Bowen Yang's Moo Deng Made "HOSE!" a Catchphrase in SNL's Season 50 Premiere
The famous Thai pygmy hippo turns 1 on July 10, and we can't help remembering this standout, Chappell Roan-approved moment.
Happy birthday to the world's most famous pygmy hippo.
Moo Deng — whose name loosely translates to "bouncy pork" in Thai — celebrates her first birthday on July 10, which means it's time to revisit Bowen Yang's creative take on the tiny, hose-loving sensation during Saturday Night Live's Season 50 premiere.
"This summer, a two-month-old pygmy hippo in Thailand named Moo Deng became a viral sensation, causing huge crowds at her zoo enclosure, with some unruly fans throwing bananas and shellfish at her to get her attention," said Colin Jost. "Here to comment is Moo Deng."
Yang, in full rubbery costume as a shiny, wrinkly hippo, proceeded to tell the audience that it was time for her to set some boundaries.
"Reminder: women owe you nothing! When I'm in my enclosure, tripping over stuff, biting my trainer's knee, I am at work," the cast member and Wicked: For Good actor proclaimed as Moo Deng. "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."
And what is that talent?
"Having a slippery body that bounces." Aw!
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Moo Deng's "Weekend Update" was written by Bowen Yang and Will Stephen
"Before me, the only hippos in media were either Hungry Hungry, or Jada Pinkett-Smith in Madagascar," Moo Deng continued. "But now, I'm your favorite hippo's favorite hippo, and I'm thirsty thirsty. HOSE!"
Yang hilariously opened his mouth to take in a stream of water that arrived from offstage.
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Chappell Roan's reaction to Bowen Yang's Moo Deng: "It's comedy"
Fans of pop star Chappell Roan, who'd go on to perform as Musical Guest on November 2, immediately recognized Moo Deng's speech, because it's clearly inspired by a series of posts and videos made by the "Pink Pony Club" singer in August 2024. Jost also pointed out the similarities during the bit, and Moo Deng expressed her support for the rising star.
"By the way, leave her alone! Let her take as much time as she needs for her mental health," Yang's character said of Roan. "We both deserve patience and grace, so stop harassing her, and stop throwing shellfish at her."
"When I'm on stage, when I'm performing, when I'm in drag, when I'm at a work event, when I'm doing press...I am at work," Roan wrote in a post. "Any other circumstance, I am not in work mode. I am clocked out."
Roan told Yang and his co-host Matt Rogers that despite what some vocal viewers assumed, she wasn't offended by the sketch. She shared her thoughts during her April 2025 episode of their Las Culturistas podcast, confirmed that she did think the sketch was funny and that she was not mad.
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"People don't have to get mad on my behalf," Roan told Yang and Rogers. "We're fine. What is there to be mad about? That is SNL. It's comedy. It was so lighthearted. It was, to me, harmless. Even if you were to push it further, harmless. It's comedy. I don't understand...I was not offended."
Yang, who had previously interviewed Roan for Interview Magazine, also spoke out about the backlash the day after the "Moo Deng" piece aired.
"If my personal stance and the piece aren't absolutely clear in terms of supporting her then there it is I guess," he wrote in an October 2024 Instagram story. "Everything she has ever asked for has been reasonable and even then we can connect it to another story about boundaries or whatever. needing the hose rn..."
Moo Deng really did get the hose for her first birthday
As for the real Moo Deng, the famous Khao Kheow Open Zoo resident celebrated her birthday with the launch of a four-day party, a cake, special treats, watermelon, naps, and, of course, water from a hose.
Watch "Weekend Update: Baby Hippo Moo Deng on Fame" from Season 50, Episode 1 above, and stream every season of Saturday Night Live on Peacock anytime.
