Celebrity
Aimee Lou Wood Responds To The SNL Sketch That Mocked Her Teeth
Fans think the show went too far in its spoof of her fan-favorite White Lotus character.
Given the immense buzz surrounding The White Lotus, it’s no surprise that Saturday Night Live spoofed the series in its April 12 show, putting forth a political parody titled, “The White Potus.” But SNL’s decision to mock star Aimee Lou Wood’s appearance shocked many fans and the star herself.
ICYMI, the sketch revolves around the First Family visiting the fictional resort chain’s Thailand destination. Host Jon Hamm plays an interpretation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who at one point suggests fluoride be removed from drinking water — a nod to the real-life health secretary’s controversial comments on the matter.
“But what would that do to people’s teeth?” he wonders aloud, the sketch cutting to Sarah Sherman impersonating fan-favorite Chelsea with fake teeth and an exaggerated accent.
“Fluoride? What’s that?” she asks, before being distracted by one of the local monkeys.
Commenters quickly called out SNL for taking a personal jab at Wood, and soon, the Sex Education alum shared her take on it.
Speaking Out
“I did find the SNL thing mean and unfunny,” Wood wrote in an April 13 Instagram story, joking that she “felt righteous,” but “might delete later.”
But fans quickly agreed that her feelings were valid. “I’m glad I said something instead of going in on myself,” she wrote in a follow-up story, citing the response of her supporters.
“Yes, take the piss for sure — that’s what the show is about — but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?” she wrote.
As she put it in another story: “The joke was about fluoride. I have big gap teeth not bad teeth. I don’t mind caricature — I understand that’s what SNL is. But the rest of the skit was punching up and I/Chelsea was the only one punched down on...”
Wood’s Defining Smile
Wood has previously shared that she’d been bullied about her teeth growing up. Conversely, The White Lotus spawned lots of love for her smile, but even the positive attention brought its challenges.
“It was the thing that defined me in school, my looks. That was the bullying, and now it’s defining me again,” she recently told W Magazine. “So, especially because of what happens to Chelsea in the show, I hope we can let that be the story. The work I did — that’s way more interesting than my teeth.”
Fortunately, Wood shared that she ultimately received apologies from SNL. She also clarified that she wasn’t blaming Sherman for the sketch. “Not hating on her, hating on the concept,” she said.
