Roger O Green

Movie review: Wicked

Ozian authoritarianism

For my wife’s and my Tuesday date night in mid-December, we went to the Spectrum Theatre in Albany to see the movie Wicked. I had seen the touring show of the Broadway play a dozen years earlier and liked it quite a bit. I also read the book and was not as enthusiastic about it.

However, the novel is important as it creates a reimagining of the L. Frank Baum books, with a certain amount of homage to the 1939 movie. The character we knew as the Wicked Witch of the West has been named Elphaba, a direct homage to Baum’s initials. That the protagonist is not inherently evil is an interesting concept.

The movie leans into both the book and the Broadway show. As described by Alex Mell-Taylor here: “The book chronicles her life as she struggles against the authoritarian Wizard of Oz, a fascistic figure who scapegoats entire classes of people to stay in power, including, eventually, Elphaba herself.

“It’s ultimately a tragic tale about how the winners of history can turn fighters for justice into villains.

“The musical never abandoned this theme, but it does become less prominent, with the emotional core switching to Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship and the rise of Ozian authoritarianism becoming more of a B-plot. While Maguire’s original retelling had some flashy, risque elements, it’s undoubtedly more substantive than the musical. A large part of the book is about Elphaba’s activism — something the musical only briefly touches upon.

This AND That

“The movie is a hybrid of these two visions. It follows the structure of the musical but uses visuals to heighten the authoritarian (arguably fascist) aesthetic that first came from the book. We are aware of Ozian’s discriminatory nature throughout the film in a way that feels much more consequential than a simple B-plot.”

This explains, if not necessarily justifies, the movie’s length—or, more correctly, the movies. Wicked: For Good will be released in November 2025.

I liked the first movie well enough. As enemies turned friends, Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande-Butera (Galinda) gave strong performances. Jeff Goldblum, as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh, as Madame Morrible, and Jonathan Bailey, as the eye candy Fiyero, were also very good.

Still, the movie’s length wore me down. Somebody (Roger Ebert?) suggested that a movie could be too long at 90 minutes and too short at 4 hours. This movie, which was about 2:45, had many elements that I enjoyed, including most of the music, but somehow, I was a little disappointed.

The movie received an 88% positive critics’ rating and 95% from audiences. As Keith Garlingrton noted: “’Wicked’ doesn’t quite dazzle the way it wants to. It’s an uneven and unwieldy production.” It felt like an oversized truck careening down a narrow highway when you worry that the payload will tip over.

Then there’s the “you have to see the next episode” aspect. I experienced this with Marvel movies, so I and many others were not rushing to see the later outings after Avengers: Endgame. I will probably see Wicked For Good, but it will make me cranky.

A few articles

‘Wicked’ and Hollywood’s Bumpy Road to Oz. Jon M. Chu’s musical… is defying gravity at the box office — but it was a winding yellow-brick road of Hollywood adaptations to get here from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)

‘Wicked’ Easter Eggs for Your Second (or Third) Watch. Two of the elements were obvious to me. “The title card for Wicked also uses the same font as the title card for The Wizard of Oz... Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in the Wicked Broadway stage musical,” have a number.

Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) and Jon M. Chu (Wicked) — Directors on Directors

Cynthia Erivo Reveals She Co-Wrote an Original Song for Elphaba in ‘Wicked: For Good.’ ‘Wicked: For Good’: Here’s What We Know About Part 2.

James Earl Carter, Jr (1924-2004)

I was surprised by my real sadness over the passing of James Earl Carter, Jr. Back in October, I wrote a post about him in honor of his 100th birthday, which I felt could serve as his obituary.

Yet, I needed to share this NY Times piece. I suspect there is a compare and contrast element. 45/47, “who often denigrated Mr. Carter and, in recent days, spoke of unraveling one of his signature accomplishments, the transfer of the Panama Canal to Panama, issued a gracious statement.” It was rather perfunctory, I thought.

But Russell Moore wrote in the Atlantic [paywall], “Jimmy Carter told me to stop worrying about Donald Trump.”

“When Carter invited me to meet with him in his Atlanta office, just a few weeks after the world-shocking 2016 U.S. presidential election, I assumed the topic would be Donald Trump. After all, I was a vocal evangelical-Christian critic of Trump, and now the religious right was gathering steam for revenge. Some Trump-supporting evangelicals wanted me to be fired or the religious organization I was working for at the time to be defunded. I was rattled by what a Trump presidency would mean for American democracy and, more important, for the witness of the Church after white evangelicals proved to be Trump’s most loyal base. Carter was unfazed.

“’These things have happened before,’ he said. ‘Everything has a way of coming back around. What seems unstoppable and inevitable never is.’”

“I thought to myself, Well, he should know. Carter had experienced himself how quickly political realities change.”

Radical faith

“Samantha Power, the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, evaluates Carter’s signature, even radical emphasis on human rights. She attributes much of his approach to his deeply held evangelical faith and his ’empathy for individuals who had suffered human rights abuse,’ at home and abroad.”

Anna Marks, NYT Opinion Staff Editor: “I encountered a man who chose to pursue the betterment of the human condition over his own aggrandizement, enrichment, or legacy. Americans love to imagine themselves as noble leaders deeply committed to generosity, tolerance, and the greater good… Carter was the rare one of us who actually met that image’s challenge to the benefit of the world.”

Kelly Sedinger: “They say a good man can’t get elected President. I don’t believe that. Do you?”

