Bowen Yang addresses backlash over his SNL skit ‘mocking’ Chappell Roan and Moo Deng

There’s a whole saga going down right now and it involves Bowen Yang, Chappell Roan, SNL and Moo Deng the viral hippo. Yes, if that sounds like a ludicrous crossover of various online conversations – it is. It’s been a messy discourse online ever since Chappell Roan last minute cancelled her festival appearance to look after her mental health, and a mistimed SNL skit which saw Bowen Yang dressed as Moo Deng parodying Chappell Roan’s recent comments on the pressures of her rapid rise to fame has lead to Bowen Yang having to address the backlash.

The skit sees SNL draw parallels between the vitality of Moo Deng the pygmy hippo and Chappell Roan commenting on fans and fame. Bowen Yang enters as Moo Deng and tells the audience to stop clapping, before saying “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.”

Bowen Yang as Moo Deng then refers to Chappell Roan paraphrasing Sasha Colby in her viral “I’m your favourite pop star’s favourite pop star” moment, saying “I’m your favourite hippo’s favourite hippo.” After the SNL skit where Bowen Yang parodied Chappell Roan as Moo Deng started going viral for the wrong reasons, with many viewers kicking off that the show and Yang were “mocking” Chappell for being open about her experiences and mental health – Yang has commented. One viral tweet about the situation commented that “The lesson to learn here is that a gay man is a man before anything else.”

In his comment on the situation, Bowen Yang explained “Oh geez, mocked? 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 [right now].”

It’s worth noting that Chappell Roan and Bowen Yang linked up a few weeks ago for an interview and discussed her fame conversation, so it’s unlikely she’s be bothered about this when the two have a seemingly good relationship.

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