NBC’s 51st season of Saturday Night Live got off to a rough start as cast member Bowen Yang dressed up as Dobby the house elf from Harry Potter for a heavily sarcastic Weekend Update segment that mocked British author J.K. Rowling for dissenting from the left’s trans orthodoxy.

The genesis for the skit was Rowling expressing her displeasure at a podcast appearance by actress Emma Watson, where she refused to defend Rowling’s defense of women-only spaces. It’s a feud that dates back a few years to the 2022 BAFTA Awards, when Watson not-so-subtly condemned Rowling at a time when the vitriol and threats being directed against Rowling were at their highest.

Co-anchor Michael Che kicked off the satirical interview by noticing Yang appeared afraid, “Dobby, you okay? You don't have to be scared.”

Yang downplayed any threat Rowling might be facing, “Why would Dobby be scared, sir, Dobby’s just about to publicly weigh in on trans people, that's all… master sends Dobby to go on the telly and define once and for all what a woman is, sir.”

Alluding to the fact that Watson appeared in the Harry Potter film adaptations, Che asked, “Is your master J.K. Rowling?”

Yang then repeatedly beat his head against the desk while suffering a wardrobe malfunction, “Why, of course, sir. Oh, no, Dobby wasn't supposed to say. Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Sorry, sir, but Dobby had to self-punish. You see, because after Rowling has done so—Dobby has come undone. You see, Master Rowling—I'm sorry. My fatigues are not well made.”

Recovering from his unscheduled mishap, Yang continued, “You see, Master Rowling has done so much for Dobby and for inclusion in general. Remember when Dumbledore was gay after the books came out? And when Hermione was black only on Broadway? And when Cho Chang was—hmm, was Cho Chang Asian? Dobby can't remember if the character named Cho Chang was Asian or not… The point is, Dobby came here to say that women have vaginas and women's bathrooms are for women only and girls and ghosts of girls.”

After Che claimed he never read the books, Yang got up and proceeded to headbutt the camera, “Mr. Che’s very cool, he goes to strip clubs and Yankees games. Unlike Dobby who is— oh, no, Dobby is millennial cringe! Oh, no! bad Dobby! Cringe Dobby! Bad Dobby! Cringe Dobby!”

Che then wondered what all the self-harm was about, “Stop! Why do you keep hurting yourself? It's not right.”

Yang replied, “Why? Dobby doesn't know. Perhaps because house elves are somehow always the problem, even though we’re only one percent of the population. But house elves aren’t the victims, Master Rowling is. She gets so much hate mail. Just this morning, she received this T-shirt that says ‘They. K. Rowling,” but now it’s Dobby’s nicest shirt.”

Two men making fun of the woman concerned about the erosion of the safety found in women’s-only spaces does not seem like the way to win over converts. However, that was the pattern for Che. Earlier during Weekend Update, he thought it would be a good idea to imply the country is racist when he quipped, “Kamala Harris has released a new book that explains how she lost the 2024 Election. It’s called I’m a Black Lady.”

Here is a transcript for the October 4-5 show:

NBC Saturday Night Live

10/5/2025

12:20 AM ET

MICHAEL CHE: Kamala Harris has released a new book that explains how she lost the 2024 Election. It’s called I’m a Black Lady.

…

CHE: Dobby, you okay? You don't have to be scared.

BOWEN YANG/DOBBY THE HOUSE ELF: Why would Dobby be scared, sir, Dobby’s just about to publicly weigh in on trans people, that's all.

CHE: I mean, do you really have to?

YANG: Oh yes, sir, master sends Dobby to go on the telly and define once and for all what a woman is, sir.

CHE: All right, first of all, I don't love “master.” I really don't, and, is your master J.K. Rowling?

YANG: Why, of course, sir. Oh, no, Dobby wasn't supposed to say. Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!

CHE: Don't do that, you're hurting yourself.

YANG: Sorry, sir, but Dobby had to self-punish. You see, because after Rowling has done so — Dobby has come undone. You see, Master Rowling—

CHE: Dobby.

YANG: I'm sorry. My fatigues are not well made. You see, Master Rowling has done so much for Dobby and for inclusion in general. Remember when Dumbledore was gay after the books came out? And when Hermione was black only on Broadway? And when Cho Chang was — hmm, was Cho Chang Asian? Dobby can't remember if the character named Cho Chang was Asian or not.

CHE: All right, Dobby, we get it. We get it.

YANG: The point is, Dobby came here to say that women have vaginas and women's bathrooms are for women only and girls and ghosts of girls.

CHE: I'll say, I don't even get that because I never read them corny-ass books.

YANG: Of course sir, Dobby never meant to imply that Mr. Che was uncool.

CHE: It's fine, Dobby. Don’t hurt yourself.

YANG: Mr. Che’s very cool, he goes to strip clubs and Yankees games. Unlike Dobby who is— oh, no, Dobby is millennial cringe! Oh, no! bad Dobby! Cringe Dobby! Bad Dobby! Cringe Dobby!

CHE: Stop! Why do you keep hurting yourself? It's not right.

YANG: Why? Dobby doesn't know. Perhaps because house elves are somehow always the problem, even though we’re only one percent of the population. But house elves aren’t the victims, Master Rowling is. She gets so much hate mail. Just this morning, she received this T-shirt that says ‘They. K. Rowling,” but now it’s Dobby’s nicest shirt.