Bowen Yang Rejects Claims That His ‘Saturday Night Live’ Moo Deng Sketch ‘Mocks’ Chappell Roan

Bowen Yang’s take on the Chappell Roan discourse is sparking a debate of its own.

On September 28, Saturday Night Live returned for it’s 50th season, enlisting Jean Smart and Jelly Roll for the coveted host and musical guest positions. Even so, it was Bowen Yang who stole the show, delivering multiple viral performances as JD Vance, Charli XCX, and Moo Deng. But while his impressions of the republican politician and British brat were largely met with praise on X.com, his depiction of the hippo-fluencer was much more controversial.

During Yang’s appearance on “Weekend Update,” he used Moo Deng (and a very dewy hippo costume) to comment on the evolving discourse surrounding 26-year-old Midwestern pop star Chappell Roan. As Moo Deng, Yang set boundaries with fans, echoing sentiments recently expressed by Roan in a series of viral TikToks. Of course, Yang adjusted Moo Deng’s pleas to fit the baby hippo’s specific experiences.

“Reminder: women owe you nothing,” Yang said as Moo Deng. “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 talent, of course, is “having a slippery body that bounces.”

If it wasn’t obvious enough that Yang was referencing Roan, he described Moo Deng as “your favorite hippo’s favorite hippo” before directly discussing the pop star—who has been receiving a mix of criticism and support from fans over her thoughts on fame as well as this year’s presidential election. After facing backlash for noting “problems on both sides” of the aisle, Roan confirmed she’s voting for Kamala Harris but does not wish to endorse a candidate that does not fully align with her values. A few days later, she canceled two festival appearances to focus on her health after an “overwhelming” few weeks, which only sparked further debate about what celebrities “owe” their fans.

“Leave her alone,” Yang’s Moo Deng said of Roan. “Let her take as much time as she needs for her mental health. We both deserve patience and grace, so stop harassing her and stop throwing shellfish at her…This is what society does: It puts young women on pedestals, only to knock them down with shellfish.”

Yang’s impression can basically be summed up by a tweet posted by writer Sydney Battle amid the Chappell Roan backlash. On September 27, Battle wrote, “When Moo Deng deviates from your parasocial perception of her will you be be strong enough to accept her? Many of you will turn on her…I’ve seen it before.”

Just as Roan’s perspectives on fame and politics have divided fans, Yang’s impression sparked outrage amongst some and praise amongst others. While many felt Yang was making light of Roan’s mental health struggles, others felt the Saturday Night Live star (who recently interviewed Roan) was sticking up for the “Good Luck, Babe!” 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 fan wrote on X.com. Another wrote, “It is abhorrent for men to continue to mock women for setting boundaries and being open about their mental health struggles. Bowen’s participation in this skit is only adding to the insane harassment that Chappell is getting and I hope she cancels being SNL’s musical guest.

Responses to SNL’s post on TikTok were much more positive than on X.com, where some fans have called on Roan to cancel her upcoming guest appearance. One fan on TikTok wrote, “I just really respect the layers to this portrayal, method acting went insane here.”

For his part, Yang has responded to the backlash on Instagram Stories, posting a screenshot of a Variety headline claiming the sketch “mocks” the pop star. “Oh geez. Mocks???” Yang wrote. “If my personal stance and this piece aren’t absolutely clear in terms of supporting her than 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…”

Roan has not responded to the clip, but is set to perform on Saturday Night Live on November 2.