Saturday Night Live recently took things a bit too far with some cheap shots.
After actress Aimee Lou Wood publicly criticized Saturday Night Live, staff members have now apologized to her.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live (SNL) has been a U.S. comedy titan for 50 years now, airing live on NBC every week since 1975. With over 985 episodes across 50 seasons, it’s helped launch the careers of many American comedians and draws millions of viewers.
The show covers a wide range of topics, from TV show parodies to (usually left-leaning) political satire. In a recent episode, they mixed both and delivered a sketch called The White Potus.
It was a spoof on The White Lotus, a U.S. anthology series known for its dark humor and drama. The sketch targeted the Trump family, since “POTUS” stands for “President of the United States.”
At the same time, the sketch also parodied actual White Lotus characters. But when it came to Aimee Lou Wood’s character – imitated in the sketch by comedian Sarah Sherman – the jokes focused solely on the actress’s appearance.
Complaint And Apology
In response to the sketch, the actress posted on Instagram that she found it “mean and unfunny.” While she faced backlash from many for speaking out, TV host Ashley James, for example, thanked her for having the courage to stand up for herself.
She added that she’s generally open to parody, but there should be a "smarter, more nuanced way" to do it. And yes – SNL didn’t make fun of the other White Lotus characters’ looks, just hers. Feeling singled out is completely understandable in that situation.
Maybe that’s exactly why SNL decided to swallow its pride – shortly after, she posted on Instagram that she had received an apology from the show. And in SNL’s 50-year history, that’s a pretty rare thing.
Viewers Have Mixed Opinions
Viewers were divided on whether SNL should have apologized at all. They argued that Trump’s appearance was also mocked in the sketch.
But here’s the thing: if Trump felt insulted by jokes about his appearance, he could always choose a non-orange fake tan or find a new hairstylist. Everything about his look that’s being mocked is a personal styling choice, not something he was born with.
It’s a different story with Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth. They’re natural, and changing them would be expensive, possibly painful and a lot of work/time. The people expecting her to just laugh it off probably wouldn’t be thrilled if a feature they were born with – and are maybe even insecure about – were mocked in front of millions.
What do you think, was the complaint justified?