SUPER MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
I wrote about the first Wicked film when I started my blog here and I watched the stageplay twice back when I lived in London and so I loved this podcast by an(other) perspective media. I did the animation, editing and music. It was great collaborating with an artist I admire and respect.
Check out the first 7 mins of the podcast for free. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel as well, share with your friends that have watched WIcked For Good we want to hear what you think of this perspective.
Description from the creator:
Couldn't let the year end without saying this.. Trying something new in my life. So, I actually recorded this in the car once I got home from the cinema. No notes, first take, one take - so this as initial of reaction I think you can get. I’m not going to apologise for the stuttering, struggling to get my words out, messing up my words or repeating myself, because I’m a human being and not an AI.
I haven’t watched Wicked For Good since, and I won’t be :( I only apologised in the beginning because I feel like Wicked, the cast and fans have been ridiculed quite a lot online and this is in no way to add to that - its just a critique of the storytelling.
Check out the full thing on www.lovebuilderofworlds.blog where I am featured as a guest contributor (lots of YouTube-UNfriendly language and concepts in the rest of it - but for a spoiler, Hello My Twenties will be mentioned!).
If there’s something I said that offends you, remember.. it’s just another perspective. My words here are not law or even fully coherent thought, I am ranting. Just enjoy hearing another perspective. (NB: definition of ‘experiential’: involving or based on experience and observation).
Thank you for listening!
Video description: A pixel art animation of a West African person with short black hair, wearing a green top in front of a pink background. They are looking directly into the camera.
Transcript:
Welcome to an(other) perspective, a space where commentary is experiential, where the evidence is existence as one knows it, and therefore also, the lack thereof. ****music****
Now that I've watched part 2 I have to express my just, disappointment with Wicked I'm so sorry like I couldn't be more sorry because, I genuinely feel like watching Cynthia Erivo perform and hearing Cynthia Erivo sing has genuinely like with no exaggeration given me a new lease on life, it has really given me something to aspire to. I would love to be at good as writing as Cynthia Erivo is at singing and emoting. Like, her voice gives me like a physical reaction in my body it is STUNNING and I think her performances across both of the Wicked films were truly like, they were heartfelt, they were sincere they were measured, they were- they were deep.. there was like a fountain- there was a deep well of emotions there. And I feel like she really pulled from them, and I really got that in the performance I also feel like it- cinematography everything it looked absolutely BEAUTIFUL.
It looked SO aesthetically pleasing and-and Paul Tazewell - my goodness, those costumes were magnificent. The storytelling does not exist in these two films. I'm really really really really really really really really sorry. And it started off with the first film after you watch the first film in the cinema and you watch it like two- another like by the second or the third watch, you're like huh like..there's not actually much.. that happened here. But I wanna talk about part 2, because I literally just watched it. There was a lot of story missing, and by that I'm not saying that they didn't follow the the play. I'm not saying that um and I did watch the play once when I was a kid, um the musical and I really enjoyed it but that- like- the people that I went with to see- to see the film told me that this part 2 is in line with what happens in the musical and what happens on stage and I was like okay if that's the case then Wicked isn't as great as you guys have been saying because where is the story? Where is the drama? Where? Like where? What was Elphaba doing all of those months learning magic? Like where was the trying and failing to learn magic? Where was the depression from the solitude? Where was her doing her darnedest to convince the animals that - actually - she isn't an opp? Even though she did do that to uh Chistery and co? She's actually on their side and that's why um Oz and the Wizard of Oz is against her? Where was that scene? Where was us, you know, reflecting on her treatment?
And reflecting on how actually while she was being bullied at Shiz, Nessa never showed up for her - and that's why it was easier for her to make that decision to not return when their father died do you know what I mean like even in the year and the- and then that scene having that scene in there would be um- would still fit in with the story because guess what Nessa betrayed her- again! EXACTLY, EXACTLY.
where was the-the private reflections of Madame Morrible after every uh- not after every announcement but at least after one announcement having you know memories of of her and Elphaba bonding? Where was the- Where was the- Where was the back and forth? Where was the... what's the word? Where was the duality? Like.. where was the Judas of it all? Do you know what I mean like, is it me Jesus? Like is it me ?
