Sarah Sherman Took A Shot At Colin Jost And Pete Davidson’s Ferry Boat On SNL, And It Did Not Get The Reaction I Expected

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On Saturday Night Live, cast members frequently mention that until the cameras start rolling, it’s unpredictable what will transpire. There are pitches, read-throughs, and even a full dress rehearsal, but there’s no assurance that the live audience will find anything funny until they do. This is because humor is a highly subjective art form, with many common elements that make us laugh, but also significant differences. For instance, last night, Sarah Sherman dropped by Weekend Update and made a joke about Colin Jost and Pete Davidson’s ill-fated ferry boat. My reaction watching it alone on the couch was quite different from the audience’s.

In simpler terms, I’d like to clarify my point. When the actress, impersonating Jost’s fictional accountant, made a joke about the Staten Island ferry boat during her performance in Studio 8H, not a sound was heard from the audience – no laughter, not even a cough. However, they burst into laughter later on and continued to do so throughout the rest of the sketch. This led me to believe that either the audience wasn’t familiar with the amusingly titled Titanic II, or they simply didn’t find the reference funny. You can watch the relevant part of the performance, which begins at the 55-second mark…

For those who haven’t been following along, let’s catch up: In 2022, Jost and Davidson, both hailing from Staten Island, spotted that New York City was auctioning off the decommissioned John F Kennedy ferry boat. Alongside their friend Paul Italia, they made a spontaneous decision to purchase it for approximately $280,000. The acquisition received widespread approval at first, as the trio shared their plans to restore the vessel and transform it into an event space on water.

Initially, there was plenty of enthusiasm for the project on social media and quirky news articles. However, over time, this excitement seemed to fade into silence. Then, we began hearing reports about how renovating a boat turned out to be much more time-consuming and costly than initially anticipated. This led to a running joke between Davidson and Jost in interviews about the project’s challenges. Some residents even voiced their concerns, while Scarlett Johansson, Jost’s wife, humorously commented during an interview that she at least hoped it would start earning enough money to cover the docking fees.

Over the past year, this boat has held a fashion event and served as a location for a low-budget horror film. It’s also said to be undergoing renovations to become a regular venue for events, although the completion date is yet to be determined. Many online continue to joke about it being a financial black hole, which is why Sherman’s joke last night was particularly amusing. If I were his accountant, that would be the first issue I’d discuss with him too.

For the next few weeks, Saturday Night Live will be taking a brief hiatus, but it’s set to come back in early May with the popular actress from Abbott Elementary, Quinta Brunson, stepping into the hosting role. She’ll be accompanied by musical performer Benson Boone.

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2025-04-13 16:37