The magical movie musicalWickedexplores the themes of good versus evil and how blurry those lines can be. Cynthia Erivo, who plays protagonist Elphaba, has recently gotten her own taste ofthese dark themes from Gregory Maguire’sWickedbookon which the musical is based. After a fan tweeted a photo of theWickedmovie poster re-edited with the iconic witch’s hat covering Erivo’s eyes and some ofElphaba’s green skin, the actress immediately responded with distaste. Erivo’s quick negative reaction spurred backlash from fans,though.
Pop star Ariana Grande, who plays opposite Erivo, has gotten her ownWickedbacklash with the casting controversy of her as Glinda. She has chimed in with support for her co-star and friend over the re-edited poster, while also admitting this is a complicated and sensitive issue. It’s a scenario that shows the often treacherous paths actors have to navigate regarding fans and their intentions.
Why A Wicked Fan Poster Received Criticism From Cynthia Erivo
Erivo Said The Poster Was Offensive and Hurtful
The originalWickedposter depicted Grande’s Glinda whispering in the ear of Erivo’s Elphaba. However,Wickedfan@midosommar, re-edited the posters as an AI version that masked Erivo’s face with shadow, and also painted her green lips red and changed Grande’s hand placement to further up on her face. WhenErivo initially saw theWickedposter re-edit, her first reactionwas that it was rude and harmful. “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen,” she wrote in anInstagram storywith the re-edited poster. “Our poster is an homage, not an imitation. [T]o edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.”
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In the interest of the full context, the fan saidthey were trying to pay homage to the original illustrated Broadway musical poster, which was very similar to the movie poster, except Elphaba’s eyes are in shadow, half her face covered. However, Erivo explained that revealing her eyes in the movie poster was a purposeful choice to communicate with viewers.
How The Wicked Fan Poster Backlash Became Controversial
Fans Say The Poster Was Meant To Honor The Musical Poster
The user @midosommar initially deleted her tweet after Erivo’s response. But after encouragement online, and because other memes and re-creations of her poster edit had been circulating by that time, anyway, she reposted it on October 20. Most fans have expressed their belief that it was meant to be a creative expression and tribute to the original Broadway poster and was never meant to insult Erivo. The reactions ranged from harshly critical of Erivo to far more understanding, but the general consensus has been that her initial reaction was in response to a negative read the fan never intended.
“This is, and always was, an innocent fan edit to pay homage to the original Broadway poster, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” @midosommar tweeted alongside the re-edited poster. She concluded her series of tweets explaining why she chose to re-post the art with: “Also, I will say that Cynthia is valid in having her feelings on the matter, and I’m also valid in wanting to keep my version of the poster up as I truly meant no harm with it and just made it as a way to show love for the original. Both can be true.” It was a thoughtful and measured response.
What Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande Have Said Since The Wicked Poster Caused Backlash
Cynthia Regrets Her Initial Reaction
Ariana Grande responded to theWickedposter edit controversyin mid-October, saying that, while AI can cause trouble, she also understands that fans are still going to have fun making their own edits. But her support still swayed in favor of her co-star, saying,“I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much.”Wickeddirector John Chu also posted his support of Erivo in an Instagram story, calling her “his superhero.“Erivo also responded to theWickedposter backlash, revealing a much more thoughtful explanation, noting that she probably should have talked to others first:
It wasn’t necessarily a clapback.
Because I think I’m really protective of the role and just as, I’m passionate, I am passionate about it, and I know that the fans are passionate about it, and I think for me, it was just like a human moment of, like, wanting to protect little Elphaba. And that was like a human moment. I probably should have called my friends.
Ultimately, it’s not for anyone to judge Erivo for how she felt or didn’t feel about theWickedposter edit; she is a human and feels as a human. Still, it provided a good learning opportunity regarding public perception and interacting with fans. This movie is Erivo’s highest-profile role to date, and ifWickedis as big a hit as it appears it might be, there will be more fan edits and memes and fan art to come.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
