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'Wicked' is becoming a political Rorschach test and so many people are missing the point

Watching “Wicked” through a partisan lens is inherently problematic.

Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba and Ariana Grande plays Glinda in Jon M. Chu's "Wicked" adaptation.

Like millions of others, I recently watched Jon M. Chu's long-awaited movie adaptation of "Wicked," a musical prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" that offers an origin story for the Wicked Witch of the West. Plenty has been said about the film—the performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the stunning sets, the fun choreography, the questionable lighting— but I'm much more intrigued by people's strangely partisan responses to the story.

As we walked out of the movie theater, someone commented on how "timely" the story was, "considering everything happening in the current political climate." I assumed I knew what they meant, but after reading scores of reactions to the film, I realized I had no clue. People watching the exact same film are walking away with very different ideas about who the characters and the plot represent, with some seeing Donald Trump in the Wizard (a charlatan who feigns being great and powerful) and some seeing him in Elphaba (a misunderstood outsider challenging the establishment).

Unsurprisingly, people seem to be viewing it through polarized partisan lenses, and hoo boy, does that color what they are seeing.

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How are people walking out of "Wicked" with totally opposite political interpretations?

There's no question that the story of "Wicked" is political, tackling fascism, populism, charlatanism, scapegoating and manipulation of the masses. The protagonist, Elphaba, is someone who has been "othered," a victim of prejudice and propaganda, who sees the pathetic reality of "the man behind the curtain" and courageously thwarts his plot to make himself more powerful. What and who the storyline and characters represent in our "current political climate" is open to interpretation, however, and people are coming to polar opposite conclusions.

You know the famous Rorschach inkblot test used to analyze how people interpret what they're seeing? "Wicked" appears to be a film version of that for American politics.

Partisan lenses cause people to oversimplify a story that is purposefully complex

Everything stemming from those opposing interpretations colors how people view the rest of the film, with both sides insisting they have rock solid evidence for their viewpoint. However, the partisan lenses that lead people to feel more certain that their side is the right side—the "good" side—entirely misses the point.

Rorschach inkblotThe first inkblot in the Rorschach test.Public domain

The show explores multiple themes, but the biggie is that “good” and “evil” are complex and nuanced concepts. What appears to be evil or good is influenced by people's motivations, perceptions, prejudices, relationships, self-interest, propaganda, power, sense of the greater good, etc. The deep dive into the complexity of how those things influence what—and whom—we view as good or evil is what makes the show so beautifully compelling. The three times I saw "Wicked" on stage, I came away delightfully awed by how it made me question my biases and beliefs.

If you walk out of "Wicked" more certain about your worldview, you're missing the point.

The point of "Wicked" is that good vs. evil narratives are overly simplistic. Not only is everyone capable of good and evil, but having the full context is vital in determining what is actually good or evil—and even then, it's not always clear. As we will see in Part 2, even Glinda's opening question, "Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" proves to be overly simplistic because sometimes what is "wicked" is in the eye of the beholder. Ultimately, the show implores us to question what we believe about others and recognize how easy it is to be influenced by propaganda and fear-mongering. We aren't meant to come away more certain of our views.

That's not to say there aren't objectively good or evil actions or that some people don't indulge their evil tendencies more than their good. But there's a lot more gray area than our black-and-white public discourse, with its viral soundbites and hot takes and incentivized sensationalism, acknowledges.

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Prejudice makes us easy to control

Another big takeaway from "Wicked" is that people in positions of power will exploit our prejudices and manipulate our perceptions of good and evil to achieve their purposes. That's a message for all of us, not just for the people we believe are being deluded by populist politicians or unscrupulous media outlets. If anyone of any political persuasion walks out of “Wicked” thinking, “That's right! THOSE people are being duped by propaganda from evil leaders masquerading as great and powerful,” without recognizing how they themselves might just be in the same boat, they’ve missed the point. If people walk out more confident that their political side is "good" and the other side is "evil," no matter what side of the spectrum they’re on, they’ve also missed the point.

