The late-night comedy television show, ‘Saturday Night Live,’ recently presented a skit styled after ‘The White Lotus’ with a focus on the Trump administration, triggering rounds of laughter nationwide. This preplanned five-minute spectacle named ‘The White POTUS’ saw notable appearances from celebrities, including show host Jon Hamm, the musical sensation Lizzo, and Scarlett Johansson, who cleverly depicted Ivanka Trump. The segment also brought back former cast members, Beck Bennet portraying Vladimir Putin, and Alex Moffat taking on the role of Eric Trump, and overall, the reaction was largely positive, with just one noteworthy exception.
Sarah Sherman, another member of the show’s array of talented actors, played the character based on Chelsea – the adored figure from ‘The White Lotus’ who was originally crafted by British actor Aimee Lou Wood. Wood, known for her distinctive gap teeth, has previously expressed relief about not ‘correcting’ this feature as it has appeared to inspire others in embracing their similar physical traits. In the SNL skit, the Chelsea character is positioned as the companion or partner-in-crime of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a fictional health and human services secretary.
In this particular skit, Jon Hamm’s character, Kennedy, carries a measles virus-filled syringe to a holiday resort situated in Thailand. In line with the real-life character, RFK Jr., Hamm’s Kennedy suggests an audacious proposal of removing all fluoride from our water supplies. Questioning the potential repercussions, he asks, ‘What would that do to people’s teeth?’ to which Sherman’s Chelsea responds naively, showing off her fake teeth, ‘What’s fluoride?’ Confusion soon turns to excitement when she notices another distraction. ‘Oh, a monkey, so cute!’ she gushes with joy.
In a surprising twist, Hamm’s Kennedy pulls out a knife and declares his intention – ‘I’m going to go kill it and eat it.’ The joyful Chelsea quickly reverses her tune, pleadingly declaring, ‘No! Not the monkey!’ Walton Goggins, the actor who plays as Wood’s screen partner Rick Hatchett in ‘The White Lotus’, reacted positively to this sketch when he posted about it on Instagram. However, the reception from Wood was quite the opposite; she was not tickled by the skit.
Wood took to Instagram to express her dissatisfaction about the sketch, categorizing it as ‘unkind’ and ‘lacking humor’. She shared with her followers, ‘On a bright note, it seems most people agree with me. I’m relieved I spoke out, rather than internalizing this.’ The actor added her disappointment as she had been previously enjoying the show. ‘Indeed, make fun if you must – it’s the nature of the show – but surely there’s a more intelligent, subtle, less tacky approach?’
Following her initial statement, Wood began to release a few of the responses she had received. Among them, one agreed with the actor’s perspective, stating, ‘Even if it’s harsh, I appreciate accuracy.’ In the original series, Chelsea was supposed to come from Manchester, the same area as Wood, hence carrying a Mancunian accent.
Overwhelmed by the responses, Wood expressed her astonishment, ‘Wow, I received THOUSANDS of messages agreeing with me since I posted about the sketch. Appreciate your support, guys. I’m glad I made my views known.’ She went on to clarify that she did not fault the SNL actor Sarah Sherman for the said portrayal.
Adding another layer to the controversy, Wood revealed, ‘SNL has tendered their apologies.’ She showcased a manipulated picture of her face that exaggerated her eyes and mouth. ‘I’m not overly sensitive. I absolutely enjoy good-hearted and witty banter and jest. However, the skit was primarily about fluoride. I’ve embraced my distinct gap teeth, they’re not unhealthy. Caricature is a part of SNL – I get it. But the joke punched down on me/Chelsea, while the rest of the sketch punched up.’
While reiterating her criticisms about the skit, Wood emphasized that she was not blaming Sarah Sherman, who herself is 32. ‘It wasn’t really Sarah Squirm’s fault,’ the actor clarified, ‘I’m not casting shade on her, but the concept was problematic.’
Wrapping up her views on the topic, Wood shared a comment from another viewer which encapsulated her thoughts, ‘The sketch was sharp and comical, right until it suddenly veered into 1970s misogyny’, the viewer stated. Wood agreed, noting, ‘This summarizes my perspective on the issue.’
The post ‘SNL’ Mocks Trump Era with ‘The White POTUS’, Drawing Mixed Reactions appeared first on Real News Now.
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