'It wasn't subtle': 'Jeopardy!' host Mayim Bialik recalls 'SNL' parody skit mocking her 'undeniably Jewish' nose
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress and 'Jeopardy!' host Mayim Bialik opened up about being mocked for her Jewish nose in a parody sketch on 'Saturday Night Live' in a recently released essay by Variety.
Bialik revealed that she had felt "ashamed" that the actress who played her as Blossom from her popular sitcom had to wear a prosthetic nose to represent her.
The comedian behind the sketch role, Melanie Hutsell, later issued an apology for the same, confessing that she was forced to do so against her choices.
Mayim Bialik was 'confused' over her parody version's prosthetic nose
Bialik penned this Variety piece as a part of their antisemitism and Hollywood package.
While this was published recently, they made it clear that the essay was written before October, given the current ongoing war in the Middle East.
The actress wrote how she was disappointed and put off by the parody version of herself.
"She wore a prosthetic nose," the piece read.
"In order to truly convey that she was Blossom, she wore a fake, big nose. I don’t know if it was significantly larger than my real nose and I don’t care to remember. I remember that it struck me as odd. And it confused me," Mayim wrote.
Bialik was merely a teen at the time and she revealed how she was afraid of her friends seeing the sketch.
"I never thought to talk about it and mostly I tried to forget it. I hoped no one noticed. All of my friends at high school watched SNL. It wasn’t subtle. They would all see it and I felt ashamed," the 'Jeopardy' host said.
She then went on to add, "My nose is undeniably Jewish, and I am as well. Is it because of my nose? Perhaps. But I don’t have to know because we will always be one and the same."
SNL star Melanie Hutsell apologizes to Mayim Bialik
Soon after the essay went up, Hutsell came out with an apology to Bialik.
Hutsell revealed in a statement to Entertainment Weekly that SNL had left her no choice in sporting a fake nose for the 'Blossom' sketch.
"I remember so clearly that when I expressed that I did not want to wear the prosthetic nose for the sketch, I was told if I refused, I would be fired," Hutsell said.
"And keep in mind, many of the people who had a hand in creating the sketch were Jewish. Although I had and have always had a strong moral compass, I didn't have the strength to refuse to do the sketch after I was told I would be fired," she added.
Bialik later thanked Hutsell for her apology through a post on her Threads page.
"Thank you Melanie Hutsell for this - I did not intend to disparage you or SNL and I really appreciate your thoughtfulness around this! It made for an interesting essay (which I was asked to write many months ago on the topic of antisemitism) and with everything going on in the world, I’m virtually hugging you and appreciate you very much!"
SNL has yet to make any comment about anything revealed by Bialik and Hutsell.