Bowen Yang has responded after he was accused of mocking Chappell Roan in his Saturday Night Live sketch.
Many of Chappell Roan’s fans were outraged by the parody 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 she reacted to the idea that he was mocking her with her own outrage.
She shared a screenshot of one of the many articles about Pink Pony Club fans on her Instagram Stories.
‘Oh, God. “does he make fun?” If my personal stance and the article aren’t absolutely clear in terms of supporting it, then there it is, I guess. Everything she’s ever asked for has been reasonable and yet we can connect it to another story about boundaries or whatever. “I need the hose,” 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 parody, which showed Bowen Yang dressing up as Moo Deng and drawing comparisons to the 26-year-old singer’s experiences.
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 okay if I say something? For the last 10 weeks I have been running non-stop, eating lettuce, trying to bite water from a hose and the response has been overwhelming.
‘But it’s gotten to the point where I need to set some boundaries. Reminder: women don’t owe you anything. When I’m in my compound tripping over things, biting my trainer’s knee, I’m at work. That’s the project. Don’t shout my name or expect a photo just because I’m your parasocial best friend or because you appreciate my talent.
When Jost asked about Moo Deng’s talent, Yang replied, “Having a slippery, bouncing body.”
Yang’s Moo Deng continued: ‘Colin, before me, the only hippos in the media were “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 inside joke with his fans.
‘Believe me, I wouldn’t be in this position without my fans: my Moo Deng stuff. But the harassment has been intolerable. Oh my God, they’re throwing seafood and bananas at me!’
“It must be very stressful having everyone staring at you,” Jost interjected.
Yang agreed, saying, “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 joked, “Well, that’s what you are.” Jost then pointed out the parallels between Yang’s Moo Deng speech and some of Roan’s recent statements.
He asked: ‘Your life seems a lot like Chappell Roan’s lately. Do you know Chappell Roan?
Moo Deng replied: ‘I’m 10 weeks old, Colin, of course I know Chappell Roan. By the way, leave her alone. Let her take all the time she needs for her mental health. It’s what society does: it puts young women on pedestals and then knocks them down with shellfish.’
This comes after Roan canceled two festival appearances to focus on his mental health and ahead of his upcoming Saturday Night Live debut in five weeks.
Social media users called on Roan to cancel his appearance on SNL, denounced the “audacity” of Yang’s parody, and otherwise completely missed the point.
Bowen has established himself as a fan of Roan and has been open about his own mental health issues 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 parody 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 she reacted to the idea that he was mocking her with her own outrage. Photographed here in London in September 2024.
She shared a screenshot of one of the many articles about Pink Pony Club fans on her Instagram Stories.
Many social media users shared their disapproval of a parody that showed Bowen Yang dressing up as Moo Deng and drawing comparisons to the 26-year-old singer’s experiences.
‘I thought, this is really strange and really difficult. Honestly, in the past eight weeks, my whole life has changed,” the Femininomenon singer said.
“It’s been very emotional because I don’t just sing pop music, it’s automatically political because I’m gay,” Chappell said.
She continued, “I hope I can look back on this moment and still stand behind all the no’s I’ve said, because I say no to almost everything right now.” I don’t want to go back to the mental hospital because I don’t know how to handle my emotions.
“I hope I don’t look back and think, ‘Damn, if only I had held on and pushed a little harder.’ I don’t think I will, but I’m always afraid of that,” he said.
