Aimee Lou Wood is not laughing at Saturday Night Live’s latest sketch.
The Sex Education and White Lotus star took to Instagram to call out the show after it aired a parody on April 12 titled The White Potus — a mashup of The White Lotus and American political satire. But while the sketch aimed to poke fun at politicians like Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Aimee wasn’t thrilled to see herself become collateral damage in the process.
At one point in the skit, host Jon Hamm plays RFK Jr. and jokes, “What if we took all of the fluoride out of the drinking water? What would that do to people’s teeth?”
Then cast member Sarah Sherman, portraying Aimee’s White Lotus character Chelsea, chimes in with: “Fluoride, what’s that?” while wearing an exaggerated Manchester accent and a set of huge prosthetic teeth.
The moment didn’t sit well with Aimee, who criticized the show for crossing a line.
“It’s such a shame because I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago,” she wrote on her Instagram story the next day. “Yes, take the piss for sure, that’s what the show is about, but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way.”
Her biggest issue? The portrayal felt lazy — and unnecessarily mean.
“At least get the accent right, seriously. I respect accuracy even if it’s mean,” she added.
Aimee also called out the choice to single her character out in a sketch that was mostly targeting politicians. She agreed with a comment pointing out that Chelsea was the only non-political figure being mocked — and that the visual gag involving her character’s teeth felt like a low blow.
The actor went on to say that the jabs felt personal and were “uncalled for.”
Despite her disappointment, Aimee says she’s received an overwhelming wave of support since speaking out. She told fans she’s had “thousands” of messages backing her up — and, interestingly, that she’s since received an apology from SNL.
She didn’t share details of the apology, but the fact that the show reached out suggests they may have realised they crossed a line.
Aimee’s response has been widely praised online, with many fans applauding her for calling out lazy stereotypes and standing up for herself. Others echoed her sentiment that satire can — and should — be smart, even when it’s biting.
While SNL has a long history of lampooning celebrities and pop culture, this moment seems to have struck a particularly sour note for viewers who felt the humor didn’t match the usual sharp wit the show is known for.
As for Aimee, she’s keeping her head high — and proving that you don’t need to laugh along when the joke isn’t funny.
