Bowen Yang’s latest story sounds like a sitcom, but it comes with an important reality check
If there were an award for the most unexpected coming-of-age story, Bowen Yang might have just secured the trophy.
The comedian, actor, and podcast host recently shared on the Smartless podcast with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett a deeply personal story from his teenage years that somehow includes a family computer, a forgotten chat window, conversion therapy, and eventually New York University, which Yang jokingly describes as the gayest school in America.
The result is one of those stories that keeps taking turns you never see coming.
Before Smartphones, There Was Family Computer Panic
For younger readers, it may be difficult to imagine a time when the entire household shared a single computer.
Not only did everyone use the same machine, but it was often parked in a central location where parents could casually stroll by and witness your online activity. Privacy was more of a suggestion than a guarantee.
When Bowen was 17, his parents discovered he was gay after he accidentally left a chat window open on the family computer. What followed was a difficult period for his family as they tried to process the news.
Eventually, Yang says his parents presented him with a choice. He could either stay in Colorado for college or attend conversion therapy during the summer and then be allowed to attend NYU alongside his sister.
RELATED: The Fight to End Conversion Therapy: Why It’s More Urgent Than Ever
The Most Unexpected Path to NYU
Faced with the decision, Yang agreed to attend the program. Looking back, he has spoken about how the experience unexpectedly became a period where he and his father spent significant time together and got to know each other in a different way.
That probably does not mean Yang views conversion therapy positively. But what happened next sounds almost too bizarre to be real.
During one of the final sessions, Yang’s father reportedly asked the therapist whether there were similar practitioners in New York who could continue working with his son after he moved away.
Instead of offering referrals, the therapist began talking about places to visit in New York, including well-known LGBTQ+ destinations.
Then came the moment that left Yang stunned.
Wait… Did He Just Say That?
While telling a story about a former patient, the therapist accidentally slipped from speaking in the third person to speaking in the first person. According to Yang, the therapist began recounting a story involving romantic interest and casually said, “And then I was like, am I really going to have sex with this person? And then I did.”
There was just one problem.
The story was supposedly about someone else.
The accidental switch in perspective immediately raised eyebrows and became one of the most notable moments in Yang’s retelling.
Comedy writers spend years trying to come up with twists this good.
Bowen Yang jokes that the creators of #Titanique “didn’t do any research” about the Titanic:
“For his 1997 film, ‘Titanic,’ James Cameron spent years researching the doomed ship, going to painstaking lengths to accurately portray what went down. Ooh, poor choice of words. The… pic.twitter.com/7ok8GFWkRw
— Variety (@Variety) June 8, 2026
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Why the Story Matters
As funny as parts of Yang’s story may sound in retrospect, it is important to remember that conversion therapy itself is not funny.
For many LGBTQ+ people, the practice is associated with painful experiences and lasting harm. Major medical and mental health organizations have rejected conversion therapy and warned about its negative effects on well-being.
Yang’s story stands out because of its unusual turns and because he is now able to reflect on it with humor. But his experience is not representative of the broader reality many LGBTQ+ people have faced. Still, there is something undeniably Bowen Yang about the entire journey.
A teenager gets caught because of a forgotten computer chat. He agrees to attend conversion therapy so he can move to New York. He ends up at a university and a city famous for its LGBTQ+ community. And one of the final people trying to convince him not to be gay accidentally tells on himself.
If nothing else, it proves that life can be stranger, and occasionally funnier, than fiction.