting new episodes of Pop Culture Jeopardy, which through June 5th. Colin Jo, welcome to the show.

[00:32] all that information about what I'm doing cuz I didn't really know the dates. So, thank you for knowing. >> We got you covered over here. >> And I should mention that you probably have more overlap with former Hot Ones

[00:44] show. Did you receive any advice or watch any tape in preparation for today? >> No one wanted to help me. Uh, Scarlet just said maybe take an ant acid, but then I advice. It's probably good advice. I didn't, but I I probably could

[00:58] still do it, but I'm I just wanted to have a pure experience. >> And you really mean it because you requested no milk on the table. Instead, requested no milk on the table. Instead, you want a glass of hot sauce. Is this

[01:10] >> 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, I'm not going to just go with milk. I'm

[01:24] hot sauce, even though it looks like tomato soup. And you know what? I'm >> Cheers. >> We uh Oh.

[01:39] out. >> What a That's That's hot wing sauce.

[02:05] like 2 minutes. I really, by the way, wanted to do I was going to pitch that you should do an after show called Talking Toilets. Well, we could uh maybe >> Yeah, maybe we do that. I have access to a couple bathrooms nearby.

[02:28] winking at you and he's wearing a a robe. It's weird. No one's like, "Oo, I had a bunch of hot sauce." Maybe sex. >> Well, there is even too like a little bit of an innuendo in the title, you know, like they're very on theme over

[02:40] >> Mhm. As someone who grew up on Jeopardy, what did you see as the magic of TBEC as a host? He seemed omnisient. And I think, you know, when you start when you mess something up, like if you misread something, you feel like you're shaming

[02:54] Alex Tbec, but then the production team was like he would he would occasionally wouldn't even re-record them. He'd be like, "Nah, it's fine. Just keep it." he has the confidence of having done it. And it is the Alex Tbeck stage for a

[03:08] reason. Like, he really he earned it. So at first it's kind of like starting at SNL like when I was starting especially weekend update your first instinct is oh my god I don't want to destroy this institution and then you get a little

[03:21] past the existential angst of it and you try to figure out how you can make it try to figure out how you can make it your own a little bit.

[03:33] been assembling kind of like your top five to 10 sauces of all time and do you have those in like a row at your house that you're always like putting new ones >> I think about that every once in a while. Like over the years there have

[03:46] been definitely sauces that hit in kind of like a forever and a Mount Rushmore of hot one sauces and maybe someday we'll do like an allstar hot sauce lineup on this show. The wheels are turning through every wing over here

[03:59] with you Colin. I mean, come on, God. Gary giving you talking toilets >> Yeah. >> So, I've interviewed Pete Davidson twice on this show, despite his severe stomach issues, and my view of Staten Island has

[04:13] me about it. >> Are there any foundational differences between your Staten Island and Pete's? >> Um, yes.

[04:28] Southshore and I'm more Northshore, 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 don't see it in me. Like they believe Pete is from

[04:40] >> and they love Pete on Staten Island and I feel like I'm I'm always kind of like I'm from there too, I swear. achievement from your time working at the regional newspaper, the Staten

[04:53] Island Advance? Um, I have a lot of great memories and I got to say the people who work there, like even compared to journalists at the most prestigious newspapers now, I feel like they were really good journalists. And

[05:07] the editors there, the news editors really trained me to be really on top of facts, doublech checkck everything. And they were really they were and they also challenged you. I remember putting a thing in like a an article where I said,

[05:22] you know, there was a welcome mat on the door. I was trying to do get someone to talking about an interview for something. There had been a shooting and there was a welcome mat on the door, but

[05:34] I didn't feel very welcome at the house. And my editor was like, the hell is else has a welcome mat? Every other door. He's like, this is not interesting information. I thought I had come up with a great line. Um, so they like

[05:48] challenge you in good ways. But my favorite article that that I got to do when I was a reporter at the Advance was I was there over I worked at late shift, so I worked 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. And I was there overnight and there was a

[06:00] car crash that I was sent to report on in Staten Island. And I got there and in Staten Island. And I got there and everyone was okay in the crash, luckily. But the one of the cars had hit a raccoon and so the paramedics were

[06:13] already there. So, they performed CPR on the raccoon and saved the raccoon's >> Um, which was pretty exciting. So, I'm writing this article and then the the newspaper and were like, "You can't

[06:28] 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 it became it ultimately became front page news.

