Ariana Grande responds to Wicked controversy
As a long-time fan of both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, I’ve been following their careers with great interest, and it’s fascinating to see them come together for “Wicked.” The controversy over the fan edits of the film poster is quite unexpected, but it’s also a testament to how passionate fans can be.
Ariana Grande addressed the recent uproar surrounding the ‘Wicked’ production, where her fellow cast member Cynthia Erivo criticized a fan-made version of the movie poster.
The upcoming two-part musical-fantasy is based on the popular Broadway play and serves as a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz.” It tells the story of Elphaba (Erivo) and Galinda (Grande), who start off as college friends and embark on a journey that evolves from camaraderie to competition.
Prior to the movie’s premiere on November 22, Universal Studios unveiled a poster that bore a similarity to the stage musical’s design, depicting Galinda leaning close to whisper something into Elphaba’s ear.
To better mimic the original portrayal, one enthusiast altered the image by making Elphaba’s hat dip lower and switching her lip color from green to red. However, this modification was criticized by Erivo as “insensitive” and “disrespectful.
Additionally, Erivo voiced her disapproval towards a computer-generated depiction of the poster that portrayed the two actors engaged in combat as their respective characters. In a recent conversation with Variety, Grande addressed this matter.
She expressed that AI can be quite perplexing for her since it presents conflicting and bothersome aspects at times. However, she views this as a significant period of transition, given its immense scale. In simpler terms, she believes AI is beyond our comprehension, but fans will enjoy tinkering with it and creating their edits.
“I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much,” she added. “It’s just a big adjustment period. It’s so much stimulation about something that’s so much bigger than us.”
Erivo, who has been featured in both “Widows” and “Harriet,” recently spoke out on Instagram Stories about a fan-made edit she found particularly bizarre and disrespectful. In her words: “This is one of the wildest and most insensitive things I’ve ever seen, similar to that AI video of us fighting, or people asking if my [female genitalia] is green.
As a gamer, let me tell you straight up: This isn’t funny or cute, it’s degrading. It’s not just affecting me, but all of us. The original poster might be an illustration, but I am a real-life person. I chose to make eye contact with you, the viewer, because without words, we communicate through our eyes.
She added that hiding her eyes “is to erase me” and “is just deeply hurtful.”
Wicked – Part 1 is in cinemas on November 22.
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2024-10-22 21:49