I believe Aimee Lou Wood deserved better from her SNL impersonation

**Disclaimer: This Saturday Night Live (SNL) article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.**

Saturday Night Live (SNL) aired a parody called The White Potus on April 12, 2025, poking fun at politicians with a spin on the popular HBO series The White Lotus. While the sketch aimed to entertain, it included a portrayal of Aimee Lou Wood’s character, Chelsea, that did not sit right with many, including the actress herself.

In the parody, cast member Sarah Sherman depicted Chelsea by wearing exaggerated prosthetic teeth and making a joke about fluoride, connected to a scene involving RFK Jr.. Although parody is a major part of SNL’s humor, I believe this particular portrayal crossed a line, reducing a talented actress to a physical stereotype.

Aimee Lou Wood addressed the impersonation on her Instagram Stories on April 13, 2025.

“I did find the SNL thing mean and unfunny. 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 shared.

According to Wood, Saturday Night Live apologized to her. While it was a step in the right direction, it still felt like they could have used smarter humor, especially because Wood has done good work in Living, Toxic Town, and S*x Education.

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Aimee Lou Wood’s reaction to SNL’s portrayal

The White Potus sketch mixed political satire with characters from The White Lotus, placing public figures like the Trump family at a resort setting.

In her Instagram story, Aimee explained that while the rest of the sketch made fun of political figures — often considered "punching up" — her character, Chelsea, was the only one the show "punched down" on by focusing on her appearance rather than actions or public influence.

Sherman's Chelsea was shown with large prosthetic teeth and a heavy British accent, leaning into old stereotypes about British people having bad teeth. During the scene, when Chelsea asked, “Fluoride? What’s that?” it connected to a joke about RFK Jr.'s controversial views on water fluoridation.

Aimee's comment reflected disappointment, especially because she had previously enjoyed SNL’s content.

“Such a shame cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago,” she said.

In another post, she clarified:

“I have big gap teeth not bad teeth.”

She highlighted how the sketch singled her out among a lineup otherwise filled with political impersonations. The focus on her appearance, rather than her character or performance, felt unfair and unnecessary.

SNL issued an apology to Wood, which she shared with followers through a filtered selfie on Instagram, signaling closure on the matter. Despite the apology, it raised broader questions about how comedy should draw the line between parody and personal mockery.

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Why Aimee Lou Wood’s criticism matters?

This incident comes at a time when Aimee Lou Wood had already been vocal about the disproportionate media focus on her appearance. In a recent interview with GQ Magazine in April 2025, she explained how conversations about her often focused on her teeth rather than her acting skills.

“The whole conversation is just about my teeth, and then it makes me a bit sad because I'm not getting to talk about my work,” she shared.

Through the promotional cycle for The White Lotus season 3, she consistently shared her preference to discuss her acting choices rather than physical traits. Her comments about the SNL sketch were not rooted in personal offence against the performers, but addressed a bigger concern: how representation can slip into lazy humor when not handled carefully.

In my opinion, there is always a way to balance satire with respect. Wood’s reaction was not about rejecting comedy — it was about calling for better, sharper, and more considerate humor, especially when it involves real people who are more than one trait or one feature.

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