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Aimee Lou Wood’s recent reaction to the Saturday Night Live (SNL) sketch mocking The White Lotus has sparked a conversation about the fine line between satire and harm. The sketch, which imagined Donald Trump and his inner circle at a luxury resort in The White Lotus style, quickly became a viral sensation with over 3.7 million views. However, Wood, who plays Chelsea in Season 3 of The White Lotus, voiced her discomfort with how the parody portrayed her character.
Wood took to Instagram to clarify her stance, noting that she was not upset with SNL performer Sarah Sherman, who portrayed her character, but rather with the overall concept of the sketch. While acknowledging that she doesn’t mind caricatures or satire, she explained that the sketch crossed a line by “punching down” at her character while other characters were “punching up.” Wood specifically took issue with how her character, Chelsea, was singled out in a way that felt mean-spirited and lacked the same political context as the rest of the skit. “The joke was about fluoride,” Wood wrote, emphasizing that she has big gap teeth, not bad teeth.
She went on to say, “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.” In a follow-up post, she reiterated that Sherman was not at fault, and her critique was aimed at the concept of the sketch rather than the performer. “Not [Sarah Sherman’s] fault. Not hating on her. Hating on the concept.”
The controversy stemmed from a moment in the parody where Jon Hamm’s character, a version of RFK Jr., rants about the effects of fluoride on teeth, leading to a shot of Sherman’s Chelsea character, exaggerated with large fake teeth, saying, “Fluoride? What’s that?” While the sketch was satirizing the absurdity of political figures and the dysfunction of a The White Lotus-styled vacation, many viewers, including Wood, felt that the character’s portrayal was unnecessary and lacked the same political edge as the rest of the sketch.
Despite her criticism, Wood expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support she received online, but she remained firm in her belief that the sketch could have been more nuanced. The incident highlights the complexities of satire and how humor can sometimes inadvertently alienate or target specific individuals without political justification. Wood’s response, however, was thoughtful and measured, focusing on the broader concept rather than attacking the individuals involved.