‘SNL’ Denies ‘Formal Apology’ to Aimee Lou Wood, But This Cast Member Sent Flowers
Just when it seemed like the “Morgan Wallen left 15 seconds early” story would be the weirdest, refuse-to-die Saturday Night Live controversy of the year, “Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth” sauntered up to the bar and said, “Hold my beer.”
Getting you up to speed in case you missed it: SNL poked fun at the extended Trump family in an HBO parody called The White Potus. Most of the gags were aimed at political figures, but the character of Chelsea, played by Aimee Lou Wood, was turned into a dental joke. Sarah Sherman popped in some enormous fake chompers to imitate Wood’s toothy smile, a bit that inspired Wood to call out SNL on social media for “mean” humor. Within hours, Wood reported that a) she’d received a lot of online support and b) “I’ve received apologies from SNL.”
But as with many things SNL-related, stories that reach their logical conclusion never truly end. First, TMZ broke the shocking news that Saturday Night Live didn’t apologize after all! (At least not formally.) According to “sources with direct knowledge,” no one from the show issued a mea culpa in an official capacity.
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That’s not so surprising. In SNL’s 50-year history, it’s only issued a “formal” apology twice, and neither sounded very sincere. During the show’s first season, Chevy Chase and Jane Curtin made fun of Claudine Longet’s “criminally negligent homicide” in a sketch about a skiing competition in which several competitors are “accidentally” shot and killed. After threats of lawsuits, Don Pardo read an on-air, sorry-if-you-didn’t-get-it apology: “The satire was fictitious and its intent only humorous. This is a statement of apology if the material was misinterpreted.”
The only other formal “sorry” was Pete Davidson coming face-to-face with Congressman Dan Crenshaw, apologizing for an eye-patch joke. On a later stand-up special, Davidson said he was forced to do it and wasn’t remorseful after all.
So as a rule, Saturday Night Live doesn’t apologize — but Sarah Sherman does. Once again, Wood took to her Instagram Stories to share a picture of a pink and orange flower bouquet.
Sarah Squirm, of course, is the alter-ego of SNL’s Sherman, the comic who portrayed Wood in the sketch. No hard feelings, the flowers seem to say.
Wood doesn’t bear any ill will to Sherman either. “Not hating on her,” Wood said on Instagram. “Hating on the concept.”
It’s all love, people. Can the White Lotus Comically Large Teeth Saga be done now?
