Have we Been too Mean About Wicked?

If you have managed to go the last couple of weeks without hearing the words ‘holding space’, I commend you. At the end of November, after over a decade of production-limbo, the movie adaptation of the musical Wicked was finally released to theatres. The film has received positive critical reviews and received a decent amount of Oscar buzz, made especially exciting by the prospect of the lead Cynthia Erivo becoming the youngest ever EGOT winner. However, none of this seems to be on the internet’s mind. Instead, viewers have become enraptured with the press tour, and for good reason. 

Whether it be the seemingly never ending displays of emotion, awkward finger holding, or slight overreations to fan edits, you can’t deny that the Wicked press tour has been odd, to put it lightly. Today, I want to examine how social media narratives alter our opinions on films, and suggest that we might have been slightly harsh towards our favourite overly-emotional green and pink duo.

On a personal level, I have perhaps become overly invested in the culture surrounding Wicked, and I’m not even a theatre kid. When my housemate told me he accidentally played a Jennifer Coolidge impression of ‘Dancing Through Life’ on full volume in silent study, it made my whole week. If I don’t see at least one person dressed up as the ‘holding space’ lady next Halloween, I will be severely disappointed. This is all to say that I have not been exactly far removed from this media frenzy. However, I have begun to feel a little bad about rolling my eyes at Ariana Grande crying.

The video that got me thinking was this one:

There’s a comment on there that states “the more I hear about this movie the more I understand the crying in interviews [sic]” which sums up my thoughts pretty well. I can’t help but think that the judgement towards the investment that these women have in their project is heavily influenced by the judgement of their gender.

When men get over-involved in their projects as actors, they’re generally praised. Method acting is seen as the ultimate dedication, yet it is something actresses rarely discuss. Natalie Portman perhaps said it best: “[method acting] is a luxury that women can’t afford. I don’t think my children or partners would be very understanding of, you know, making everyone call me ‘Jackie Kennedy’ all the time”- Natalie Portman 2024.

I’ll admit that men aren’t without judgement from the internet when it comes to their method techniques—lest not forget Austin Butler’s permanent ‘Elvis voice’— but allowances do seem to be made for them. Shia Labeouf, for example, miraculously still has a career (starring in Coppola’s Megalopolis just last August) despite his multiple abuse allegations.

Labeouf’s abuse is intertwined with his method acting; in 2016 it was confirmed that ‘after drinking moonshine by the gallon’ to get into character, Labeouf punched and knocked out fellow actor Tom Hardy on the set of 2012’s Lawless. It was reported that while filming 2014’s Fury, Labeouf would go without bathing for days and engage in self-harm, going so far as to have a tooth pulled out by ‘some guy in Reseda next to a radio shack’.

I may not have direct figures to back this up, but I dont think it’s too out of pocket to declare that if a women were to engage in these antics, she would not be praised for her ‘commitment to the role’ but institutionalised, or at the very least be hounded by the media. Female celebrities are torn to shreds when they have a reason to engage in worrying behaviour (i’m thinking of Brittney Spears in 2007 here) so I don’t think our culture would take particularly kindly to a woman doing it in the name of art.

Comparing the antics of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo to their male counterparts, their behaviour seems decidedly tame. Furthermore, they seem to be engaging with the joke, Ariana Grande revealing that she too, did not understand what ‘holding space’ meant.

The cultural narrative surrounding Wicked has evolved into a markedly positive beast. As of December 8th, 2024, Wicked has made over $135 million worldwide already becoming the 12th highest grossing movie of 2024. I got to see the film myself last week, and as a self proclaimed movie buff, it’s, well, good. The set and costume design is impeccable, and though the direction and colour grading felt lack-luster, it was the performances that won me over. As we left the cinema, my friend turned to me and said ‘Cynthia Erivo was so good that I forgot how insufferable she is in interviews. That’s talent.’ Both Grande and Erivo are highlights of the film, embodying their roles perfectly.

Wicked may just birth a new age for the movie-musical. Reviews have shown that even the biggest musical-theatre pessimist can see the quality in this one. The never-ending memes the film has created has brought me much joy, but I, for one, am going to try and be less critical of the women they include.

• Ariana Grande
• cynthia erivo
• Film and TV
• Wicked
• wicked 2024