Controversy Behind Bowen Yang and Ariana Grande Kiss on SNL, Explained
- Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang enacted an SNL skit together last month.
- Grande played the competitive mother whereas Yang embraced the role of her son's boyfriend.
- The skit ended with a kiss between the two characters, leaving Grande feel uncomfortable and shaken for which Yang later apologized.
Saturday Night Live, a staple in American television, has always remained true to its core. Along with commenting on the recent happenings in the world, the sketches often take a hilarious route to mock people and certain situations. Last month, comedian Bowen Yang and singer Ariana Grande participated in a sketch together where they were seen locked in a kiss towards the end of it.
The kiss has reportedly stirred controversy as Grande was left uncomfortable and “shaking” after the same. Here’s everything you need to know about the SNL sketch and the smooch right after.
What was Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang’s SNL Sketch About?
Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang enacted a scenario, titled Charades with Mom, where Grande plays the mother of Yang’s boyfriend. The two meet for the first time in a quintessential setting as Yang gets acquainted with his boyfriend’s parents and siblings. However, as the night grows darker, their game of charades hilariously gets more competitive.
As Yang wins the first game and teases Grande for the same, the latter gets the urge to clap back and be meaner and more competitive. Nevertheless, the tension between the two increases as more games are played, showcasing a commentary on budding relationships and how aggression in tiny aspects of life can also seep in. Towards the end of the skit, Grande and Yang embrace with a kiss to cut the heat between them.
Why was Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang’s Kiss Controversial?
Reportedly, Grande felt very uncomfortable and shaken after the kiss on the Saturday Night Live episode.
While the kiss was originally not in the script, the duo went with it as it seemed fitting for the scene to end there. Yang, who played a gay character in the episode, admitted that he kissed Grande too much. He apologized to the Wicked actress by saying,
I really have to apologize to you in person. I opened up my mouth too much when we kissed on SNL.
Grande, on the other hand, didn’t expect the kiss to go that way and became disarmed. She appreciated the apology and replied,
You absolutely did. I was shaking after. Not in a bad way. Just in a disarming way.
On a recent episode of the podcast Las Culturistas, the duo appeared together where Grande was promoting her upcoming flick Wicked. They sorted out the matter and were glad to have it all out in the open.
Ariana Grande Wanted to Include the Kiss
Even though it was Yang who reached out to Grande to propose the addition of a kiss at the end of the SNL episode, Grande revealed that she had already thought about the same scenario beforehand. It was like fate for Yang to have the same idea and get the actors on the same page. Grande revealed on the podcast,
When we rehearsed it, [I had] a little … thought in my head. I didn’t say anything because I was like Everyone’s going to think I’m absolutely insane and too comfortable. But I was like, How funny would it be if we kissed at the end? It felt like what these people needed at that time. It felt like what these characters required. And I’m all for it.
Grande might be new to acting but she is taking the profession in her stride and has already started thinking like an actor who puts all her focus into the story she’s telling. The 2-time Grammy winner has been excited about her extended foray into acting and fans can’t wait for her to flaunt her prowess in her upcoming flick.
