For those who are as chronically online as I am, you might already be familiar with much of this, but for those who aren’t, let me introduce you to the star of Wicked: For Good: Cynthia Erivo, A.K.A. Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. Last year’s Wicked press tour was absurd for many reasons (including Tracy Gilchrist for creating the “holding space” meme). Yet, much like she defied gravity, Erivo has defied the odds to become the undisputed meme queen for round two, and thank goodness for her.
“The concept of (X),” in particular, seems to have become a cultural phenomenon. A GIF from the 7th of January this year of Erivo tapping up and down her head with her incredibly long nails, for some unbeknownst reason the Wizard nor I cannot pinpoint, has now gone viral ten months later. Paired with it is the aforementioned caption, with X being replaced by an idea that the user finds appealing.
This, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. Multiple-minute-long compilations of Erivo’s bizarre antics have been trending on social media. Everything, from her being hoisted up by strings in the Wicked: One Wonderful Night special, to watching on in apparent horror as a fan of co star Ariana Grande recounts his adoration for her, to her shock as a fan tells Erivo that they kept the hat she lost at the London premiere of the first Wicked,. Even her cheeky smirk at the camera is viral.
A byproduct of Erivo’s hilarious demeanour is that the new Wicked is everywhere in the cultural conversation. As if it wasn’t already a sensation, the three-time Oscar-nominated actress (might this be her fourth?) dominating Internet meme culture is just another avenue where the latest blockbuster is building hype, and it is working. On its opening weekend, For Good made a show-stopping $226 million worldwide, up over $60 million from its predecessor. Whether you’re a sentimental man for it or feel loathing, unadulterated loathing, one thing is undeniable: this marketing campaign is one good deed.
Why, though, has Cynthia Erivo become such a beloved figure on the Internet in recent months? Well, for one, it’s a clear symptom of star-driven marketing and celebrity fandom. Gone are the days when people only saw movie stars on the big screen. Now, celebrities are everywhere, and fans are desperate to see more of their favourites. Someone like Erivo,, who behaves often so strangely yet so genuinely, was bound to capture the world’s hearts and minds. Becoming incredibly, as Grande sings in the first film, popular. These memes are not a product of ridicule but appreciation for someone so unapologetically eccentric and quirky.
Personally, as someone who adored the first Wicked, I would have seen its sequel irrespective of these memes, although I couldn’t be happier seeing the cast everywhere on my social media feed doing the strangest things imaginable. If anything, it only made me more excited. Now having seen it, it absolutely lived up to expectations as one of the best films of the year and a frankly wonderful cinema experience.
In a world where even megastar-led films, like Leonardo DiCaprio’s (absolutely phenomenal) One Battle After Another, are underperforming, big names alone aren’t enough to sell tickets. It takes a true icon to motivate people to go to the cinema these days, and Erivo is that girl. Undoubtedly, she has improved the success of the Wicked franchise for good.
Words By Isaak Hewitt
Featured Image courtesy of Gabriel Kraus via Unsplash. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.
