Should I have worn green instead?
Before going to see the movie Wicked, I decided to wear a pink dress. I told myself that I was wearing pink in honor of Glinda. I felt my personality aligned with Glinda’s, as I am a very bubbly and energetic person by nature. Therefore, I saw a little bit of myself in her because she was a “good” person. Before the movie began, I had to do another assignment that required me to complete a news story about the movie and ask fans why they were excited about its release. I asked several people, however, when I asked a Black woman, I was unexpectedly asked a question in return. She said, “Why are you wearing pink?” I replied, “Well, I felt the need to dress up for the movie.” She then said, “After you see the movie, think about whether you should’ve worn pink or green.” Her question began to make more sense to me shortly thereafter.
The character Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, is one that can relate to many people. However, some may see more of Glinda in themselves and there is nothing wrong with that. But, really ask yourself this: Do you do nice things for others for attention purposes or out of the kindness of your heart? I thought long and hard about this question and determined that Elphaba was, surprisingly, not the wicked one. Not to mention, Elphaba is for the people whose voice has been silenced, some that don’t fit into society’s perfect standard and those that are just well… different. Elphaba’s struggles throughout the movie resembles certain struggles minorities, more specifically, Black women face. According to Perry et al. (2013), “While all race-gender subgroups are susceptible to problematic sets of stereotypes, the confluence of representations of black womanhood create a system of oppression that works to silence African American women, making them vulnerable to sexual violence, discrimination, and sexism in ways that white women are not.” Elphaba was constantly bullied and ridiculed throughout the movie for looking completely different from others because of her green skin. Towards the end of the film, Madame Morrible, who helped Elphaba overcome certain obstacles to discover her true powers, turned on her and alerted the people of Oz about the kind of person Elphaba is. She emphasized that her skin is what makes her a wicked individual and that is how she was named the Wicked Witch of the West.
I have experienced many instances of bullying because of my darker-skin complexion and as a result, it has significantly impacted my self-esteem. I felt unattractive at times and hated the skin I was in. After watching the movie, it was hard to imagine myself as anyone else other than Elphaba. She was kind-hearted, compassionate, intelligent, caring and so much more. However, no matter how good of a person she is, her skin was still green. Elphaba was undermined as the person she was simply because of her skin; and this is something many Black women have encountered at least once in their lifetime. It was more than straightforward understanding Elphaba’s struggles as a Black woman, the pain she constantly endured, being painted as evil, feeling silenced and misunderstood by others. It is without a doubt that I see more of myself in Elphaba than Glinda; so now it has become clear to me that Elphaba resonates more with the individual that I am and will always be.
I definitely should’ve worn green.
