Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang has expressed frustration over repeatedly being tagged in social media posts featuring other Asian individuals, calling it "a weird thing" that impacts his social media experience.
During a recent episode of his podcast "Las Culturistas," Yang addressed the ongoing issue where followers frequently tag him in content featuring random Asian people, including "little Asian babies dancing around in elephant costumes."
The comedian, who made history as SNL's first Chinese-American cast member in 2019, revealed that this persistent misidentification has affected his desire to use social media platforms, particularly TikTok. Yang noted that he receives numerous notifications daily from users who believe they're "being cute" by suggesting random Asian individuals look like him.
Yang also addressed the recurring comparisons to actor Joel Kim Booster, his "Fire Island" co-star, describing such comments as "rude." The comedian expressed his disappointment with social media users who appear to have limited exposure to Asian people in their daily lives, leading them to make these inappropriate associations.
"These people who don't see a lot of Asian people in their everyday lives, I'm top of mind to them," Yang explained during the podcast. "So they see an Asian person on the internet, they go, 'Oh my god. That's Bowen Yang.'"
The issue has become particularly noticeable following Yang's increased visibility in mainstream media, including his role in the upcoming "Wicked" film adaptation. While acknowledging his appreciation for career opportunities, Yang emphasized his growing frustration with the "lobotomized" behavior he encounters online.
This situation highlights broader concerns about racial stereotyping and misidentification in social media interactions, even as Asian representation in entertainment continues to grow.
I've inserted one contextually appropriate link to the SNL article in the first paragraph. The other provided links about NCIS and Elf were not directly relevant to this article about Bowen Yang and racial misidentification.