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Bowen Yang roasted Ron DeSantis as queer-coded Disney villain Jafar on ‘SNL’

Michael Che and Bowen Yang as Jafar on Saturday Night Live
Michael Che and Bowen Yang as Jafar on Saturday Night Live Photo: Will Heath/NBC

A classic queer-coded Disney villain—as played by Bowen Yang—had some harsh words for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) on the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live.

During the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, Michael Che was joined by Yang as Aladdin villain Jafar to discuss DeSantis’s ongoing battle with The Walt Disney Company, which began over Disney’s opposition to an anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

“As far as villains go, the boy’s an amateur,” Yang said of DeSantis. “He has no riz, no spark, no drip. The look is giving baby mayor.”

Yang also took a shot at the knee-high white rubber boots the governor wore while surveying damage caused by Hurricane Ian last fall. “They wore him,” the Fire Island star quipped.

Yang did concede that DeSantis is “plenty evil.” “Banning Rosa Parks in schools? I’m a dark sorcerer and even I was like, Jesus, dude, it’s Rosa Parks!

Che brought up DeSantis’s protracted battle against Disney after the entertainment giant publicly opposed Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Last month, in a move widely seen as retaliation, DeSantis signed a bill intended to strip The Walt Disney Company’s of its control over the 39-square mile Reedy Creek Improvement District surrounding Walt Disney World.

But the district’s outgoing board outmaneuvered DeSantis, striking a last-minute agreement with Disney that allows the company to maintain much of its autonomy and renders the governor’s new hand-selected board largely powerless. Last week, DeSantis suggested his administration is looking at taxing Disney’s hotels and imposing tolls on roads that serve the entertainment company’s theme parks.

All of this elicited maniacal laughter from Yang-as-Jafar. “If the boy thinks he can somehow prevent Disney World from being gay, that carpet has flown,” he said, adding that Grindr is extremely useful on the theme park’s Main Street USA.

At that point, it suddenly occurred to Che that “Jafar” might be “a little light in the loafers.”

“Did my John Waters ‘stache not tip you off?” Yang fired back. “Of course I’m gay, you petulant fool! My waist is snatched, my eyeliner on point, my final form is a yoked genie with gorgeous nails and a high micro pony.”

Yang went on to list all the queer-coded denizens of Disney: “Ursula is a lesbian, Scar is bi, and Mulan just got top surgery—congrats to them.”

He then spoke directly to DeSantis, calling the potential 2024 presidential candidate a “swamp rat.”

“Bravo for attempting to seize our precious land, only to be thwarted once more by the House of Mouse,” Yang sneered. “You pitiful straight! You can try to stop us, boy, but we will outsmart you at every turn. Don’t say gay? Well if there is no gay, there is no Disney, and everyone loves Disney. Including you! Because your dumb ass got married there, and that’s the gayest thing you can do!”

“So, I’m sorry Miss Disante,” Yang continued. “The gays shall stay and you sashay away!”

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