Posting in the spirit of not staying quiet about this.
I strongly suggest you read this—all of it, because it’s long. Lila Shapiro is the journalist who wrote the investigation into Joss Whedon btw and won an award for it, so maybe people can finally stop making this all about Tortoise Media.
Now that Wicked is back in the cultural zeitgeist again, I cannot wait for new people to pick up the book after seeing the movie and be fucking absolutely horrified at what they find within.
This is exactly the kinda responses I expected on Tumblr
I remember going to see the musical back in the 2000s and immediately grabbing the three books that were a available at the time. Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men. Immediately I was struck by how different the material was. The musical felt downright toothache sweet compared to the grubby, political world in the books.
Plot points that seemed so important were just totally lost from the musical. Turtle Heart and his relationship with the Thropps. Elphaba’s early childhood and her Nanny who remained a major character throughout the books. Elphaba being way more active in the political upheaval against the Wizard. Her love affair with Fiyero resulting in a son. Fiyero truly dying. Elphaba’s fate being way more up to interpretation. The ending of the first book was downright tragic.
Immediately after reading the first book I knew that this was the world I preferred over that of the musical. I still loved the stage adaptation, but the book was just so much more real.
I genuinely recommend the books to anyone who enjoys the movie or the musical. Is it different? Extremely. But it also keeps the core idea of the adaptions while expanding it into something larger. It’s a story about fighting the power that keeps the Other down. About organising and striking back. About how fascism can so easily entrench itself in society. About fighting for those whose voices are silenced.
People being annoyed at the way Agatha All Along Ended are so ridiculous to me. Agatha exists (as a plot device) to guide other characters, particularly Wanda, in the comics. And for most of the comics, she is in fact a ghost!! They are literally following the source material!!
Also so frustrated that people are annoyed Agatha and Rio didn’t get a happy ending, they are tragic lovers and this was made clear from the start! A happy ending for them would have made literally no sense given the storyline of the season - Agatha still has some growing to do before she is willing to go into the afterlife and face Nicky and likely find her happiness with Rio. That implies that the next time we see her might actually involve more character development for her character - isn’t this what y’all want? More Agatha??
I love you but we don’t love the same. I can’t be near you when you want me to be. Your love is smothering and your need to keep me safe is trapping me. I’m my own person but I don’t know how to show you that. I lash out and hurt you even though I don’t mean to. I need you to move slowly around me or I’ll bolt. I love you, even though I don’t say it. If you stay still I’ll sit next to you, and even though we don’t understand each other we can be together like that.
ALT
@aspengrown this is the rawest possible addition to this post thank you
and also:
cat love as in I am small and scared and all of my instincts and my experience and your vast power say you’re a threat but I am choosing to trust in your kindness despite my fear. you could kill me with one hand but I know you won’t.
cat love as in I can tell you are upset and I don’t understand why so I will sit stiffly beside you and awkwardly provide the only reassurance I know how to give. I am uncomfortable with every single moment of this but it is what you would do for me.
cat love as in I am small and powerless but I will curl up back to back with you and stand guard while you sleep and I will mean it with every fiber of my being.
my cat Nepenthe was a former stray behavior case at risk of euthanasia because she kept mauling potential adopters. on her second week in my apartment–having already attacked me multiple times without provocation, I will add, I wasn’t special, she needed genuine help–she slinked out of the bedroom yowling at me. when I went to check on her she kept walking back and forth until I followed her, where she insistently paced between my feet and her hidey-hole in the back of my dresser, increasingly distressed. about three seconds after she gave up and hid, an absolutely torrential rain front hit. she didn’t understand yet that we couldn’t get wet inside. she’d been trying to warn me.
she didn’t know me yet, but she knew I hadn’t yelled at her when she hurt me. she knew I hadn’t tried to hurt her back. she didn’t understand why she was attacking me; those episodes probably scared her more than me. she knew I “shared” food with her, and that I asked before touching her. and she went out of her way to bring me into her safe space, to protect her friend.
cat love as stiff hesitant uncertain acts of service that are devastating in their sincerity, as well.
I’m sorry, I had a response to add on, but now I’m crying over your cat. Oh my god.
cat love as stiff hesitant uncertain acts of service that are devastating in their sincerity, as well.
He had the awkward tenderness of someone who has never been loved and is forced to improvise.
ALT