Bowen Yang has hit back after he was accused of mocking Chappell Roan in his Saturday Night Live skit.
Many of Chappell Roan’s fans were outraged by the skit and accused Bowen, 33, of mocking the Red Wine Supernova singer’s struggles of late.
The SNL star is an expressive comedian and also a fan of Chappell Roan himself and he reacted to the idea that he was mocking her with his own outrage.
He shared a screenshot of one of the many articles about the Pink Pony Club’s fans on his Instagram Stories.
‘Oh Geeez. “mocks?” If my personal stance and the piece aren’t absolutely clear in terms of supporting her then there it is I guess. Everything she has ever asked for has been reasonable and even then we can connect it to another story about boundaries or whatever. Needing the hose rn,’ he captioned the post.
Bowen Yang is exasperated by the general reaction to his Saturday Night Live Moo Deng sketch
Many social media users shared their disapproval of the skit, which showed Bowen Yang dressed up as Moo Deng and drawing comparisons to experiences of the singer, 26.
Moo Deng, an adorable pygmy hippopotamus from Thailand, has become a viral sensation in recent weeks.
During the season 50 premiere on September 28, Yang joined Colin Jost for the Weekend Update segment.
Yang’s Moo Deng said during the skirt: ‘Stop, stop clapping! Hi Colin, is it OK if I say something? For the past 10 weeks, I’ve been going nonstop running around, eating lettuce, trying to bite the water from a hose and the response has been overwhelming.
‘But it has come to the point where I need to set some boundaries. Reminder: Women owe you nothing. When I’m in my enclosure tripping over stuff, biting my trainer’s knee, I am at work. That is the project. Do not yell my name or expect a photo just because I’m your parasocial bestie or because you appreciate my talent.’
When Jost asked about Moo Deng’s talent, Yang responded: ‘Having a slippery body that bounces.’
Yang’s Moo Deng continued: ‘Colin, before me, the only hippos in media were either “hungry, hungry” or Jada Pinkett Smith in Madagascar.
‘But now, I’m your favorite hippo’s favorite hippo — and I’m thirsty, thirsty,’ he said, referencing Roan’s in-joke with her fans.
‘Trust me, I would not be in this position without my fans — my Moo Deng boo thangs. But the harassment has been intolerable. Oh my God, they’re throwing shellfish and bananas at me!’
‘It must be so stressful having the whole world watching you,’ Jost chimed in.
Yang agreed and said: ‘Honestly, sometimes I feel like I live my life in a cage, like an animal trapped in a zoo for people to look at.’
Jost quipped, ‘Well, that’s kind of what you are.’ Then, Jost pointed out the parallels between Yang’s Moo Deng’s speech and some of Roan’s recent statements.
He asked: ‘Your life sounds a lot like Chappell Roan’s lately. Do you know Chappell Roan?’
Moo Deng retorted: ‘I’m 10 weeks old, Colin, of course I know Chappell Roan. By the way, leave her alone. Let her take as much time as she needs for her mental health. It’s what society does — it puts young women on pedestals only to knock them down with shellfish.’
This comes after Roan cancelled two festival appearances to focus on her mental health and ahead of her upcoming debut on Saturday Night Live in five weeks.
Social media users called on Roan to cancel her SNL appearance, called out the ‘audacity’ of Yang’s skit and otherwise completely missed the point.
Bowen has established himself as a fan of Roan and been open with his own mental health struggles and queer identity.
In fact, Yang interviewed the Hot To Go hitmaker for Interview Magazine earlier this month.
Many of Chappell Roan’s fans were outraged by the skit and accused Bowen, 33, of mocking the Red Wine Supernova singer’s struggles of late
The SNL star is an expressive comedian and also a fan of Chappell Roan himself and he reacted to the idea that he was mocking her with his own outrage. Pictured here in London in September 2024
He shared a screenshot of one of the many articles about the Pink Pony Club’s fans on his Instagram Stories
Many social media users shared their disapproval of a skit, which showed Bowen Yang dressed up as Moo Deng and drawing comparisons to experiences of the singer, 26
‘I was just like, this is really weird and really hard. In the past, honestly, eight weeks, my entire life has changed,’ the Femininomenon singer said.
‘It’s been really emotional because I’m not just singing pop music, it’s automatically political because I’m gay,’ Chappell said.
She continued: ‘I hope I look back at this time and still stand behind all the nos that I’ve said, because I say no to pretty much everything right now. I don’t want to f**king go back into the mental hospital because I don’t know how to handle my emotions.
‘I hope I don’t look back and I’m like, “Damn, if I just would’ve sucked it up and pushed a little harder.” I don’t think I will, but I’m always scared of that,’ she said.