Bowen Yang Calls It 'Weird' to Be Tagged in Asian Videos

On a recent episode of the Las Culturistas podcast, Bowen Yang shared his frustrations with TikTok. He explained that his experience with the platform had become tiresome due to the numerous notifications he receives from users tagging him in videos of Asian babies, particularly one in an elephant costume. Yang expressed annoyance at being repeatedly tagged, stating that it made him want to stop using the app altogether.

Yang, who has been hosting Las Culturistas since 2016, gained widespread recognition after joining Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 2018. He became the first Chinese-American cast member of the show in 2019. Despite his success, Yang still faces constant online harassment, particularly regarding his appearance.

He mentioned that some people still make jokes comparing him to Joel Kim Booster, his co-star in Fire Island, calling them rude. Yang explained that he finds these jokes tiresome, especially as they continue to appear online. He admitted that this type of online interaction makes him want to distance himself from the internet.

Although Yang’s fame has brought him greater career opportunities, such as an expanded role in the film adaptation of Wicked, he also faces the darker side of being in the public eye. He expressed disbelief at the level of ignorance and rudeness in online comments, adding that it made him question humanity’s intelligence.

Yang believes the harassment is fueled by people who rarely encounter Asian individuals in their everyday lives. He noted that when they see an Asian person online, they tend to make assumptions about who they are, often suggesting that Yang participate in stereotypical skits.

He criticized the expectations placed on him to perform in certain roles, such as playing a dancing baby in a skit. Yang pointed out the absurdity of these suggestions and questioned why people thought he would agree to such stereotypes.

Yang’s sketches on SNL have gone viral, including the "Bowen's straight" sketch with Sydney Sweeney and his role as the pygmy hippo Moo Deng. He has been with SNL since season 47 and currently stars in the landmark 50th season of the show, continuing to build his career despite the challenges he faces as an Asian-American performer.