Just like viral baby hippo Moo Deng, Bowen Yang can also deliver a little bite here and there.
During the 50th season premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” hosted by Jean Smart, Yang’s sketch as the pygmy hippopotamus caught some pushback from people online for “mocking” Chappell Roan and her struggles, having canceled performances for mental health reasons in the wake of controversy surrounding her politically charged statements in the past weeks.
In the sketch during the Weekend Update segment, Yang performed as a “dewy” hippo influencer and echoed lines from several of Roan’s TikToks where she addressed her fans about respecting boundaries. And the feedback from those fans was heated.
“For the past 10 weeks, I have been going nonstop. The response has been overwhelming, but it has come to the point where I need to set some boundaries,” Yang joked in the sketch, obviously referencing Roan.
“Reminder, women owe you nothing. When I’m in my enclosure, tripping over stuff, biting my trainer’s knee, I’m 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,” the comedian said, riffing on the singer’s recent statements.
The sketch was met with fury online, with some people taking particular issue with Yang being the one to joke about the queer singer.
“Something about Bowen being the one to voice this joke despite his interview with Chappell sympathizing with her concerns less than a month ago makes me sad,” one person wrote in a post to X.
Bowen took to Instagram to address the controversy shortly after, posting a screenshot of a Variety headline that used the word “mock” in association with the sketch.
“Oh geez. Mocks??? If my personal stance and this piece aren’t absolutely clear in terms of supporting her than there it is I guess.”
The comedian continued, “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…”
Chappell Roan is scheduled to perform on “Saturday Night Live” on November 2.
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