YEAH! like you were her teacher you like- where were those memories? Where was like even Madame Morrible maybe she was happy to drop Elphaba in it-Elphaba in it because she realized how powerful she was As stated in the first film when she said I can't-I can only read but a few words of the Grimmerie, here comes Elphaba first crack out of the book. Like where's the memories of her looking at Elphaba "actually you're actually a little bit too powerful for me and, if I ever need to take you down I will." Like where was that thought? Where was that scene? Like for Madame Morrible to turn on the dime..? Why does Madame Morrible hate the fucking a-animals so much? Did an animal kill her mum? What are we talking about? And I fucking HATE I hate allegory I hate allegories for racism for slavery I- cause you guys you never do it well that's why I fucking hate robots by Channel 4 I HATE THAT SHIT. It's so fucking racist because there isn't any actual heartfelt- there's like- it you can just tell, the people that are using this allegory have- they you've like you like- the marginalisation that black people and Africans specifically have had to face in the western world you've never experienced that emotion and you DON'T know how to tell that story.
In the first um film, we should have seen Elphaba trying to assimilate beyond a hair flick like have you never met a black girl in your life? it's so ANNOYING. It's so annoying and it's so fucking disappointing, it doesn't make any fucking sense. It doesn't make any fucking sense and d'you know what? Elphaba, maybe she should have come up with a little wig! She was- she- she- maybe she should have come up with a little straight wig. Like, as like, and like if we're gonna go there - then let's really go there let's do ASSIMILATION. Let's do Elphaba acting like she's no longer i-intelligent acting like Gli-Glinda in that regard as well. Being in class like "oh what's going on?" do you know what I mean? Like, let's do fucking assimilation, if we're gonna go then then let's GO. Let's do- let's do the thing, let's tell the story..
And what is the time frame because as as Elphaba's younger sister When did- what-what age did Nessa Rose become the governorafter her dad died??? What are we talking about? And speaking of Nessa Rose- give me more give me MORE..GIVE ME MORE. I feel like one of the things that is missing from the story is INTENT. Where was everyone's intent from the apart aside from the fact that she had green skin? Jealousy, envy- envy is green hello? let's like, hello? Hello? Hello?
So what about a trial run retirement that is a sabbatical but has elements of what comes to mind when you hear retirement?
What will I be doing?
Whatever I feel like
I'll be focused on my hobbies
I will not submit my work to publications outside of https://www.ololufe-collective.art/
I will not be pitching my work for grants
I will not apply for art residencies
I'll be applying for basic artist income
I will be archiving and backing up my work
I'll be resharing my art
I'll be reimagining my art
I will spend more time in and around water and bodies of water
I will learn Yorùbá
I will experiment
I will not be doing any auditions
I will spend time with my friends
I'll be volunteering
I'll be travelling
I'll host virtual events
I'll do mentoring and one day workshops
Focus on my health
222 years of Haitian Independence, we have to follow in their footsteps and tear this plantation down!!
Direct support and mutual aid are central to our liberation.
It's about getting spiritual, sabotaging the plantation and redirecting resources to build something different.
Image description
A poster for a mutual aid request, with a purple starry night background. It reads: URGENT AND ONGOING MUTUAL AID NEED
A Black queer disabled person is in need of survival funds while receiving breast cancer treatment. They have had no luck job searching and their applications for government aid have been stalled or denied so far. All safe hands are urgently needed on deck! Funds sent will go towards helping them pay rent (most urgent need at the moment), get groceries, medical expenses like cancer treatment, and general upkeep. Please send any amount you can to help a Black disabled MaGe survive!
Their pay links : Cashapp: genevievejupiter, PayPal/Venmo: nubulagalaxie, Gofundme for stage 2 triple negative breast cancer treatment and support ---> and a QR code is shown.
Second image: A poster for a mutual aid request, with a pink background, bordered by pink flowers. It reads:URGENT AND ONGOING MUTUAL AID NEED
A Black Haitian family of 6 are in urgent need of community support. They were without power for several weeks, which caused their apartment to be condemned for mold and water damage.
Their mother is disabled and recovering from long COVID while trying to care/provide for the entire family. All safe hands are urgently needed on deck! Funds sent will go towards helping them rebuild, pay rent, catch up on utility bills, get groceries, childcare, medical expenses, and general upkeep. Please send any amount you can to help this Black family survive!
Mother's pay links : Venmo: designs47, PayPal: jude4799, Gofundme for long COVID recovery, surgery, and other medical needs ---> and a QR code is shown.