Ariana Grande accused of ‘queerbaiting’ after her comment about Wicked character Glinda’s sexuality

As a longtime fan of musicals and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I find myself torn between excitement and frustration as I witness the ongoing queerbaiting surrounding the characters of Glinda and Elphaba from the upcoming film adaptation of “Wicked”.

In a recent conversation, Ariana Grande mused about the potential sexuality of her character Glinda, hinting that she might identify as someone who keeps certain aspects of her identity private.

In a chat with U.K.’s Gay Times, the actresses, aged 31 (Grande) and 37 (Erivo), who portray the characters of Grandé as Glinda and Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, were asked about fans who speculate a romantic relationship between their on-screen personas.

However, Ariana’s answers sparked backlash from some fans, who accused her of ‘queerbaiting.’ 

In the interview, she mentioned that Glinda could possibly be keeping something hidden. Time will tell!

Grande also said Oz is a ‘celebration of uniqueness’ adding, ‘everyone is just so beautifully queer and that roots all the way back to the L. Frank Baum books, where, like, literally the most commonly used word in the books is “queer.”‘

In the course of his speech, he commented that every day in the Emerald City, the capital of the fantastical Land of Oz, feels like a Pride celebration… and just as naturally, those chickens there are also seen as having the same orientation.

Elsewhere in the interview she called Doctor Dillamond, played by Peter Dinklage, a ‘gay icon.’ 

Meanwhile, Erivo said of her green witch, ‘I think Elphie, she goes wherever the wind blows.’

It seems to me that she feels a profound affection for Glinda. In fact, it appears that she deeply cherishes the emotional bond they share. I believe there’s nothing amiss in acknowledging and appreciating their strong connection.

Erivo stated, “Indeed, they share a relationship. It’s a deep, genuine affection that has led many to speculate about them, if you catch my drift. What they have constructed between themselves is a bond that seems indestructible, rooted in love.

Later on, Grande described her character from Good Witch as embodying ‘Trust and honesty’. She emphasized that it provided a secure environment for both parties, a quality she believes all relationships, whether romantic or platonic, should possess.

‘I mean, it is just a true love, and I think that transcends sexuality,’ Grande shared.

‘It’s just kind of a deep safety within each other. And that’s probably why they ship it.’

The interviewer then asked if everyone in Oz was LGBTQ+. 

‘I think so, a little bit,’ Cynthia said. ‘Yeah,’ Ariana concurred.

In Wicked, Glinda and Elphaba start as enemies but grow into friends while they are in school. 

In this movie, there are love stories unfolding. Glinda is trying to win over Prince Fiyero, although he holds feelings for Elphaba. Meanwhile, Boq, portrayed by Ethan Slater (Nina Dobrev’s partner), harbors affection for Glinda, but she does not reciprocate his feelings.

After the interview, fans swiftly discussed it online, with one commenting: ‘The hints towards LGBTQ+ representation are becoming excessive.’

Queerbaiting refers to a promotional strategy where creators subtly suggest or allude to the possibility of homosexual relationships or LGBTQ+ themes, but fail to fully portray such representations in their work.

Another asked: ‘Why can’t they just be platonic?’ 

‘OH????’ another one simply said. 

A supporter commented: “Ariana sharing Gephie memes on her story, favoriting a post about the flower fields having lesbian tones, stating that ‘the boy is mine’ refers to Elphaba, and then implying Glinda is secretly gay…

Ariana seems quite intense about this ship! She first hinted that Glinda might be keeping something private, and now she’s donning Elphaba’s hat? That’s quite bold of her.

Nevertheless, certain fans held a contrasting perspective, as one remarked about X: “Ariana hinted that Glinda might be slightly queer! We’ve won!

The original sentence can be rephrased as follows: ‘Ariana Grande’s endorsement is now official for me, as she recognized the character of Glinda as a lesbian; I appreciate it.’ In this version, the sentence maintains the same meaning while sounding more natural and easy to read.

In another conversation with GLAAD, the main actresses shared their expectations for what LGBTQ viewers might take away from the production of Wicked.

‘That you deserve all the good things. That your difference is what makes you special. That your queerness is beautiful. That I love you.’

In much the same way as you, Elphaba recognizes and empathizes with feelings of loneliness and being unique, yet this in no way diminishes your inherent uniqueness or specialness. This was conveyed by Erivo.

In reference to the fantastical realm of The Wizard of Oz, Grande expressed: “Oz holds an unusual character, and it’s always had this quality, even in the original works by L. Frank Baum. It’s inherently peculiar.

In the heat of promoting our movie, my co-star and I have been expressing heartfelt apologies for the tears that have fallen as we shared stories about our bond and this film.

In a video shared by E! News, Ariana Grande was heard saying something along the lines of, ‘Today, I’ve shed tears about 500 times. Please take this as a Public Service Announcement. I genuinely apologize.’

‘It is what it is,’ her British-born co-star added. ‘There’s just nothing we can do about it.’

In response, Grande asserted, “I honestly can’t fathom, and let me tell you something. If you plan on expressing that it’s bothersome, I’ll beat you to it.” She made this statement while seated beside Erivo during their interview.

‘I said it first. I’m annoyed. I’m tired. My tear ducts… I’m tired, emotionally tired.’

‘We’ve come through a massive, massive thing and we’ve really stuck together,’ Erivo explained.

Jon M. Chu is the director of the eagerly awaited film adaptation, featuring performances by Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh as well.

As a dedicated follower eagerly waiting for more, I’m thrilled to share that “Wicked: Part One” graces U.S. theaters on November 22 of this year. A year later, on November 21, 2025, we’ll continue our magical journey with “Wicked Part Two.” Can’t wait!

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2024-11-22 06:35