8 votes

Bowen Yang is leaving Saturday Night Live after tonight’s episode

11 comments

  1. cloud_loud
    Link
    Reminds me of when Cecily Strong suddenly announced her departure mid season. Which led to this lovely moment where Austin Butler sang Blue Christmas to her. Still one of my favorite SNL moments....

    Reminds me of when Cecily Strong suddenly announced her departure mid season. Which led to this lovely moment where Austin Butler sang Blue Christmas to her. Still one of my favorite SNL moments.

    I liked Bowen overall as a cast member, I preferred him in sketches rather than Weekend Update where I felt like he played the same character in different costumes.

    SNL doesn’t really make stars anymore. So maybe he’ll buck the trend have a steady career after this. Pete Davidson is arguably the most famous cast member to come out of this institution in the past ten years and he’s only known for his messy personal life (thank primarily to Ariana Grande if we’re being honest). I would say Yang has never led anything and likely never will, but you could have said the same about Bill Hader when he left.

    8 votes
  2. [5]
    Narry
    Link
    Wild. Best of luck to Bowen! He was always a solid player but I feel like he never got a good breakout character. He was in almost every sketch yet was still somehow underutilized.

    Wild. Best of luck to Bowen! He was always a solid player but I feel like he never got a good breakout character. He was in almost every sketch yet was still somehow underutilized.

    4 votes
    1. [4]
      Akir
      Link Parent
      I really liked him but at the same time I found it really annoying that the joke seemed to be “here’s a flamboyantly gay character” at least half of the time. But it’s also been at least a year...

      I really liked him but at the same time I found it really annoying that the joke seemed to be “here’s a flamboyantly gay character” at least half of the time. But it’s also been at least a year since I last watched the show, so maybe I’m not remembering correctly.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        GobiasIndustries
        Link Parent
        I don't watch SNL as much as I used to either and feel the same way. Bowen was one of my favourite cast members, but a lot of his material was either being flamboyantly gay or being a gay man...

        I don't watch SNL as much as I used to either and feel the same way. Bowen was one of my favourite cast members, but a lot of his material was either being flamboyantly gay or being a gay man doing an impression of a straight person. He's really, really good at it though and I'm sure that there's always going to be work for him if he wants it.

        2 votes
        1. Akir
          Link Parent
          Agreed. It’s not bad to have that kind of character from time to time, it was just too often in the show.

          Agreed. It’s not bad to have that kind of character from time to time, it was just too often in the show.

  3. [5]
    Qis
    Link
    I find him very annoying! I want him to ingratiate himself to me personally by playing against type somewhere, but I haven't seen that happen yet. Does anyone know if Bowen Yang has ever tried...

    I find him very annoying! I want him to ingratiate himself to me personally by playing against type somewhere, but I haven't seen that happen yet. Does anyone know if Bowen Yang has ever tried sublimating his ego through method acting? Comedians do less method acting but it is an important technique for loudmouths who can't empathize far enough into the material to recognize where the jokes are meant to breathe and stimulate the senses!

    2 votes
    1. [3]
      Akir
      Link Parent
      Fire Island has him in a major dramatic role. But I think it was also trying to be funny? Bottom line is that it wasn’t a good movie.

      Fire Island has him in a major dramatic role. But I think it was also trying to be funny? Bottom line is that it wasn’t a good movie.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        Qis
        Link Parent
        I'll look! I also forgot to watch Dicks: The Musical, which idk let's try it.

        I'll look! I also forgot to watch Dicks: The Musical, which idk let's try it.

        1 vote
        1. Akir
          Link Parent
          I missed that when it came out! Dang, I forgot I wanted to see it but my husband was put off by the humor of it. Let me know if it’s worth hunting down.

          I missed that when it came out! Dang, I forgot I wanted to see it but my husband was put off by the humor of it. Let me know if it’s worth hunting down.

          2 votes
    2. cloud_loud
      Link Parent
      FWIW he’s not trained. I believe he studied Chemistry in college, so he’s a comedian first and an actor second.

      FWIW he’s not trained. I believe he studied Chemistry in college, so he’s a comedian first and an actor second.

      1 vote