Four NYT Columnists Opine on ‘Wicked’ and Its Antifascism Message: ‘Women Deserve Rage’

Full disclosure: This editor has never read the book, or seen the Broadway show, nor will he be watching the movie "Wicked." But he's been learning a lot about "The Wizard of Oz" from the press junket by stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, such as that "Oz has always been a queer place, even in the books." Erivo says that being a black, queer woman informed her performance:

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo claims she was perfect to play Elphaba the witch because she is a ‘black queer woman.’

“As a black queer woman, I'm the perfect one to play the witch.”

pic.twitter.com/Ll24v9MEJg
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) November 30, 2024

Yeah, whatever. We recently featured a post by actor Matthew Marsden:

Dear actors,

When doing a press junket, do the following.

1, if asked, talk about your character and the story.

2,Say nice things about the director and costars.

3, if using existing ip, praise those who came before you.

4, Lastly, be humble, and thank the audience and…
— Matthew Marsden (@matthewdmarsden) November 27, 2024

…. and your fans for their support.
You are welcome.
Signed
Someone who has been doing this for 25 years.

We thought "Wicked" might make the New York Times as a movie review, but the Times has done much more than that: it's had four of its opinion writers participate in an online discussion to share their views on the deeper meaning of "Wicked."

Oh sorry, I won't be reading this, I'll be sticking hot pokers into my eyes instead pic.twitter.com/HyBwnssvFB
— Peachy Keenan (@KeenanPeachy) November 29, 2024

Here's just a taste:

Patrick Healy: A big-budget “Wicked” movie with a strong antifascist message? I did not expect that.
Tressie McMillan Cottom: “Wicked” is an allegory for difference and a pretty straightforward embrace of one of the feminism waves — third, maybe? It’s pro-female rage but with a lot of apologies for traditional femininity.
The story line about fascism and oppression was always there in the different “Wicked” versions. But a couple of things make that story line stand out in the film. First, casting the absolutely phenomenal Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba makes the story’s heavy-handed but indirect message about racism obvious. She is Black, which is like being green. … That allows the authoritarianism critique to shine a bit more.
And second, we see the movie meaning that we need to see. Everyone in my world is still deeply distraught about the election. The election turned on propaganda about power and scapegoating of women and feminism. Frankly, we see the antifascism message clearly because we see fascism so clearly in our everyday lives.
Cottom: Glinda’s power comes only from soft power — by manipulating how others see her. But I like female rage. I don’t want it tempered with social graces. I want Elphaba to burn down whatever she wants, including Glinda if she gets in her way. Women deserve rage. We have a lot to be angry about.
Maureen Dowd: Remarkably, some people on TikTok are comparing Elphaba to Donald Trump, saying that the green-faced girl is like the orange-faced man because she, too, is a victim of the “deep state” (Jeff Goldblum in green boots). Most people, of course, will see shades of Trump in the Wizard, a con man with authoritarian tendencies who is set on uniting people against a common enemy.