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Bowen Yang praised for playing iceberg that sunk Titanic in delightfully silly 'SNL' skit

Bowen Yang, as the iceberg, said that he's done "a lot of reflecting" since that historic night and just wants to move on.
/ Source: TODAY

Bowen Yang is being praised for yet another "Weekend Update" performance — this time not for appearing as himself but for portraying the iceberg that sank the Titanic.

During last night's episode of "Saturday Night Live," Yang made an appearance at the "Weekend Update" desk alongside the segment's co-anchor, Colin Jost, to give the iceberg's side of the story ahead of the 109th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on April 15.

Bowen Yang as 'The Iceberg That Sank The Titanic' and anchor Colin Jost during Weekend Update on Saturday, April 10, 2021.
Bowen Yang as "The Iceberg That Sank The Titanic" and anchor Colin Jost during "Weekend Update" on April 10, 2021.Will Heath / NBC

Yang, rocking pale-blue face makeup, a white bedazzled suit and an iceberg-shaped hat, started the bit by explaining that this time of year is "always really weird" for him before making "tip of the iceberg" quip about his feelings. The iceberg then has no choice but to go on the defensive when Jost asks what he'd want to tell the families of the 1,500 people who died on the Titanic.

Bowen Yang as 'The Iceberg That Sank The Titanic' and anchor Colin Jost during Weekend Update on Saturday, April 10, 2021.
Bowen Yang, as the iceberg, performs a song from his new album.Will Heath / NBC

“I think my publicist was very clear, I’m not here to talk about the sinking,” Yang explained, adding that he was only appearing on the show to promote his new album, a mix of “hyper-pop, EDM, nu-disco, fantasia."

Yang goes on to rant about how the Titanic hit him and not the other way around. When Jost points out that it seems like the iceberg is trying to play the victim, he immediately retorts, “Everyone’s talking about me, nobody’s talking about the water!”

“What did the autopsy say? They iceberged it?” Yang continued. “No, they drowned! That’s not me, that’s water! Nobody’s canceling the ocean.”

Yang then blamed the company who operated the boat: “It’s like, hey, White Star Line, you built a bad boat. It didn’t work out. That’s on you, honey.”

The "SNL" star became a trending topic on Twitter Sunday for his portrayal of the emotional ice mass, and many viewers pointed out how much he's been contributing to the show lately.

“I wonder if Bowen Yang’s back hurts from carrying SNL,” one fan tweeted.

“#BowenYang as the titanic iceberg is one of the most brilliant sketches on #snl in a minute!!!!” comedian Loni Love added on Twitter.

“Bowen Yang as the iceberg that hit the Titanic = best SNL Weekend Update sketch in a very long time!” another fan wrote.

"The best SNL skit in a long time," tweeted author Laurence Tribe. "If you need some sidesplitting laughs — and who doesn’t? — you gotta catch that gig. It’s Yin as well as Yang."

"SNL" writer Anna Drezen, who worked on the iceberg sketch, also had high praise for Yang, tweeting, "Genuine stupid joy to write this impossibly stupid but with Bowen Yang who is the Celine Dion of comedy. He delivers!!!"

This is the second time one of Yang's "Weekend Update" appearances launched him to viral fame. Two weeks ago, he discussed the ongoing surge in anti-Asian violence prompted by the pandemic and was lauded for the way he balanced humor and anger.