I have been a fan of “Wicked” my whole life. I grew up blasting the songs in the car with my sister, dividing the voice parts. I have seen the production twice on tour in Minneapolis and was blown away each time. Naturally, I was exceedingly excited when the two-part movie franchise was announced and enjoyed the first installment of director Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked.” But what has bothered me recently is the excessive marketing for the film that underlines the negative impact of the grasp that capitalism has on our society.
There are many positives to the timing of the two “Wicked” installments’ release. There are obvious parallels between the allegorical message of the films and the most prevalent issues of our time. The films address the demonization of minorities and how fascist regimes “other” groups to unify their followers. As President Donald Trump continues propagating violent and dangerous messages about undocumented immigrants and trans people, it is important that art openly addresses the harm of this vilification.
Vitally, “Wicked” contains a powerful message about the perception of “wickedness” and whether it is born, created or correctly identified in popular culture.
What is so beautiful about “Wicked” as a story and musical is that it takes an engaging, colorful and easily recognizable setting of characters and uses this framing to challenge its audience to think critically about the organization of social structures and prevalence of evil. It begs the question: Are those whom society demonizes truly evil, or are the most malignant forces propelled by the individuals who despise others based on identity markers?
Unfortunately, the hungry jaws of capitalism have taken hold of the presentation and marketing of this film. Marketing is important and you want a wide swath of the population to build excitement for an upcoming film. But the current marketing is excessive and causes the audience to ask a question: Are they trying to promote the film or simply profit off its popularity?
Now, I understand much of Hollywood is purely focused on cash-grab pursuits; this is no secret. But the cast and crew of this franchise are particularly clear about their reverence for the source material and the message the story presents. If their focus is truly on the good the film can do, should they not be focused most on spreading its message rather than selling its merchandise?
Over 400 corporate brands partnered with Universal Pictures to promote the first film, resulting in a slew of pink and green merchandise in late 2024. This time around, with “Wicked: For Good” released this month, there are many, many more products. Though there is no official census of how many brands are promoting the film, “Wicked” merchandise is everywhere. The items offered surpassed the usual slew of promotional wares. From deodorant to dishwasher pods, which claim to instill your dishes with scents of the Emerald City, there is “Wicked” merch for anything you can think of.
I am annoyed with the greedy aura the marketing has taken on. The creators are no longer concerned with honoring the source material and only with profiting off the public’s Oz-related obsession.
The irrelevance of the “Wicked” merchandise and its detraction from the message of the story is not my only qualm. What products I can appreciate for their dedication to rendering the characters accurately, like the recently released “Wicked” Barbie and American Girl Glinda and Elphaba dolls, are ridiculously expensive.
As economic difficulties become more pressing to everyday Americans, with the financial strain of the recent government shutdown and the rising prices caused by Trump’s tariffs, fewer people have the means to spend frivolously, making the witch-themed marketing push additionally unnecessary.
I feel that the over-saturation of brand deals surrounding the “Wicked: For Good” film is belittling the message of the film. Viewers should grasp the powerful and increasingly important themes of the story, not be berated by sparkly pink and green merchandise wherever they turn.