Wicked has some interesting politics feat @Princess_Weekes
Join me at Nebula here—http://go.nebula.tv/signifiedbsides
Watch my Nebula original on the Boondocks here—https://nebula.tv/videos/workingtitles-47-the-boondocks-fdsignifier
More @Princess_Weekes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHJ8pZNX2nc&t=296s&pp=ygUPcHJpbmNlc3Mgd2Vla2Vz
@IndiaHamilton-e8e
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Black girls in theatre have a long history of instinctively identifying w/ Elphaba, the same way Black kids in general automatically claimed Piccolo in Dragon Ball or the entire cast of A Goofy Movie. In my case, as a chubby (former) overachiever educated exclusively in predominantly white, private institutions, I deeply connected not just with Elphaba’s experience of hypervisibility/othering, but also the way she rejects the trappings of traditional femininity as a reaction to the knowledge that she by definition can never fulfill that ideal. When I saw the casting for the film, I honestly couldn’t believe they had the insight and integrity to highlight on screen what so many of us had been dreaming of for decades. I know Black women have been cast as Elphaba on stage, but that’s not nearly the same as centering an unambiguously Black woman in a highly anticipated, big budget, international production. And I’ll forever love these films for that, even it means conditionally co-signing Cynthia Erivo’s anti-Black American buffoonery.
@sylvesterfox9185
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
2:16 I thought it was funny. 👍🏾
@Danielmolloydepointedulac
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
My fave YouTubers ❤
@Ivy.s_venom
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
BARBARA HOWARD SHOUT OUT TO ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
@missfrostproof07
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Johnny Cage.
@AJBanks-j6u
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
I don't think the book meant to hit the race in how we took it but it did with the munchkins which Elbhoa also is via the father who raised here or even how the Oz did overtly do it with the race of humans vs animals especially cause Glinda who yes is performative in a lot of ways is only that way cause she's not as rich as her counter parts (you find out in the books). Also this is before you probably saw the part 2 which goes into her actions a tad more (not as much I would have preferred) but the book didn't give it much since it still tied back to the orginal. Also agree on Fuero and generally @Princess_Weekes take.
@akira84729
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Lol "more goth girls" ITS MY TIMEEEEEE
@spice615
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Weekes hitting us with the Valentina "Ally" out of nowhere got her an immediate sub from me,
@spencerfernandez1360
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Fieyro isn't blue in the book, he's brown with blue tattoos, and if I remember correctly he is meant to be indigenous.
@elled1321
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Knowing what CE has said about US Black women, I just couldn’t make myself watch it.
@Justabadseed
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
The books really are a mess oh my god. I read the book Wicked first because that is my way, and i was genuinely like who tf would want to or how the fuck could this be made into a stage musical. And then you read the sequel and it gets even more fucking bizarre, there really arent any good guys, which i guess is realistic in its own way.
@alexbennet4195
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Oh my god. These people just so transparently talk so much shit. How did I ever take these people seriously
@Marker646
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
i think making wicked about race does a disservice to the actual meaning of the musical, this version as a movie is even more pinkwashed than the musical and its because being black is just more widely accepted now than being openly gay
@josephball2623
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
In the Wicked Novel, Fiyero is portrayed as a person of color with Blue Diamond tattoos over his body. He himself is not blue, but he is othered at Shiz University and forms a friendship with Elphaba which only turns romantic when they meet again many years later after she has become known as a political extremist in Oz
@OniOniOnii
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
1:18:35 there's no fucking way ppl were arguing with me in twitch chat, saying Mark should have revived someone right here to help with scanner, there's just no fucking way.
@BiggerinRealLife
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
I worked the Wicked show when it previewed is SF before Broadway and the makeup was incredibly racist. Fiero wasn’t only blue, he had scales. They tried that at first on stage. It didn’t test well. So they changed him to white with blue tattoos. And it didn’t test well. So that’s how we got the Fiero we did before it went to Broadway. He was never a great character, but watching his makeup literally get whitewashed so he could be a viable love interest to Kristen Chenowith (perfect blonde, toss toss) was awful.
@BiggerinRealLife
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Weekes is my GURL!!!!! In the queerest sense and Wicked fandom of the word. Happy every time I see you collab.
