With the increased popularity of Wicked came new conversations about its significance. Critique on stage production, actors, and marketing strategies was at the forefront of everyone’s media consumption. The less talked about critique highlighted issues that can be analyzed through a Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES) and Women and Gender Studies (WGST) lens. The movie has a clear social hierarchy that is clearly shown through the main protagonists: Elphaba and Glinda. Through these characters, we are able to see issues of race, social class, and power.
Elphaba is seen as an “other” due to the difference in color of her skin. Before she speaks, people have made assumptions of her based on her appearance. These assumptions are solely based on the color of her skin. This mirrors racial discrimination that appears in our reality; there are stereotypes that are linked to people of color that are not based in personality or their identity.
At the beginning, we see how Elphaba’s powers only amplified her “otherness,” and then her powers are considered magical because Madame Morrible accepted her. The narrative switches once Elphaba does not want to abide by the imposed rules. Once Elphaba challenges the oppressive system, she is branded dangerous. This same form of assimilation is also seen in our reality, where marginalized individuals are expected to conform to norms, and when they resist, they are excluded once again. Glinda, however, has a very different experience. Her experience is one of praise; she is traditionally feminine, and because she is the societal expectation, she is the standard to live up to. Glinda is used to functioning in a society that benefits her and we see this in scenes where she is upset that she has to share a room with Elphaba.
“I was promised a private suite” are Glinda’s exact words, her discontent does not exactly stem from greed, but the fact that she sees this as unfair, since she was promised something and that has now been taken away.
There is more to Glinda than meets the eye. At first glance Glinda comes off as stuck up, selfish, and conceited, but in the film we are able to dive deeper into her motives. All of Oz is convinced that popularity and beauty come naturally to Glinda, but we see how these things are only achieved through deep plotting and despair. The moment that Glinda arrives at Shiz she is planning her rise to popularity. Songs like Popular also allow us to see that Glinda is aware of all the work that goes into gaining popularity. Realizing that both Glinda and Elphaba struggle to fit in allows us as the viewer to analyze social expectations that are placed on women. Even the “perfect” woman will not feel like enough, and will grasp at straws to fit in. Through a reflective lens, the narrative in this film reinforces the racialized and gendered power structures that shape both Oz and our own world.