[06:42] >> So, you can tell veloping breaking news. >> He was a Yeah. So, and I had like a by >> He was a Yeah. So, and I had like a by line on the front page for my raccoon story and then it got into like what are the rules? Can you, you know, should you

[06:54] going to be all euthanized? And I really broke open the whole euthanizing broke open the whole euthanizing community of course. Yeah.

[07:08] >> and delicious and 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 live television? >> Ooh. My favorite getting punched in on

[07:24] >> Ooh. My favorite getting punched in on camera was when Leslie uh Jones was camera was when Leslie uh Jones was punching me and then Lauren in in the t in the pre-tape says, "Get out of my way. I'll finish him off." And then

[07:37] know if Lauren's ever punched another cast member on TV. I I can't imagine he cast member on TV. I I can't imagine he has. And he's like going for it and and and everyone's laughing. Everyone's having a great time. And it obviously

[07:52] plays as a joke. And I'm like, it's pretty nuts that my boss is 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 one sketch? And can you

[08:05] give me an example of one that typifies that Jack handy slot? 10 to one and I remember there was a Jack handy one. I don't I forget if it aired or not where someone is in a wheelchair and there's wires hooked up

[08:20] to the wheelchair and they're in the sketch and they're like, "Man, if only 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.

[08:32] 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 handy and to me that's like the perfect thing at the end because it's not so early that the

[08:44] audience is going to be furious. Like Lauren often preserves that spot. sometimes lose one of the funny sketches. grabbing. >> Just prepping.

[09:04] >> Mhm. >> And really just gulped that Franks right >> That's where experience hurts you. >> That's right.

[09:20] Do you think then there's like another 10,000 hours where you're really good at it and then like then there's a 10,000 hours where you've fallen off. the second 10,000 where you start losing it?

[09:34] >> SOMEONE ANSWER ME. >> You've been doing Saturday Night Live thing going for 11. Like, we're probably approaching that third act of like >> yeah, I could get really bad really fast.

[09:49] Well, keep an eye out. Thanks. And everyone, write in if you see I'm getting bad. >> Please smash that subscribe button. had covering the Olympics? >> Uh, well, definitely bob sledding. Um, I

[10:05] thought the surfing was harrow 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. Um, and instead I was still continuing to report

[10:20] >> Raw dog in it. >> Raw dog in it, which is technically not a great medical thing. Um, uh, and so I was in the I was in the tent more than any other Olympic athlete

[10:32] with like the medical tent. And while I was in the medical tent, a uh woman who was surfing uh from France, Joan Duray, I think is her name, she she hit her head on the reef, got caught open her head, got taken in on a jet ski, sewn

[10:49] up, taken back out on a jet ski, and won the heat while I was there like >> my toes. >> Like, how awesome is that? And then she bronze medal, overcome it. And and I was just like and I barely over I I had to

[11:03] just like and I barely over I I had to go home.

[11:17] kind of like getting into the joints a little bit more. >> I feel like Yeah. I feel like it captures a little more of the sauce and it and I like that it's a little it crisps the sauce a little bit. Mhm.

[11:29] more. It's more of an immersive dining experience. Yeah. serial killer. You know, >> I like to get >> I like to get into the joints. >> Which was more fun, co-hosting the 70th

[11:42] Prime Time Emmy Awards with Michael Chay or tag teaming Wrestlemania together? Like, do you have a more profound memory of one versus the other? experiences of my life. That was so fun. like the fact that we got to do it

[11:55] together. It's hitting me a little bit now. Um I >> To the joints. That's what happens. >> Got a little joint meat in my teeth. Uh Jr. >> You were in the Browns jersey.

[12:09] >> Yeah. To the Browns. And so I came out with a fresh Odell Beckham Browns jersey and everyone all the Giants fans were like literally throwing things at me. It was awesome. Um, and there were there were WWE villains backstage waiting to

[12:22] shirt and they were like, "Are you really going out in that?" Which is kind of cool. And then uh it was I came in second place, you know what I mean? I not everyone like looks back on all the results, but in the full 26-man contest,

[12:38] >> I came in silver medal, which they don't give out, but I 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,

[12:51] the first time they'd ever seen me do anything.

