Aimee Lou Wood Slams SNL Parody for Mocking Her Smile: What Happens When Comedy Crosses the Line?

When Parody Gets Personal: SNL Under Fire for Mocking Aimee Lou Wood

If you've ever caught yourself laughing at SNL parody, you know that the legendary sketch show doesn’t really care who gets roasted—politicians, celebs, or even entire TV shows. But sometimes, they end up taking things too far. That’s exactly what happened when the April 13, 2025, episode set its sights on Aimee Lou Wood and her character Chelsea from The White Lotus.

The sketch, cheekily titled The White POTUS, mashed up Mike White's drama with a jab at the Trump family. All the usual SNL satire was there—fake scandals, weird accents, and exaggerated mannerisms. But this time, the joke hit a nerve for an entirely different reason.

Sarah Sherman, one of the breakout SNL cast members, took on the role of Chelsea. But instead of just riffing on the character’s British quirks, she donned a set of prosthetic teeth and unleashed a clumsy fake accent. The punchline? A dig at Wood’s real-life smile. They even slipped in a reference to fluoride’s effects on teeth, with Chelsea cluelessly asking, “Fluoride? What’s that?”

If you follow Wood, you’ll know she’s been refreshingly open about insecurity and even bullying about her smile. So to see it not just parodied, but exaggerated for laughs, felt a little lacking in taste—at least to Wood herself, who called out the sketch as 'mean' and 'unfunny' in a candid Instagram Story. She didn’t deny that SNL’s job is to mock (“Yes, take the piss for sure!”), but she wondered why they couldn’t do it with a little more wit and sincerity.

Soon after, outrage spread. Fans—and plenty of others—criticized the sketch for relying on an old, tired gag: making fun of someone’s looks. With today’s conversations about body shaming and mental health, it’s a surprisingly tone-deaf move for a show that claims to be forward-thinking.

SNL’s Response and the Bigger Question About Comedy

To their credit, SNL didn’t double down or ignore the feedback. They reached out privately to Wood and apologized—a move she acknowledged later, though the sting of the joke lingered in the public eye. The apology didn’t kill the debate, though. Far from it.

Bowen Yang, one of the show's most outspoken cast members, stepped up and owned the fallout in interviews. He said Wood’s reaction was fair, and maybe it’s time for comics—himself included—to rethink what’s funny when it comes at someone’s personal expense. “You forget there’s a human, emotional cost,” he admitted, stirring up fresh conversation about where we draw the line with parody.

This blowup has gotten people wondering: When does satire cross from poking fun into simply being mean? Comedy’s supposed to be fearless, but there’s a difference between being brave and being callous, especially when the target’s endured real-life abuse over the exact thing you’re making fun of.

• SNL’s parody took aim at Wood’s appearance, something she’s spoken about as a real vulnerability.
• The joke reignited conversations around comedy boundaries in today’s more sensitive and aware cultural climate.
• Even SNL, famous for pushing buttons, had to admit when they’d hit the wrong one.

The White Lotus fans and comedians alike are now left with something to chew on: Should there be limits in parody, especially when it comes to things people can’t and shouldn’t have to change about themselves? And is comedy better when it punches up—rather than down?