Writing for Weekend Update ✍??? | Gianmarco Soresi | The Downside Podcast #comedy

Writing for Weekend Update ✍??? | Gianmarco Soresi | The Downside Podcast #comedy

In my first year writing for Weekend Update, I encountered an unforgettable joke that had me both amused and incredulous. The situation involved a man who had embezzled a million dollars from a school system through a chicken wings scheme. Yes, you heard that right – a chicken wings scheme.

The joke goes something like this: the man claimed he was going to give all the money back. To which Colin Jost added, "The guy said, 'I swear I was going to give all the money B'." It’s just delightfully absurd. The humor doesn’t lie in the mathematics of stealing money versus chicken but in the concept that someone would relay such an implausible excuse on television. The sheer ridiculousness, combined with its simple structuring, is what made this joke standout to me during my early days.

So, how do we source the best jokes for something like Weekend Update on Twitter? The trick lies in combing through the sea of information, looking for nuggets of humor, and then refining them to fit the show’s format. The process is both a science and an art of understanding what resonates with the audience.

Keywords

• Weekend Update
• Gianmarco Soresi
• Chicken wings scheme
• Colin Jost
• Joke writing
• Comedy
• Twitter sourcing

FAQ

Q1: What made the 'chicken wings scheme' joke memorable to you?
A1: The absurdity and simplicity of the joke made it memorable. Despite its illogical foundation, it was the concept of someone using such an excuse on TV that made it amusing.

Q2: How influential was this joke on your writing career?
A2: It was significant during my first year at Weekend Update, reinforcing the idea that sometimes the most ridiculous premises can yield the funniest jokes.

Q3: What’s the key to sourcing great jokes from Twitter?
A3: The key is to sift through a large volume of information to find humorous snippets that resonate with a broader audience and then tailoring them to fit the show's format.