[13:09] Do you still remember your actual hottest one? The hottest >> Yeah. And you know what? It actually has remained on the show. >> It's remained on the show since >> Oh, I didn't know if you had just

[13:21] >> We always do. So, we do that like three times a year except for this one sauce that always stays here. >> De bomb. That is I've never had a sauce like that in my life. And I'm practiced. >> It's I mean Scarlet brought it home

[13:34] after she you know after she did hot with you and just smelling it like clear little bit. Yeah. I don't know what it is. Like the vinegar or something in it. Also, it's just like >> Which TV or film idea from before you

[13:50] think had the most potential if someone gave it a shot? Like do you think Admission's impossible has legs? >> I I think that that I think that could be good. Yeah, that good good uh research. Uh Simon Rich and I when we

[14:04] were in college, we had the idea of admissions impossible where we pretended to be from a university like Harvard or whatever and met with aspiring students to do their interviews. Kind of messing with them knowing they would probably

[14:19] 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'd get some really good I mean it would destroy their life. You'd have them say some horrible thing

[14:34] the time, we were almost that age, so we were like, "Oh, we don't care. We'll were like, "Oh, we don't care. We'll destroy everyone."

[14:48] When you have a when you're doing a mix of wings, it's always nice to have to have one that has a little bit of that candied texture to it, just for variety, here, you know. >> Whenever you're eating 10 wings of

[15:02] different kinds, >> how would you describe the Harvard Lampoon for someone who's never heard of it? eyes. Good idea. Yeah. Yeah. No, no. I know. I'm a pro.

[15:16] know. I'm a pro. >> I'm a pro. everyone watching this. That didn't help. Doesn't help.

[15:28] >> Maybe never >> to be honest. I don't know. Yeah. How did that become popular? >> I don't know. We got to look that up. >> The funniest nerdiest person in your school, right? Like writer. If you got

[15:42] all of those together when they all went to college. So, they also gained confidence from that. And they also en enjoyed partying together as nerds.

[15:54] you feel like a a nerd liberation. >> Nerd liberation. >> Do you have a favorite architectural >> trying to sweat it out of me? >> What I love about the general building

[16:07] is that it was designed by this incredible architect Edmund March Wright who was in the lampoon and he was became like the city architect for all of architect and this was the last building he designed before he was committed to a

[16:21] mental hospital down the road. So it was like his It really was his last sort of wheeled him away. >> It kind of looks like that. >> It looks Yeah. an architect descending into madness a little bit.

[16:34] an iconic thing about it that it's still cool is the steam 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,

[16:47] you know, it's that's kind of a cool feature to to put in there. Um, and I think he also designed it where it basically like steals steam from the little nice >> crazy like a fox. You know,

[17:00] >> you know what? And also just regular crazy.

[17:23] you're you're both checking in at each other like, "How you doing?" >> It looks like we're staring at each other like like, "Take that. just like, "Are you okay? Are you okay?" >> That's exactly Yeah. It's an empathetic

[17:38] now. >> It It hits. >> Yeah. And uh this is the real first time in the show I went to go reach for the in the show I went to go reach for the milk and realized there is no oasis. Oh

[17:51] milk and realized there is no oasis. Oh my god. >> I was going to say do you think at this point this is helpful but >> no. Turns out it's not. >> That's where I thought maybe late in the

[18:06] game. >> Late in the game >> That's now mellow. No, >> no, not at all. with a smaller fire >> and just creating a bigger fire.

[18:21] >> If you were locked in a Margaritavville restaurant for a full day, what would order for lunch? And what would you order for dinner? Like, can you give us vill? >> Yeah, there's like um like sort of

[18:34] omelette ones that I would do. I feel like there's a eggs over Margaritaville vibe, you know, where it's like it truly is like an omelette, but they'll also pour like a little margarita onto it. Or they'll

[18:47] give you it'll come with like a little coronito, like a little one of those >> Little kind of entree chaser. Yeah. >> Yeah. They'll be like, "It's breakfast, but you got this little beer, so it's margaritavville." Um,

[19:01] >> how bad how much does it look like it hurts? >> All right. And I think that that's being stress tested right now, but not broken. Like the seams are not busting. >> You still have that statue.

