Wednesday, December 10, 2025 |
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What with all the indelible characters Bowen Yang has played on SNL—the iceberg that sank the Titanic, a gay Oompa Loompa, and George Santos all come to mind, and that barely covers Weekend Update—it's hard to fathom what a miracle it is that he got to SNL at all. His hiring was intertwined with a cancel-culture controversy. (Remember that?) More importantly, "There was just no mental model at SNL for someone like me," he told Editor-in-Chief Michael Sebastian, in an interview for our Meaning of Life Issue. Reading the interview, I understood for the first time just how profoundly Yang has transcended expectations, going all the way back to the circumstances of his birth. Today, of course, the only expectations he has left to transcend are his own. Read more below, and be sure to check out the full slate of interviews from the issue. They're excellent. —Kevin Dupzyk, contributing editor Plus: |
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Across seven seasons at SNL, the comedian has racked up Emmys, built a thriving podcast, and landed roles in major feature films. And yet, Yang says, he's transforming into someone else entirely. |
Bowen Yang is a fearless comic. Across seven seasons at SNL, he has skewered too many figures to count—hello, George Santos—and earned five Emmy nominations. At thirty-five, the man has earned a spot among the show's hall of fame. Outside of 30 Rock, Yang has built an impressive filmography, including roles in the recent Wicked: For Good and The Wedding Banquet. He also cohosts the pop-culture podcast Las Culturistas, which is essential (and delightful) listening. So, where in the world does he go next? Here, in his own words, Yang explains how he got here, the lessons he's learned, and why his future might be quiet. This interview was conducted in New York City, where Yang lives, on October 28. "None of this would've been possible had my parents not emigrated out of China. My parents were the first class of students after Mao's death that were allowed to leave the country to pursue higher degrees. My sister was born in Australia. I would not have been born if they had stayed in China." "I went back to China this summer for the first time in nine years. I was taking photos outside my dad's childhood home in Inner Mongolia, a dirt-and-straw house that is barely standing. I posted that to Instagram, and it got picked up on RedNote, which is their Instagram-TikTok amalgam. I assumed people wouldn't receive SNL in China, and yet there was just a very spirited contingent of SNL fans in China who kept up with the news and all the cast shake-ups." "Fame changes a person by exposing them to themselves in the third person. And I think we're living in a world where that is happening to everybody. It numbs them, makes them inert. The project for a lot of people is just to snap out of that stupor." |
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Is it too early to shop for 2026? Not in our opinion. We like sneakers, and we're ready for the ones coming next. Oftentimes, new trends buck the old ones. We went from super-bright sneakers to all-white sneakers. Then we pivoted from those low-profile, Common Projects–style kicks to dad sneakers that were the exact opposite. Now, after that big chunky-sneaker moment, we're starting to see something a little subtler. Maybe the sole stays oversized, but the overall silhouette is less blocky. We're still seeing plenty of white sneakers, but they're creamier, more textured, and a little more interesting than a stark bright white. So take a look at the six sneaker trends we're watching and already starting to buy. And if you've got a sneakerhead in your life, gifting them one of these pairs will make you a very beloved person—because gifts, especially sneaker gifts, tend to do that. |
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Kristen Stewart has been acting since the age of nine and was a teen herself when she starred in the Twilight films. She's made her feature directing and writing debut with The Chronology of Water, an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's 2011 memoir. In April, Stewart tied the knot with her longtime girlfriend, screenwriter Dylan Meyer. This interview was conducted on November 2. "What we create needs to come from the things that we want." "We need to design our own desire instead of being told how the fuck to feel by movies that are never changing and always the same." "What makes someone attractive? Hunger. And I mean that in every way. When someone wants a lot. Openly. It also means being nice, because you just get more with real honey." |
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