Saturday Night Live cast member Sarah Sherman has addressed criticism after a recent sketch mocked actress Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth. The Aimee Lou Wood Sketch sparked outrage, with many viewers — and Aimee herself — calling it “mean and unfunny.”
The controversial segment featured Sarah impersonating Aimee’s character from The White Lotus. Producers used oversized prosthetic teeth to exaggerate Aimee’s real-life dental gap. During the sketch, Sarah’s character jokingly asked, “Fluoride? What’s that?” — a punchline Aimee later said left her feeling embarrassed and singled out.
The show placed President Donald Trump and his team at the fictional White Lotus hotel. However, Aimee’s character Chelsea appeared to be the only non-political figure mocked directly. Viewers accused the Aimee Lou Wood Sketch of punching down, with appearance-based mockery taking center stage.
In response, Aimee took to Instagram to share her disappointment. “I’m not thin-skinned,” she wrote. “I get satire. But the whole joke was about fluoride.” She clarified that she’s proud of her distinct smile. “I have big gap teeth, not bad teeth,” she added.
She went on to emphasize that she wasn’t angry at Sarah personally but took issue with the concept itself. “The rest of the skit was punching up,” Aimee explained, “and I was the only one punched down on.” Her comments reignited debate around appearance-based mockery in mainstream comedy, particularly when it comes to sketches like the Aimee Lou Wood Sketch.
Although Sarah Sherman didn’t directly apologize, she acknowledged the controversy during an interview. “Comedy always walks a fine line,” she said, referencing the balance between parody and cruelty. She added that public reactions often reveal more about evolving standards than the jokes themselves.
Still, viewers continue to discuss whether appearance-based mockery has a place in satire today. As audiences become more vocal, shows like SNL face mounting pressure to reconsider how — and whom — they choose to mock. Particularly, sketches like the Aimee Lou Wood Sketch become central to this conversation.
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