I Want More Nuance To Be Entered Into The Discussion Of The Green Girl Sorority And How Differently Cynthia

i want more nuance to be entered into the discussion of the green girl sorority and how differently cynthia plays elphaba in comparison to those who came before her because while a lot of people are rightfully like "why was elphaba not black from the beginning" and celebrating that she is now being played by a black woman, i think we need to be careful in just writing off all the elphabas of the past as Random White Girls when the role was championed (and often followed/succeeded) by a jewish woman

the pop culture archetype of the Wicked Witch has deep roots in antisemitism stretching faaaar far back. there is a level of reclamation happening in casting idina menzel, a jewish woman, to play the Misunderstood and Maligned young girl who is branded as exactly that. and stage!Elphaba is also written and acted with jewish stereotypes in mind--she is loud, aggressive, no-nonsense, blunt. she is quick to advocate for herself and shut down the discrimination she faces. all of this is very intentional! her personality is abrasive from years of abuse, and that makes propagandizing her easy. this is literally the thesis statement of the musical--it's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed.

cynthia's performance of elphaba is fucking INSPIRED despite going in a completely different direction. she's much more reserved, analytical, one of her key character traits is how well she can read people (see her calling out Galinda as insecure/putting on airs in their first scene together, clocking that Fiyero is using his party guy persona as a shield for his own depression) elphaba's attempts to blend in and make herself smaller all fail simply because of her existence, if not that then because she feels empathy so strongly she often struggles to hold back from acting, protecting.

personality wise, though, cynthia's elphaba is very quiet and closed-off, not at all the bullet-to-the-face that she is in the stage show, and... she still gets propagandized and maligned. though this seems to contradict the other interpretation, it tells of the other end of the spectrum of propaganda, one that black women watching (and many, MANY other marginalized folks) are sure to identify with--it does not matter how "nice," how reserved, how small a black woman makes herself. a racist society will still scrutinize her every action for a way to parse ill intent from it, brand her as an angry black woman who is dangerous and wicked, and write off any humanity she has in the process.

these two very different interpretations tell of the lie of assimilation. the fact of the matter is, when you are marginalized, there is no way to sand down your edges enough to make the people oppressing you "accept" you. that is why wicked is a tragedy at its core. whether loud and aggressive or quiet and unimposing, there is nothing elphaba could have done to make the people of Oz see her as anything other than a scapegoat to blame all their problems on.

so while i definitely appreciate that people are excited for black girl era elphaba, i would encourage us all to still show appreciation for what came before--that was not white girl era elphaba. that was jewish girl era elphaba. two houses, both alike in dignity, two stories both worth being told.

HERE WE GO MOTHERFUCKERS

82K notes View Post

fifthdimensionalgarbagehell

4 years ago

Not to be political but I’m just so fucking angry right now

Surya Bonaly was a black Olympic figure skater for France in the 1990’s. During one of her routines, she did a backflip.

Yes, you heard me. A fucking backflip. On ICE.

No-one else has done that since.

Anyway, the judges were racist as hell, and didn’t like that one bit. A black woman showing up the competition? God forbid. So they told her the move didn’t count for her score because she didn’t land on one leg, like people are apparently supposed to in Olympic figure skating.

In response, this incredible woman, during her next routine, did another backflip and landed on one leg. What’s more, she finished the routine with her back to the judges, like a boss.

Predictably, the judges didn’t like that either. They said she shouldn’t do that anymore, since it was “too dangerous” and they didn’t want her encouraging others to try to do the same (nevermind that triple axels and shit are dangerous as fuck too).

But she kept doing it.

Again.

And again.

It was like her personal ‘fuck you’ to the judges every time she performed.

Because this woman is a badass.

Anyway, I’m just so mad that they refused to give her marks for fucking backflipping on ice. I’m mad that she only ever got silver. And I’m furious that I’d never heard of her till now.

Not To Be Political But I’m Just So Fucking Angry Right Now

9 notes View Post

fifthdimensionalgarbagehell

2 years ago

posted this over on twitter so u may have it here too <3

7K notes View Post

fifthdimensionalgarbagehell

1 month ago

My friends and I call this “returning to our roots” and it happens very frequently. Cringe is dead and we are free

"back on my bullshit" in reference to recurring hyperinterests dating back to middle school and beyond

14K notes View Post

fifthdimensionalgarbagehell

1 year ago

Cleaning with ADHD all about momentum. Its like being a shark, if you stop moving you just straight up die.

172K notes View Post

fifthdimensionalgarbagehell

5 years ago

February 16th-22nd is Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week.

(ID: an image with a green background, white text says "Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week", black text below says "February 16-22" and "Celebrating the aro spectrum community." The the right are the gray aromantic and aromantic pride flags with photo-like frames.)

748 notes View Post

fifthdimensionalgarbagehell

4 years ago

My little brother (2 years old) really likes brushing his teeth cause he gets to play with the water in the sink

On the one hand, it means we don’t have to worry about his personal hygiene in that area

On the other hand, it means at about 8:40 every day he goes and stands outside the bathroom door chanting “teeth, teeth, teeth!” Over and over again

2 notes View Post

fifthdimensionalgarbagehell

2 weeks ago

something about the final climax of thunderbolts not being this huge, explosive battle where the villain is irredeemable and the heroes summon the power of the galaxies to stop them-

but how the final climax was quiet. the darkest shadow, a void falling over new york. it wasn't loud, there wasn't any screaming. it descended upon the city and the people didn't have a chance to react before it swallowed them whole.

how the team's battle was internal, inside their own minds, instead of a huge punchy shoot-off. (especially with this group's skill set, it was unexpected) how they all fought through the shame and guilt and their worst nightmares only to embrace each other anyway. the villain fighting against himself only to realize he is allowed to be loved, despite it all.

how they are all fucked up and have done terrible things but saved the city by holding each other tightly, so tightly that bob realizes the void isn't all he is, and light always comes again.

this movie had so much heart, it made me feel something for a team again, we are so back.

Okay hear me out ...

I'm sure this has been said before, but I don't care. While I was working on a little bit of planning and world building for my future TOH/Gravity Falls- Post Timeskip Fic; I noticed something hilarious.

Seems... Uh... a little familiar. Doesn't it?

Okay, maybe I'm just overthinking. Surely, it's impossible that there's a direct connection. I mean, that's like saying all magical amulets that glow and look a little like a bolo tie are the same! They have different powers, clearly. And-

Oh...

If I had a penny for every time a Disney capitalist antagonist clutched their magic glowing gem necklace angrily at the protagonists; I'd have two pennies. Which definitely isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. (Or more pennies, who knows at this point.)

I hope Odalia received a worse fate than Gideon, though lmao.

27 notes View Post

End of content

No more pages to load