Bowen Yang’s Moo Deng Channels Chappell Roan on ‘SNL’ Premiere: ‘I’m Your Favorite Hippo’s Favorite Hippo’
While Chappell Roan has been very serious about her pleas to fans to respect her personal space, Saturday Night Live found a way to make light of the situation on this weekend’s season 50 premiere by likening the red-hot pop star to Moo Deng, the 2-month-old pygmy hippo living at a zoo in Thailand.
On Saturday night’s Weekend Update, Bowen Yang portrayed the viral hippo, who confided in Colin Jost about how hard it was to have the world’s attention on her and have zoogoers throwing bananas and shellfish at her.
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“The response has been overwhelming, but it has come to the point that I have to set some boundaries,” Yang said, going on to paraphrase Roan’s words. “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.”
In August, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer made headlines for speaking out against toxic fan behavior, detailing experiences with stalking and crossed boundaries that she’s faced over the past few months. “I’ve been in too many nonconsensual physical and social interactions and I just need to lay it out and remind you, women don’t owe you sh–,” she wrote at the time in an Instagram post. “I chose this career path because I love music and art and honoring my inner child, I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”
Yang as Moo Deng went on to joke: “Before me, the only hippos in media were either Hungry, Hungry or Jada Pinkett in Madagascar. But now, I’m your favorite hippo’s favorite hippo.”
When Jost suggested that Yang’s Moo Deng sounded a lot like Chappell Roan, the Weekend Update host asked if she even knew who Roan was. “I’m 10 weeks old, Colin. Of course I know Chappell Roan,” Yang said. “And by the way, leave her alone! Let her take as much time as she needs for her mental health.”
On Friday, Roan dropped out of her scheduled performances at the All Things Go festival in both New York and Maryland, writing in a message on her Instagram Story, “I apologize to people who have been waiting to see me in NYC & DC this weekend at All Things Go, but I am unable to perform. Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it. I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health. I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible.”
On SNL, Moo Deng also mirrored Roan’s comments about why she wouldn’t endorse a presidential candidate. “I know I’m only 10 weeks old, but this is very important to me so please listen: I will not be making an endorsement in this year’s election.” Roan recently said she would not be endorsing anyone in the U.S. presidential election, but then later clarified that she would be voting for Kamala Harris after fan backlash.
The Weekend Update segment wasn’t Yang’s only reference to Roan in Saturday’s episode: In a sketch later in the night, Yang referred to the classic show I Love Lucy as a “femininomenon,” borrowing the name of a Chappell Roan song.
Watch Yang as Moo Deng below:
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