Wicked: Why is Elphaba Green?
Wicked gives us the secret origin of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. We dive a little deeper into what makes her so unique.
Wicked is shaping up to be one of the biggest cinematic hits of the holiday season this year, following on from its wild success first as a bestselling novel and then as an even more successful Broadway musical. Is there the equivalent of an EGOT for adapted properties? Because if so, Wicked just needs a video game or something to qualify.
At the heart of Wicked, however, is the sympathetic origin story of the formerly nameless Wicked Witch of the West from the classic Wizard of Oz story. Given both a name and a significant backstory in Wicked, we learn that her trademark green skin wasn’t the manifestation of some inner character flaw, but rather a somewhat magical mishap brought about by her mother consuming a potion while pregnant with the future villainess. We admit that delving into the realm of pure magic on Does it Fly? has occasionally proven difficult, but in the case of Elphaba, there’s something to the question of just how green a person can get, and the possible causes.
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FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do!
Book Learnin’
Wicked is first based on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, which also spawned the sequels Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz.
Of course, all of this goes back to L. Frank Baum’s original children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. But did you know that book had a whopping thirteen sequels? Oz mythology is vast!
The Evolution of Skin Color in Humans
Melanin is what gives everyone their skin color, and understanding how and why various skin tones evolved is the foundation of our discussion about the (potential) science of green skin. Read more here.
Don’t Turn Green!
As a quick PSA, here’s a guide to how you can keep any copper oxide in jewelry from giving your skin that (lovely?) Oz-like green tint.
When People Actually Turned Green
Hypochromic anemia, or chlorosis, was a condition that did indeed leave some folks with green-ish skin. We usually try to do a little better than just Wikipedia links in these notes, but because chlorosis isn’t really an issue these days, there’s not a ton of contemporary writing about it. So start with this Wikipedia entry, and if you want to dig deeper there are two scientific journal articles you can try to access here and here. There will be a quiz next week! (not really)
Thalidomide
Since the origin of the Wicked Witch’s green skin begins with her mom drinking a potion, an example Hakeem cites in this episode is the tragedy surrounding use of Thalidomide during the mid-20th century, in which expectant mothers took a drug that was supposed to help with morning sickness and instead caused severe physical issues with their babies. A full history can be found here, but please beware of disturbing imagery.
SUGGESTED VIEWING
Oz-related screen adaptations are pretty much too numerous to list, and too varied in quality to really get into in the space we have here. But here are the ones we recommend…
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
MGM’s 1939 musical classic is rightfully the most inescapable, culturally dominant version of the Oz mythos ever put on screen. It’s also the most beloved. Almost impossible to imagine anyone reading this isn’t aware of it in some capacity.
The Wiz (1978)
Sydney Lumet and Joel Schumacher’s screen adaptation of the stage play which updated the Oz story for a more modern audience features a cast that includes no less than Diana Ross as Dorothy Gale, Richard Pryor (!) as the Wiz, and the legendary Lena Horne as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.
Return to Oz (1985)
Long before taking the lead role in The Craft, Fairuza Balk took her turn as Dorothy Gale in a movie that, while essentially a sequel to the 1939 film, is actually more frightening and disturbing than The Craft! Absolutely worth your time.
Wicked Part I (2024)
Director Jon M. Chu’s anticipated adaptation of the book and Broadway musical boasts an absurdly all-star cast including Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Galinda, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, and more!
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
For some darker fantasy realm stuff, check out our episode on Netflix’s The Witcher right here!
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