Eugene Lee Yang

**Eugene Lee Yang** is a Buzzfeed Tasty worker and a part of The Try Guys, and has once babysat Ned Fulmer’s son, Wes for the day. For more photos of him click here.

## Biography

Eugene is the only son of Korean immigrants Min-Young and Jae Yang. He was born and raised in Pflugerville, Texas. He is the middle child of two sisters, Christy and Whitney. Growing up in Pflugerville, Yang's family was one of the few Asian Americans in their community. He struggled with body image issues and low self-esteem as, in his own words, no one looked like him, and suffered bullying due to his appearance.

Early on, he lost his Texan accent by the prodding of his sister, who told him he might face difficulties getting into Ivy League schools. Initially, he was skeptical going into films, explaining that his doubts on getting mainstream acceptance stemmed from the lack of representation of Asian American in films and for being queer.

"I was a very insecure, self-conscious kid, and as an artist even more so. I always assumed that my otherness was a curse — that I would be held back by my Asian and queer identities. My time online has shown me that the viewers will respond most to authentic storytelling."

At school, he engaged in artistic activities including visual arts, illustration, theater, choir, and dance. However, a seventh-grade teacher recommended that he should consider studying filmmaking. He later went to the University of Southern California[1] and, during his studies, had written and directed six short films discussing wide-ranging social and political topics, including mental health care, gay marriage, and school shootings. He graduated with a B.A. in cinema production degree in 2008. On June 15, 2019, Yang came out as gay in a video titled "I'm Gay" which he wrote, directed, and choreographed with the song "A Moment Apart" by Odesza.

## BuzzFeed

In 2013, he started working for the video branch of the internet media company, BuzzFeed, at the recommendation of a colleague who saw his potential in creating short format videos. He was given free control on experimental video productions and exploring new modes of storytelling.

A few of his works were centered on stereotypes, body issues, and Asian American identity, producing If Disney Princes Were Real, which had earned over 70 million views, and Women’s Ideal Body Types Throughout History, which was viewed over 40 million times and remained one of the Buzzfeed's most watched, on YouTube. According to Glamour, "Yang's videos work because they're funny-with-a-message riffs on all-American cultural touchstones—like high school vs. college, awkward private moments, and, pet ownership. But he's also not afraid to tackle issues surrounding race—especially when it comes to the Asian American community."

## Trivia

* He won the first episode of The Try Guys Try To Bake.
* His drag mom is Mayhem Miller. His drag name is Cheyenne Pepper.
* His mom’s name is Min-young.
* He has a dog named Pesto.
* He is 63% Korean, 20% Japanese, and 13% Chinese.
* He is afraid of airplanes and flying.
* He knows every song by Celine Dion.
* He is bad at video games.
* When drunk his 10 characteristics are:
	+ Sexual Eugene
	+ Childlike
	+ Political
	+ Ghosting/Runaway
	+ Sleepy
	+ Dancing
	+ Criminal
	+ Fighting
	+ Depressed
	+ Hostess
* He suffered from chronic nose-bleeds as a child.
* He loves horror movies.
* He lost his virginity at age 25.
* He is the only Try Guy, whose parents are divorced.