Moo Deng has made it to “Saturday Night Live.”
The late night sketch comedy show returned for Season 50 on Sept. 28 and immediately began to tackle some of pop culture’s most topical moments: Moo Deng, the internet’s beloved pygmy hippo, and Chappell Roan.
Bowen Yang, who has previously transformed into the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, appeared behind the “Weekend Update” desk alongside co-anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che as Moo Deng, donning a costume that envied the hippo’s natural dew.
Yang took the opportunity as Moo Deng to lament about the nonstop media attention in recent weeks and the need to “set some boundaries.”
His rant was a nod to Roan calling out fans over the summer for “harassment” and “predatory behavior” and a recent controversy after canceling two shows due to “overwhelming” pressure.
“Reminder, women owe you nothing!” Yang said. “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.”
When asked by Jost to clarify what Moo Deng’s talent actually was, Yang explained, “Having a slippery body that bounces.”
“The only hippos in media were either hungry, hungry or Jada Pinkett Smith in ‘Madagascar,’” Yang added. “But now I’m your favorite hippo’s favorite hippo and I’m thirsty, thirsty.”
Yang suddenly turned his chair to the side and was blasted in the face by a hose for several seconds before things went back to normal and he returned to the desk.
After Jost pointed out that it must be “so stressful” to have the world watching Moo Deng, Yang said, “Sometimes, I feel like I live my life in a cage, you know, like an animal trapped in a zoo for people to look at.”
Yang acknowledged that Moo Deng would not be in the same position without the fans and community, pegged as “Moo Deng boo things,” but noted that the “harassment has been intolerable” just before he started to get pelted with bananas and shellfish on stage.
When Jost pointed out the striking comparison between Moo Deng and Chappell Roan’s struggles with a swift rise to fame, Yang defended the “Good Luck, Babe” singer, adding, “By the way, leave her alone.”
“Let her take as much time as she needs for her mental health,” Yang said. “We both deserve patience and grace, so stop harassing her and stop throwing shellfish at her.”
Jost pointed out that it’s likely that Roan doesn’t have that same problem, but Yang assured him that it was only “a matter of time.”
“Colin, this is what society does. It puts young women on pedestals, only to knock them down with shellfish,” Yang explained.