This week I watched Wicked, Part 1, a musical fantasy film from last November, having no idea that Part 2, Wicked: For Good is set to release in less than a month on November 21. Seeing Wicked brought to mind one of my rubber stamps for paper crafting—oft mentioned in my Other Worldly series—which says, “It ain’t easy being green.”
I’m now the newest in what must surely be a long line of Elphaba fans. But I’m also subsequently experiencing agitated dreams due to the film’s uncanny connection to current events that some appallingly call mere politics, but I view as basic human rights and humanity —as in decency and compassion.
First, let me just say that I was wholly clueless about, and new to, Wicked, a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and based upon a Broadway adaptation of Wicked the book, not having read or seen either. But having now experienced this first film, it has become imperative to read the four Wicked books now available by Gregory Maguire, with a fifth to release in March 2025. That’s how enthralled I was by this initial treat of onscreen Wicked.
My lack of familiarity meant I was not aware of previous controversy over Universal splitting their theatrical adaptation into two films, but it’s probably good they did, given the 160-minute length of Part 1. Which probably wouldn’t have been such a problem for me if not for the panic attack it induced at the mid-way point, or just beyond.
Did anyone else get horrific chills when the human male professor, brought in to unceremoniously replace the forcibly and violently removed goat professor, strode into the classroom with a caged lion cub, espousing how it represents the future? He then proceeds to strike at the cage with some sort of rod, causing the cub to recoil in fear.
Did I just mention humanity? How about inhumanity toward animals?
In this angst-inducing scene, earnest student Elphaba (how marvelous Cynthia Erivo is in the role) reacts with chagrin and dismay to the callous and cruel treatment of another sentient being—her concern unfortunately not shared by her classmates—when she confronts this alarming new professor by asking, if this is such a good thing for animals, why is this one trembling?
Because it’s happy to be here, the creepy sadist responds with a chilling smile.
Right. Sure. Gaslighting 101, and straight out of our current abominable administration’s playbook, not to mention Congressional Republican milksops diligently and dastardly playing along with atrocities they would decry if done by Democrats. Such heinous hypocrisy, with horrific results.
I immediately pictured Steven Miller or Kristi Noem—not to mention other placating Nazi sycophants such as House Speaker Mike Johnson and VP JD Vance (or whatever his real name is)— spewing the same sick smarmy lies in response to twisted, sadistic stunts that make daily disturbing headlines.
Don’t worry, it’s actually good for those young immigrant children to be zip-tied behind their backs. Besides, they’re illegal.
That dog needed killing.
They’re eating the dogs.
I didn’t see it so it didn’t happen. I’m not aware of it so it doesn’t exist. Praise God.
Some animals are more equal than others.
That last one is actually straight out of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, but you get the picture. Some folks see humans as superior to animals and use religious scripture as their reference, and MAGA minions see many humans as “mere” animals. Dehumanization is and always has been their Gestapo tactic when it comes to immigrants—or anyone who doesn’t look like them or believe in their self-aggrandizing concept of a deity.
I was plagued by this cruelty, this gruesome gaslighting scene in Wicked, just as I often am by the maniacal machinations of these revile-worthy Republicans—at three in the morning. Because Wicked is literally haunting my dreams, and I still fret about the dear professor who happened to be a goat, as well as all of the other animals gone “missing” in Oz.
Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible (that name ought to have been a clue as to what was coming, but boy howdy does she ultimately portray a scary villain) and Jeff Goldblum as the deceptively bumbling Wizard bring new meaning to the actual face of evil —and it damn well isn’t green.
That which is seemingly benevolent and harmless can be the most frightening of all when the awful reality is revealed. Because some humans will do anything—and say anything—for the sake of power. Sound sordidly familiar, anyone?
Of course it’s not the so-called wicked witch who is wicked.
Being wicked, in reality and in this film’s message, is turning your back on wrongdoing, or embracing cruelty for the sick sake of it. Wicked is going along with despicable perpetrators to get ahead, or to selfishly get along with those representing pure and unadulterated evil.
Too much of that is happening in the US right now. With far too many of the populace not able to recognize wicked when they see it—especially in themselves because of whom and what they support.
For instance, the current obnoxious and dangerous refrain of how all Republicans aren’t MAGA and therefore they aren’t all bad. Like there are still good people in Oz, even if they continue to support those committing atrocities by keeping silent about things that should matter?
Do good people really pretend that bad things aren’t happening to other living beings? Or do good people actually care about others, speak up in their defense, and speak out against (and not continue to vote for) the evildoers?
These so-called “still good people”—along the lines of Glinda the Good Witch—tend to be much scarier than any so-called wicked witch, their complacency and/or complicity far more horrific than a gruesome slasher movie.
Those who see no evil and hear no evil when it is occurring right before their enabling eyes are the evil ones. Make no mistake. They are the wicked. Pure and simple.
There’s nothing good about supporting or blithely discounting bigotry, hate, cruelty, and audacious indifference to suffering. And that is what Republicans are doing whether or not they label themselves MAGA.
It’s almost Halloween and high time we quit with the “still good people” mealymouthed excuse. Enough with the attempted tomfoolery and gaslighting trickery. Time to remove the mask and call a monster a monster, whether they are pathetically passive Republicans or the arbitrarily aggressive MAGA version. Because when it comes to being wicked, there is no difference within the GOP, which should now stand for Guardians of Pedophiles. Talk about sheer shameless wickedness. No way to sugar-coat that into a palatable treat.