kiarcheo

[kiarcheo]

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.

[kiarcheo]

CRYING at Galinda performing the most flamboyant like...tropical bird mating dance the world has ever seen

Meanwhile poor Elphaba, who has never experienced flirting with ANYONE before, let alone the world's most flamboyant closeted lesbian tropical bird, has no idea what the hell she's looking at and is just like ??????

Still, points for at least attempting to match Galinda's freak

Truly the most magnificent sapphic fail-flirt scene of all time.

[kiarcheo]

I hate it when you’re reading smut and you can’t figure out what position they’re in.

[kiarcheo]

y'all HAVE to watch this...interview??? with the inmates of the prison where luigi mangione is being held.

the reporter is standing outside the prison walls, while the inmates are inside watching newsmax, and collectively screaming out one-word answers to questions loud enough to be heard by the reporter.

I've never seen anything like it

[kiarcheo]

We've lost a lot to the onslaught of enshittification but I can think of none more brazen than Discord getting rid of the send button

[kiarcheo]

AnilPin's friends and colleagues coming over for a dinner party and seeing the giant couple portraits of these 'best companions' in the home they share:

[kiarcheo]

who will join the finalists FINGRINGHOE and SHITTERTON in the final???????????? the power is in your hands....

[kiarcheo]

That Seems Totally Unnecessary. 

[kiarcheo]

I don’t care if you make fun of Catholicism as long as it’s accurate! The best humour has its roots in the truth.

[kiarcheo]

this is the opening paragraph of a news article. stop scrolling here, if you would.

I want you to guess what this is about. take a second. breathe.

make a guess. make three guesses. make five guesses.

...

are you ready?

this is an article about...

potatoes.

more specifically

the united states potato cartel

apparently, mccain foods, cavendish farms, lamb weston, and j.r. simplot have been conspiring with each other to keep the prices of frozen potato-based products like frozen fries, frozen hash browns, and frozen tater tots high in the US for years.

these four companies collectively control 98% of the frozen potato product supply in the united states, so they can easily pressure the entire market. they are working together to squeeze as much money out of the frozen potato market as possible, sometimes even instructing employees to avoid making paper trails about their activities.

so now two proposed class action lawsuits have been filed against prolific potato providers for prioritizing profit and persistently producing problematic potato product price practices.

you can read the whole article here, and nightmares of capitalism aside, I do have a favorite part of this story.

there is a national potato council.

and it turns out the national potato council has a national potato expo.

here is a highlight video from potato expo 2019. it looks like it was a fun time!

[kiarcheo]

WICKED (2024) dir. Jon M. Chu

[kiarcheo]

when you're trying to escape your crush but you forget that she's also your roommate

[kiarcheo]

Prompt: (I haven’t watched the finale, so idk if it’s mentioned) pin going shopping for the ring, maybe with the help of anin’s older brother :)

I have to say, what an interesting dynamic between Prince Anan and Pin!

Thanks, Anon! I hope this is what you wanted, and that you enjoy.

*

The salesman assumes they're a couple. Pin can see it on his face as he takes in Prince Anan, hat in one hand pressed close to his chest with his other extended to open the passenger door for Pin.

Barely glancing at the wedding band already on Anan and Pin's ring fingers, the salesman bows his head as he opens the shop door to them. "Please, please, come in. It's a warm day. We have refreshments as you browse."

Pin bobs her head as she passes by him. She doesn't bother to say anything, already knowing what she's looking for. This is the third store, but if it's not here, she knows Prince Anan will drive her to the next shop on her list. She really can't thank him enough.

Inside, another salesman beckons her towards his section of the jewelry cases. "Wanting another beautiful ring after the wedding, hmm?" he asks as he notices the diamond already on her finger; he gestures at the rings in his case, "Take a look and fall in love, my lady."

Pin gives him a smile. Her hands curling tightly around the bag holding her 9th series banknotes, she bends over the counter to look through the glass.

"How does it look?" Anan asks behind her.

Tucking her hair behind her ear as she takes in the selection, ring briefly catching in a few tresses, Pin is ready to offer another soft negative... Until her eyes catch on a ring tucked away to the side. "...Oh," she murmurs, hands falling onto the glass in front of her to tap over the jeweled band, "This one." She meets the salesman's eyes. "May I see?"

"Of course, my lady!" The salesman unlocks the case; reaching in to pull the ring and ringcase Pin had pointed to out, he presents it to her. Still, when he speaks, it's towards Anan. "Several diamonds line this band. A wonderful ring to show how much you value the woman who wears it."

Pin curls her fingers around the ring, pulling it up to look at it.

She can see it. Her eyes burn, lips open, and chest warms. She can see it on Anil's finger. It deserves to be on her finger.

"Ah," Anan smiles, it clear through his voice, "She'll love it."

"Yes..." Pin swallows. Fingers moving the ring in towards herself, she stares down at it.

She can't believe she found it.

"Yes." She strokes her thumb down along the band. Inhales. Lets it go. Curls her finger tighter inside the band until it doesn't budge, a smile taking over her own face. "I really hope she will."

[kiarcheo]

the issue with writing for yourself is that you will get sucked into rereading your own fic over and over and pretend it’s “editing,” but really you’re just reading because it’s exactly what you want to read. because you wrote it. for you.

[kiarcheo]

GAP THE SERIES | EP.03