[19:14] eyes first for us. We can both our eyes. >> There's an intensity in the stare. >> And that's I think where the heat, the spice of this gauntlet is living right >> It's sort of the It's like same the same stare that like an EMT has with someone

[19:28] with me. >> Just stay with me. TALK TO ME. KEEP come. >> No, no. And I barely see you. It's all blurry. >> What makes spicy seafood linguini the

[19:41] proper litmus test for an Italian restaurant? Like why is that a barometer >> Great question. I feel like there was a question before this that I didn't question before this that I didn't totally answer, but that's okay. Uh I

[19:53] it's my favorite dish if it's done well is a a fraudiablo like seafood like a linguini especially like a shrimp. But every ideally every you'll I think you get I want to see how they do spice, you

[20:06] get a sense of how they'll cook their pasta. Is it a good al dente? You'll get a plethora of of a harvest of seafood. you get a vibe of everything. And I think the the presentation tells you how

[20:21] how invested in this dish they are. And you can get, you know, very get a good version, you're like, I I will come back here. Is it do you you Huh?

[20:34] >> It's not a competition. >> I know. I think that is that is that is my spice reaction. Even like a milder spice. I do have But not really for you. >> No, I guess I I haven't really noticed that. But no, you're right. I don't

[20:46] that loose. I don't think I get that loose in the sinuses. >> You got a tight sinus, huh? >> Wow. That's what Shashidito said.

[21:01] feet. I don't know. Your shoes are soaking wet right now.

[21:13] 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 uh quite a few hot sauce chasers

[21:27] >> Yeah. So, just on a volume level, we've definitely >> Yeah. >> What's the uh glad this is the first thing you ate today.

[21:41] >> 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 whooping in your career? >> Thank you for asking because my speech

[21:54] and debate trophies uh have never been inquired about before and I have never gotten the respect that they deserve. It's so sad when you're when you go home like when I brought >> Are they still on like a shelf at your

[22:08] parents house? >> No. 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

[22:24] was like, "Oh, these must be baseball, but why is it just an angel holding a but why is it just an angel holding a little book?" One year I just tried to qualify for like nationals in extemporaneous speaking and I qualified

[22:36] out of New York which was really hard to do and my friends who 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

[22:49] performance and so it was fun to go the other way and be like oh look at that you sons of That was satisfying.

[23:02] >> Nothing there, huh? >> I can give it a try if you'd like me to. >> Nothing there. >> Dry as a bone.

[23:23] >> Everyone here is like, "The show ended 40 minutes ago. Eat the thing." 40 minutes ago. Eat the thing." Okay.

[23:35] Oh, I hate you feel that dead heat. >> That you know what I mean? Like >> I know all too well. >> It's like seeing a person that you know is later coming to assassinate you.

[23:47] >> Mhm. >> And it started that process right now. But the good news is, Colin Jo, the wings of death are behind us. And to close things out, >> on a recent episode of Amy Polar's

[24:01] podcast, Good Hang, she talked about a game 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

[24:15] ourselves, I think now is as good a time as any. Can you do a Lauren Michaels? Oh, I don't know. I probably can. Can you do a Michael Jay?

[24:36] of me? >> Is he cake? taking on the wings of death, living to tell the tale. And now there's nothing

[24:48] for you. This camera, this camera, this camera. Let the people know what you camera. Let the people know what you have going on in your life.

[25:04] >> I've got I've got um Pop Culture Jeopardy that's coming out May 11. >> And I've got The Bread Winner with Nate Betty, which I'm very excited about. >> man. This is really uh it's been a good one.

[25:25] >> I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

[25:39] stop trying to stop me. >> I feel like inflammation like in >> Yeah. Walking through a heavy air. >> My bones are shutting down right now.

[25:52] >> Absolute pleasure. Glad to shake your hand right after that. the gauntlet, you've heard about the flavors, and now it's time to taste the

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[26:21] 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 the bold.