Like most off-duty musical theater kids, seeing the Wicked movie over the holiday break was an emotional experience, second only to receiving my Brown acceptance letter. Since then, I've been religiously listening to the soundtrack, horribly imitating the "What Is This Feeling?” choreography across my dorm room, and feeling a certain sense of pride with every pink or green item of clothing I put on.
But the joy of Wicked extends far beyond the theater. Like most things, TikTok has wrapped its grimy, little digital fingers around the franchise (in the best way possible, of course). Due to my algorithm's constant gifting of these particular videos, I find myself an expert in the subject, and the lore of the Wicked memes is truly expansive. Many of the original jokes stem from the variety of joint interviews with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, where each video often meets at least three criteria: they both have to shed a tear simultaneously, wear their respective colors, and, most importantly, hold on to each other's fingers for dear life. The latter aspect of their marketing campaign for the movie has become a specific target of TikTok creators, as close-ups of this strange, persistent hand-holding often show Ariana holding on to merely one of Cynthia's fingers; imagine Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam,” but with extensively more manicured nails.
The amount of videos I've seen making fun of these hysterically emotional interviews is truly staggering. However, despite their widespread impact on TikTok meme pages, they barely compare to the proliferation of the ‘holding space’ meme. The joke originated from a recent interview between the two co-stars and journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist, where Gilchrist mentions to Erivo that she's noticed people "taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that.” When Erivo subsequently mentions how she wasn't aware of that happening, Gilchrist further elaborates, claiming, “I've seen it on a couple posts, I don't know how widespread. But I am in queer media.”
Similar to the Colleen Ballinger apology video, TikTok took this puzzling instance and ran with it. Now, fans have started joking about things such as needing to "hold space” before eating a meal, their dog refusing to go on a walk because "he wanted to hold space for the ‘Defying Gravity’ lyrics,” and even "holding space for ‘Defying Gravity’ before eating our Chili's triple dipper.” Many of my friends can attest to just how many of these videos I've stumbled across, as my daily text messages to them often consist of at least three links to these TikToks to truly spread the joy (I'm currently procrastinating studying for my POLS exam as I'm too busy holding space for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity” as well).
Another entertaining aspect of the Wicked lore includes its constant collaborations with other brands. Ranging from Victoria's Secret to Crocs (it's giving the ultimate outfit combo), the Wicked marketing team has been working overtime to paint every brand under the sun with their signature pink and green designs. Target, one of the victims of these advances, even released a Wicked-themed commercial, in which Cynthia Erivo witnesses a variety of shoppers attempting her notorious “Defying Gravity” riff. After Erivo tells the individuals, "that's my line,” she performs the riff in the middle of the Target aisle. Now, while Cynthia's voice is undoubtedly angelic as always, TikTok creators quickly began slowing down the speed of the video until the initially wondrous riff sounded like a violently broken air vent. The slowed version and the statement, "that's my line,” have continued circulating the internet, getting slower and slower each time—it's wildly entertaining. It's even gotten to the point where my roommate and I instantly perk up each time we catch as much as a decibel of the starting note of one of these clips.
Additionally, it'd be almost impossible to continue my Wicked rant without addressing the undeniable sexual tension between Elphaba and Glinda throughout the movie (argue with the wall if you disagree). Even the song “What Is This Feeling?” clearly implies loving rather than loathing throughout its suggestive lyrics. The lines, “My pulse is rushing / My head is reeling / My face is flushing” and “What is this feeling? So sudden and new? / I felt the moment I laid eyes on you,” contribute to the song's inherent comedic implications of romance. Even Ariana Grande admitted to thinking that Glinda was “a little bit in the closet,” a greater understatement than a haughty Yale alumnus claiming they only attended “a little liberal arts school in Connecticut.”
Ultimately, the Wicked lore has been providing me with happiness amongst imminent exams, whether through the demonic, slowed-down Target commercials, the weird holding of fingers during interviews, or even—pardon this interruption in the sentence, but I need to hold space for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity,” thank you for your understanding. I truly hope you'll click on the attached links throughout this article, as the serotonin embedded in them is truly astounding.
Gen Z's terrifying access to the internet has done it once again, and the vast expanse of Wicked memes only emphasizes such. Well, that and the terrifying creativity of theater kids.