@morganworkman4165
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Can we get a part 2?
@hi_kate1
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
This video was very interesting. Thank you to you and Princess for making it!
I've been avoiding actually watching Wicked myself because of the interesting choices they made regarding disability (not just the movie but the play too).
But I've watched Dominic Noble's videos so I know the whole plot.
@SleepyKittenz
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
7:13 Witchcraft isn’t about aesthetics…..
@britishscooby
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
TIL Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel were married!!!
@britishscooby
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
It's terrible but spent the whole film thinking about how the right are going to narrativise this to metaphorically be about them being cancelled or something instead of the like 1:1 allegory of actual imprisonment of minorities. Betting now they'll say it's about having to wear a mask when it's literally about segregation
They probably think the thing the Wizard lies about is the existence of trans people
@juniperrodley9843
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Princess Weekes yay :3
@juniperrodley9843
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Lesbian stamp of approval on the comment about Black women dressed as witches
@rpols22
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
If you think those wmbw youtube stories are bad, you should check out all the IR romance novels that are "allowed" to be published.
Seriously, no BS, like 99.9999% of IR romance novels are wmbw combinations. They are almost NEVER bmww. I am not exactly sure why. I do know that most publishers are ww. I have some theories but I haven't quite figured out the motive yet.
@Matybigfro
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
When you say 'no I towards reasons' and no one believes you!
@Manlyman47
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
as a white straight male in my 30s i feel like this isnt a movie I should enjoy but I really did. Fantastic characthers (the two mains especially) and some amazing visuals. (and decent music as well).
@luckybear101
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Wicked: a prequel to a movie that was based on a stage play that was based on a book, which itself was adapted into a stage play that was adapted into a movie.
@luckybear101
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
First, finally someone talks about the fact that Fiyero isn’t white! That’s been bothering me for years, yet no one seems to know what I’m talking about. But also in a purely book related rant: Elphaba is green. Fiyero is blue. Yet they have a white child. Make it make sense. 😂 Obviously, the green skin is only present in the female descendants (thus why Liir’s daughter Rain is green), but his father is blue. Why is that boy white???? Also, I find cutting out Liir is kind of stupid in the long run. He’s the protagonist of the second book. I get that at the time the play originally aired “Son of a Witch” hadn’t been published yet, but adding him back in the movie would have been great sequel material. The one time Hollywood as the chance to set a sequel up organically and they refuse to take it.
@Babycalendula
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Thank you for talking about the deep roots of racism and prejudice in the pagan and witch community!! I feel like i am yelling into a void about this
@Adriana-vw3pv
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
white woman reaction and wicked two spoilers: i think one of the interesting things about Fiyero is that him and Glinda start out in the same position but Fiyero is what white allies wish they’d be in that he actually has the guts to go „this society were in is fucked up. this situation is fucked up. i’m gonna give up on my privilege and put myself in danger for the marginalised people i love and what I know is right“ and he does suffer for it but the movie does tell us that he did the right thing (at least imo).
but maybe that’s just me attempting to find a reason to like him other than „jonathan bailey hot“
@stillblu
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
I have a question that I hope I don't get "cancelled" for why throughout history Jewish people had to wear "markers" so people knew who and where they were? And if this question has been answered before please send a link
@morganransom4969
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
waiting patiently for uncles take on pt 2 (as mid as 'for good' was) 😌
@Matthew-ir7wq
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Haven't read the book in years. I dont remember race being a factor because she was the only green person in that world. She didnt have a race, she was the only one
@merpderpyerp
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
6:31 BARBARA HOWARD YESSSS
@HauntFreak13
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Have you seen Wicked: For Good yet? The Wizard is totally supposed to be Trump.
“They’re not going to believe it … I could tell them that I’ve been lying to them till I’m — forgive me, blue in the face — but wouldn’t make any difference. They’re never going to stop believing in me. You know why? Because they don’t want to.”
Trump’s MAGA cult.
@RachaeltheSpicyHobbit
September 16, 2026 at 6:34 am
Kinda getting scary the level of censorship, where you can't even say Palestine. I hope we can replace YT with a better platform for humans soon.
Comments are closed.