‘SNL’: Bowen Yang’s Giant Panda Steals Attention From Biden in Cold Open

President Joe Biden faced tough competition for media attention when giant panda Tian Tian joined his press conference during Saturday Night Live’s cold open for this weekend’s Jason Momoa-hosted episode.

SNL kicked off its latest installment with a sketch poking fun at Biden’s recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that included discussion of China’s plan to send more pandas to the U.S. as three are currently making their way back to the Asian nation after having resided in Washington’s National Zoo. Castmember Bowen Yang played one of those pandas, Tian Tian, and he successfully upstaged Mikey Day’s Biden.

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“This meeting was a total win,” Day said as Biden. “Sure, we made agreements about communications, fentanyl, climate change — but most importantly, we got the thing America really needs right now: more pandas.”

Yang gave insight into Tian Tian’s daily routine: “I just want to eat bamboo, sneeze in a cute way and not have sex.” When asked about his refusal to mate in the zoo and why he appears to dislike sex, Yang replied, “Have you had it? It’s crazy. Next question.”

The episode also featured Momoa delivering a monologue that centered on the star’s concern for the condition of the planet’s oceans. Another memorable sketch showed the adoration that Momoa and other men have for the Roman Empire, which references a recent TikTok trend.

Topics addressed on “Weekend Update” included NBA star Draymond Green’s recent suspension for fighting Rudy Gobert during a game.

Singer Tate McRae was the episode’s musical guest.

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