"Wicked" asks us to untangle ourselves from the prejudices and biases that make us easy to manipulate, and that starts with seeing the inherent potential for good and evil that we all share. If we continue to toss nuance and complexity out the window in favor of simplistic narratives about one another, if we refuse to try to acknowledge that we might not be as right as we think we are and others might not be as wrong as we think they are, we might as well just be flying monkeys.

Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande duked it out on Jimmy Fallon's 'The Tonight Show.'

There are pop stars, and then there are singers. While recording studio technology can make people sound like amazing singers, the proof is in their live performances.

Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande took it a whole step further on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," delivering not only a jaw-dropping live performance but doing so in the form of revolving pop diva hits in an "impossible karaoke" showdown. In less than five minutes, they showed off their combined ability to nail pretty much anything, from imitating iconic singers' styles to belting out well-known songs with their own vocal stylings.

Watch this and try not to be impressed:


There's a reason Kelly Clarkson won the first season of "American Idol" and went on to become a multiplatinum recording artist. What's funny is seeing some people in the replies saying they didn't know she could sing like that. Yes. Yes she can. And she has since the beginning.

Check out this performance of Celine Dion's "I Surrender" during the first season of "American Idol." At this point, she was an amateur singer and her vocal chords were stressed after weeks of rehearsing and competing, and she still knocked it out of the park. Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson both said they'd put her in the same league as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, and she's shown she deserves that classification over and over again since.

And Ariana Grande has made a name for herself for her ability to impersonate different singers while also sounding freaking amazing. Jimmy Fallon has had her on his show multiple times doing musical impressions. Check this one out from when she was just 21 years old. I mean, singing "The Wheels on the Bus" as Christina Aguilera? The woman can sing. Period.

So of course, having Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande singing together is a real treat. And they've gifted us with a delicious duet for the holiday season with a live performance of "Santa, Can't You Hear Me." Their voices complement one another so beautifully, with Grande's silvery sweetness and Clarkson's rich resonance. The amount of talent pouring forth from these ladies is simply unreal.

As Jimmy Fallon said, "How?"

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Ariana Grande's must-read response to a fan's rude tweet. Lesson learned.

"I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be."

On May 9, TMZ reported that Ariana Grande and her boyfriend of nearly two years, Mac Miller, had called it quits.

The following day she released a statement on the split in an Instagram story, calling Miller "one of my best friends in the whole world and favorite people on the planet," adding, "I respect and adore him endlessly and am grateful to have in my life in any form, at all times, regardless of how our relationship changes or what the universe holds for each of us!"


People grow, people change, and sometimes relationships come to an end. That's normal.

What's not normal is saying Grande had an obligation to stay in a relationship with Miller, as one Twitter user suggested. Grande explained why.

"Mac Miller totaling his G wagon and getting a DUI after Ariana Grande dumped him for another dude after he poured his heart out on a 10 song album to her called the divine feminine is just the most heartbreaking thing happening in Hollywood," Twitter user @FlintElijah posted.

This, in turn, prompted a response from Grande, slamming the culture of blaming and shaming women for the men in their life.

Grande's response:

"How absurd that you minimize female self-respect and self-worth by saying someone should stay in a toxic relationship because he wrote an album about them, which [by the way] isn't the case (just ‘Cinderella’ is [about] me). I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be. I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety and prayed for his balance for years (and always will of course) but shaming/blaming women for a man's inability to keep his shit together is a very major problem. Let's stop doing that. Of course I didn't share about how hard or scary it was while it was happening but it was. I will continue to pray from the bottom of my heart that he figures it all out and that any other woman in this position does as well."

This isn't the first time Grande has responded to public criticism with personal and important commentary we can all learn from.

In this case, her response nails two key points about how we treat others:

First, it's not fair to expect someone to stay in a relationship they don't want to be in. Everyone is dealing with their own highs and lows. And secondly, we need to trust others to make decisions they feel are best for them, and support them through it all.

Grande performs at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival. Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella.

In the end, the original tweeter offered a sincere apology, which Grande accepted. He heard the message, and so should the rest of us.

On Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, more than 2 million people all over the world marched for gender equality rights. Many celebrities were right there with them.

After all, female celebrities — no matter how famous they are — will not escape the gender injustices that are likely to arise in our new administration. So they took their place in the crowds alongside fellow activists, loudly echoing their sentiments every step of the way, as per the Women's March mission:

"We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country."

Some also used their celebrity status to push the message out even further by giving bold, impassioned speeches in front of the masses.

Scarlett Johansson at the Women's March on Washington. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images.


But whether they were in front of a microphone, holding a sign, or sporting a pink pussy hat, their presence among the masses was inspiring. So much of the march was about inclusivity and sharing that purpose with like-minded celebrities reminded people that no one is above that concept.

Here are 27 activist celebrities who marched for the cause.

1. Ashley Judd gave a heart-stopping rendition of Nina Donovan's "Nasty Woman" poem.

2. Elizabeth Gilbert brought an appropriately revised copy of her book, "Eat, Pray, Love."

3. Ariana Grande marched with her female role model — her grandmother.

everything #womensmarch #myrock #queeeent

A video posted by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande) on

4. Connie Britton rocked a Planned Parenthood poster in Park City, Utah.

5. Katy Perry made a new feminist friend at the Los Angeles march.

Today a feminist got her wings. Thank you @gloriasteinem ❤👼🏼

A photo posted by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on

6. Jessica Chastain casually handed out love buttons at the march in Washington, D.C. NBD.

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images.

7. Drew Barrymore's daughter Frankie's sign was honest and on point.

Proud of my daughter and her dad.

A photo posted by Drew Barrymore (@drewbarrymore) on

8. If anyone messes with Melissa Benoist (aka Supergirl) and her vagina, they'll be very, very sorry.

9. I'd say Brie Larson's fans appreciated her presence among them.

10. America Ferrera's speech at the March on Washington kicked off the day. Watch it here.

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images.

11. Ian McKellen marched in London with a poster of Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard. Needless to say, people couldn't get enough of him.

12. Scarlett Johansson's speech on how Planned Parenthood helped during her teen years brought the house down.

13. Gillian Anderson sported a "We the People" poster designed by Shepard Fairey.

14. Mandy Moore paired up with the inimitable Jane Fonda.

15. "Hidden Figures" actress Janelle Monae's speech says it all.

16. Maggie Gyllenhaal and her brother Jake did the Women's March on Washington sibling-style.

17. Amber Tamblyn and Amy Schumer mutually supported women's rights (and NASA).

18. Sometimes there's an actor who was in a movie your protest poster is quoted from, and everything's suddenly right with the world.

19. A highlight from one epic speech by Gloria Steinem.

20. Chelsea Handler, together with Charlize Theron and Mary McCormack, were "loud and proud" at Sundance in Park City, Utah.

21. Nick Offerman wore a pussy hat with pride (as well as some snow).

22. "Orange Is the New Black's" Jackie Cruz showed off major sign skills.

The rise of the Woman= The rise of the Nation 🇺🇸 @womensmarch #womensmarchonwashington

A photo posted by Jackie Cruz (@msjackiecruz) on

23. And Amy Poehler would not be Amy Poehler without creating a hilariously awkward situation.

24. Comedian Jenny Slate carried a sign for someone who couldn't make it to the march.

25. Alicia Keys took sisterhood selfies.

26. Zendaya was just one more in the over 500,000 person crowd in Washington, D.C.

27. And, finally, the feminist who started #HeForShe did her part for gender equality while hanging with her mom, taking photos of kids, and laughing with strangers who are now friends.

Seeing the icons we look up to marching for what's right is one heck of a reminder that we're far from alone in this fight.

Their presence at these protests makes a difference on many levels, but perhaps the most significant is showing we are all unified under one purpose. And we are going to keep defending each other and every group  marginalized under Trump's administration.

Over the next four years, we will be up against a government that may try to strip us of our human rights at every turn. The more powerful, publicly known voices who stand with us and amplify our frustrations, the harder it will be for them to be ignored.