Aimee Lou Wood Criticizes SNL for 'Mean and Unfunny' White Lotus Parody, Spotlights Gender Double Standards

Aimee Lou Wood Takes Aim at SNL's White Lotus Parody

Aimee Lou Wood, who plays Chelsea in HBO's White Lotus, didn't hold back after catching SNL's latest attempt at satire. This particular sketch, dubbed The White Potus, gave the show's characters a political twist. Big-name cameos stole some spotlight—Scarlett Johansson showed up as Ivanka Trump while Jon Hamm transformed into RFK Jr.—but it was the portrayal of Wood's character that fired up the most discussion.

On screen, SNL cast member Sarah Sherman took on the role of Chelsea, but not in a way Wood found clever or respectful. Sherman wore fake teeth and pushed her British accent to the extreme. For Wood, it wasn't just a bad impression, but a full-on dig at her natural looks. She voiced her frustration on Instagram, saying she usually enjoys satire—when it's smart. In this case, she felt the comedy missed the mark, leaving her 'hugely' disappointed by what she saw as lazy and mean-spirited humor.

Body Positivity and Comedy’s Double Standard

Wood explained that all the other targets in the skit were public figures and politicians—classic 'punching up.' Meanwhile, Chelsea, the only non-politician, ended up being the butt of a joke that zeroed in on her dental gap. Wood clarified for fans that the original satire on White Lotus had poked fun at fluoride, not dental hygiene, but SNL's sketch slid into more personal territory. 'Chelsea was the only one punched down on,' she wrote, pointing to a pattern in comedy where it's still all too common for women to have their looks picked apart on national TV.

It wasn't Sarah Sherman she blamed, though. Wood made a point to call out the writers and the concept, not the performer. She even revealed SNL reached out to apologize, though the details behind that exchange stayed private. What stands out is her long history of talking openly about her teeth and how they defy what Hollywood usually rewards. She’s received plenty of messages from fans who say she's helped them feel more at home in their own skin.

The outrage didn't stop with Wood, either. On social media, some viewers pointed out that jokes like this felt straight out of another era—a little too close to '1970s misogyny' for comfort. The sketch turned a spotlight back onto the way women, especially those who don’t fit old-school beauty ideals, still get mocked for their differences in comedy. It’s another reminder of how much further there is to go in mainstream entertainment's treatment of body image and gender, no matter how much progress has been made in recent years.