“Not hating on her”—Aimee Lou Wood defends comedian Sarah Sherman against fan vitriol over SNL White Lotus sketch

Sarah Sherman impersonated White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood wearing exaggerated prosthetic teeth in a sketch aired on the comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL). Since then, Wood, who portrayed the character Chelsea in The White Lotus, has labeled the sketch as being mean and unfunny.

The skit titled ‘White Potus' replaced the original series characters with depictions of Donald Trump and his inner circle. The show later apologized for the sketch. Wood shared multiple stories on Instagram regarding her disapproval of the parody. However, she also added that it wasn’t Sarah Sherman’s fault. Her explanation stated that the disapproval she felt wasn’t with the American comedian but with the sketch's concept.

“Not hating on her, hating on the concept.”

Wood calls out SNL skit featuring Sarah Sherman

In later posts, Wood, who has also starred in Sex Education, said:

“Such a shame cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago. 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 also explained that she wasn’t thin-skinned and understood Saturday Night Live was satirical and all about deliberate exaggeration. However, what didn’t make sense to the actress was the joke about fluoride. She added,

“I have big gap teeth not bad teeth. The rest of the skit was punching up and I/Chelsea was the only one punched down on.”

In the end, Wood reflected positively on the situation, as she chose to speak up instead of staying silent, which would have turned her frustration inward. She felt relieved and glad because others agreed with her perspective, making her feel supported and validated.

This isn’t the first time Wood has addressed the attention she receives for her unique teeth.

Outrageous and absurd: The comedy of Sarah Sherman

Sarah Sherman, also professionally known as Sarah Squirm, is an American comedian, screenwriter, and actress. Sherman’s comedy is often described as a mix of surrealism and body horror, an unconventional blend that sets her apart from traditional sketch comedians.

Surreal comedy is a type of humor that uses irrational or absurd situations. It is also known for the use of exaggerated characters to provoke laughs. Body horror, on the other hand, usually refers to a genre in horror cinema where the human body undergoes unnatural or exaggerated transformations. In Sherman’s case, she adapts this concept for comedy.

Sherman landed in Chicago’s DIY comedy world after graduating from Northwestern. She performed at open mics for five years, which helped her hone her craft.

Sherman became a featured player in Saturday Night Live, starting its 47th season in 2021, and was promoted to repertory status in 2023.

In an interview with Variety, Sherman was asked where her sense of humor comes from. To which she explained that she came from a loud, outrageous Jewish family and liked outrageous things. She grew up liking crazy cartoons and loved Joan Rivers, “The Nanny," Garbage Pail Kids, and stuff like “Ren & Stimpy."

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"I grew up liking crazy sh*t, and then I came up doing comedy in Chicago in more of a performance art community. I learned from all these crazy performance artists around me how to blend visual art and performance style."

She has been part of SNL sketches since 2021.

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