Andrew Yang Saying His Favorite Subway Station in NYC Is Times Square Prompts Wave of Jokes
Times Square #TimesSquare
New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang is the target of mockery among New Yorkers who say his choice of Times Square as his “favorite subway station” is just the latest evidence he’s out of touch with the city’s residents
Yang sat down for an interview with Showtime host and comedian Ziwe for a question-and-answer segment that aired Sunday. Several of his responses drew ridicule from patronizing New Yorkers who complained he acts more like a Times Square tourist than a native city resident. His reply that the Times Square subway stop is his favorite among the city’s 472 options was particularly lambasted. Social media was alight Monday with Sbarro pizza GIFs and even parody memes that showed Yang saying, “Check out Little Italy!” in reference to Times Square’s massive Olive Garden restaurant.
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Asked by Ziwe what his favorite subway station is, Yang replied, “It’s my stop, so Times Square…it’s big, it’s cavernous, there are entertainers there. Sure, what’s not to like?”
Yang’s Times Square reference drew the ire of many city residents who famously claim to avoid the bustling, tourist-heavy area at all costs despite living in New York. Yang was also dragged on social media for the same interview after he cited a Linkin Park collaboration as his favorite song by Brooklyn native and rapper Jay-Z.
“One thousand percent Not a New Yorker,” tweeted Juliana Pache, social media manager for Rolling Stone magazine. Her post featured screenshots of the Showtime interview and his Times Square response, which prompted an incredulous look on interviewer Ziwe’s face.
GIFs and parody accounts emerged Sunday showing Michael Scott from The Office as he infamously picked up a “New York slice” of pizza from the widely derided Sbarro chain restaurant.
“Whether you’re sitting on the upper deck or the lower deck, there’s no better way to get around NYC than those double-decker buses,” a “Yang: Real New Yorker” parody Twitter account quipped last month.
Yang was born in Schenectady, about three hours upstate from the city and just north of Albany, the state capital. According to The New Yorker magazine, Yang was primarily raised in Westchester County just north of the city before moving to Morningside Heights near Columbia University in 1996. The mayoral run of the former Democratic presidential candidate and tech entrepreneur has prompted numerous discussions of “who” is considered a New Yorker. Some media pundits have claimed the debate targeting Yang is rooted in xenophobia.
But Yang has also been criticized for appearing out of touch with several local policy issues, including the “50-a” legislation that keeps NYPD disciplinary records a secret. He also recently appeared to be unaware of the department’s policy on chokeholds.
During an interview last week, current Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared to take a swipe at Yang, “Because the next mayor is going to have to navigate a very challenging environment and they better damn well understand how New York City works.” However, de Blasio himself was the target of New Yorker ridicule in 2014 after photographs emerged showing him making the faux pas of eating pizza with a fork and knife.
Earlier this year, Yang was criticized for doing what many city residents did during the coronavirus pandemic—he temporarily left.
“We’ve spent more time upstate than in the city over the last number of months, but I also spent time in Georgia, as you know, I spent time in Pennsylvania campaigning for Joe and Kamala,” he said to The New York Times. Yang went on to describe living in a two-bedroom apartment with his wife and kid in Manhattan.
Newsweek reached out to Yang’s campaign for any additional comments Monday.
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