Saturday Night Live saw a slew of cast exits recently and it's clear that the show is in the middle of a comedic transition, content-wise. As the show attempts to be more progressive and topical, this is where star comedians like Bowen Yang come in, especially now that all-rounders like Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant have exited the show. His new rom-com, Fire Island, just received good reviews, and he recently showed off his chops as a character performer in The Lost City.
Though Yang has been a part of some mediocre SNL sketches, they turned out to be innately watchable, thanks to his comic timing. His solo sketches and recurring characters are also gaining popularity, be it his Kim Jong Un or Chen Biao, and some of his best sketches are also some of the most memorable on the show in recent years.
SoulCycle
It's no surprise that Saturday Night Live chose to spoof the SoulCycle experience considering how often the branded indoor cycling classes have been subjected to jokes for their cult appeal.
Yang plays an aspiring trainer named Flint who has to lead the sessions for a while and says some wildly incorrect and ignorant things to his class. Yang was funny and ridiculous and was able to identify the facets of the culture that are worth parodying.
'70s Green Room
This is an SNL sketch that could become a classic. Regina King plays a '70s musician who arrives at a music venue only to discover that none of her demands have been made. Yang plays Maurice, her manager who is struggling to secure the basic amenities for the star and is close to losing his job.
He is repeatedly slapped by Regina after being unable to fulfill his duties. The sketch is sharply written, and despite being predictable, Regina and Bowen's dynamic is great and they're even quite convincing in their roles. Yang is great at fine-tuning the chemistry with his co-stars, even in shorter sketches where he gets a little time, and it's this talent that shows through in this skit.
Chen Biao On The Coronavirus
The Chen Biao sketches are some of the most topical SNL sketches ever written. They tackle hard-hitting issues with the help of biting jokes and the no-holds-barred approach has been appreciated by fans.
The coronavirus sketch was centered around something everyone was keen to learn about. Yang's jokes are hilarious and incredibly relatable and no one could see them coming. It also helped that the sketches were written from his character's particular point of view, making them self-aware, scathing, and critical, despite being sassy.
Kremlin Meeting
Yang's Kim Jong Un was smartly designed and accompanied by Sandra Oh's translator, whose punchy delivery elevated the sketch. The sketch opened in Russia, right after the Mueller Report's release, and featured Beck Bennett as Vladimir Putin.
During the Kremlin meeting, Putin's advisors imply that Putin isn't as dangerous as they've been led to believe. Along the same vein, Yang's Kim Jong Un slams Putin's recent political failures with the help of Sandra's character. The timing, delivery, and the way Yang managed to make his performance so realistic, speak volumes about his skills.
Trade Daddy
The Chen Biao skits are among the best recurring sketches on SNL and have the potential to include more pressing issues in funny, comprehensive ways. The "Trade Daddy" skit was a bold move on SNL's part, but the experiment landed successfully because Yang's character made use of youth lingo, which made things a lot funnier.
The Trade Daddy and Tik Tok ban sketches both dealt with timely issues which go beyond American politics and SNL made good use of Yang's biting wit to break them down.
The Stu Sketch
Yang had a brief appearance as Elton John in this popular sketch and it was a delight for fans because no one really expected it. It definitely seemed like something out of his in his comfort zone, and yet he aced the performance. Yang tapped into Elton's dramatic, angsty side, which was a thrill to watch.
Yang doesn't typically lean on a lot of physical comedy, unlike former SNL stars Will Ferrell or the late Chris Farley, but this skit showed how good he could be at it.
Fran Lebowitz & Martin Scorsese On New York
Yang is one of the most popular SNL stars on social media since younger viewers of the show love his humor. He also has a great hold on classic pop culture motifs. He played American author Fran Lebowitz during Weekend Update and was accompanied by Kyle Mooney, who played Martin Scorsese.
Yang brought a sharp, well-executed, and angsty portrayal of Lebowitz, which was an obvious exaggeration. Yet, his jokes were in sync with Lebowitz's famously caustic wit. Mooney's crazed, giggling Scorsese only made Bowen's rants funnier.
U.S.O. Performance
This sketch is a spin on White Christmas and features Kristen Wiig as a funny medic, ed by Bowen for a special performance for a military unit. It quickly becomes apparent that Yang's character is a lot more adept at the performing arts than he lets on and he quickly turns it into a hip-hop show accompanied by some sassy story-telling.
Though Dua Lipa was brought in as the star of this skit, Yang is the one who elevates the sketch's tone within seconds. His versatility helps this sketch shine amid a stellar roster.
A Proud Gay Oompa Loompa
This is one of the more random SNL skits because despite being funny, the context didn't quite land. And yet, Yang's one-man sketch as a disgruntled Oompa Loompa working at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory was outstanding.
Yang in green face make-up and outrageously colored hair was introduced as a "proud gay Oompa Looma' by Update host, Colin Jost, only to be made aware that the character hadn't come out of the closet yet. The skit was heartwarming because, despite the outrageous background, the Oompa Loompa's struggle seemed surprisingly relatable.
The Iceberg On Titanic
Yang himself itted that the SNL team wasn't too sure if this sketch would land, but it worked because it was fresh and well-scripted and Yang's iceberg persona was just the right amount of drama.
The fact that they designed the character with modern-day nuances and vocabulary was what really brought the sketch to come to life. Quips like "They said you'd be my Oprah, Colin!" were what tied the whole sketch to pop culture, making it innately watchable.