Borowitz Report: “When Americans elected Carter in 1976, they chose a man who pledged never to lie to them. He was a refreshing response to the cesspool of Republican lying typified by Watergate. By electing Reagan in 1980, Americans returned to the cesspool.

“Forty-four years later, we find ourselves back in that cesspool yet again—and looking for an honest person like Jimmy Carter to lead us someplace better.”

Books by about Jimmy Carter from Barnes and Noble.

The THR piece.

I imagine I will watch at least part of the memorial service for Jimmy Carter, although I probably won’t watch the inauguration of 47, who is fuming over flags being at half-staff on Jan 20.

US “Bregret” already?

The Indivisible:

As early as late November, I was reading about some voters for the Republican candidate for President feeling regret about their vote. It’s similar to how many people in the United Kingdom felt after the Brexit vote in 2016; they had Bregret.

djt has promised huge tariffs on goods from China. Somehow, Americans didn’t understand that that would likely result in retaliatory tariffs on American goods. Now, he’s suggesting a tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, our largest trading partners, even though we are in a USMCA (NAFTA successor) agreement that would preclude that from taking place until 2026.

This is presumably to”teach them a lesson” about US border security. The first rule of tariff wars is that no one wins a tariff war. If they respond in kind, which Mexico has already promised, this will increase the pain in Americans’ wallets.

Some contractors and farmers who supported him have talked about how they don’t know what they’re going to do if half of their workers are deported.

12 People Who Had Literally No Idea What Their Trump Vote Meant.

We don’t need no education

Hey, if the federal Department of Education is eliminated – a bill to do so has already been introduced – many of its services will also disappear. That’s the subtext of this link, which notes that Oklahoma has nevertheless found money to buy Bibles, optimally for every classroom.

Now, he says he can’t promise he’ll be able to lower grocery prices. An article in WaPo, behind a paywall, is titled, “After backing Trump, low-income voters hope he doesn’t slash their benefits.” It begins:

“NEW CASTLE, Pennsylvania — Lori Mosura goes to the grocery store on a bicycle because she can’t afford to fix her Ford F-150 truck.

“The single mother and her 17-year-old son live in an apartment that is so small she sleeps in the dining room. They receive $1,200 each month in food stamps and Social Security benefits but still come up short. Mosura said she often must decide whether to buy milk or toilet paper.”

Reaganomics redux

Here’s a fun fact from Heather Cox Richardson: “Laura Mannweiler of U.S. News and World Report estimated the worth of Trump’s current roster of appointees to be at least $344.4 billion, more than the gross domestic product of 169 countries. That number does not include Scott Bessent, whose net worth is hard to find. In comparison, Mannweiler notes, the total net worth of the officials in Biden’s Cabinet was about $118 million.

“The incoming administration will advance a different economic vision. Instead of trying to expand the economy through investment in infrastructure and manufacturing [as the Biden administration did], his team has emphasized cutting taxes for the wealthy and corporations and slashing regulations. The argument behind this approach to the economy is that concentrating wealth in the hands of investors will spur more investment while creating an environment that’s ‘friendly’ to business will create jobs.”It’s classic Reaganomics trickle-down, crony capitalism at its finest.

“Don’t test us.”

After Barack Obama was elected in 2008 and inaugurated in 2009, with solid majorities in the popular and Electoral College votes, Republicans served as the “loyal opposition.” This concept “indicates that the non-governing parties may oppose the actions of the sitting [government] while remaining loyal to the formal source(s) of the government’s power, such as the… constitution.”

I jest. The Tea Party movement simmered up in 2009, clearly a disloyal opposition designed to thwart his efforts at every turn. That he got anything done, especially after his first two years, was pretty miraculous.

Yet the message from this incoming administration and their allies is that the Democrats just should shut up, get out of the way, and let Orange be Orange. Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin: “You issued a message to the department the day after the election commenting that the military will follow ‘lawful orders’ from the new president—a thinly veiled and baseless insinuation that [djt] will issue unlawful orders.” Baseless? Eh. Yet, Pete Hegseth, the choice to head Defense, is a train wreck.

Tom Homan, the incoming border czar, “plans to bring harsh consequences to any sanctuary city leader who threatens to hinder efforts by immigration authorities from mass-deporting illegal aliens.”

djt’s sometimes wacky Cabinet nominees shouldn’t need to be confirmed by the Senate! His words should be sufficient for the process. His media censorship arsenal is growing.

Resistance

So what is the response? The Union of Concerned Scientists notes: “We—and our supporters across the country—have a vital role to play in defending the progress we’ve made at the federal level, advancing our goals at the state level, and exposing and pushing back against the abuses that are likely to come. We’re clear about the threats we face, but we must move forward with hope and determination.” A key tenet is “Protecting democracy, state-by-state.” California is on board.

The Indivisible Guide: A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink is encouraging. It acknowledges the need to grieve for a while. I can’t live in despair for the next two or four years, and trust me, it would be very easy for me to do so. I’m holding onto the frankly uncomfortable thought that there will be a backlash to higher prices and other bad outcomes.

I know that some people are not there yet. Heck. I may not be there myself, but I pride myself on hoping I’ll get there eventually because the alternative is too dismal. There needs to be a response to what Cornel West called “American gangsterism crystallized, honest about itself, unashamed and bold.”

How djt Inverted the Violent History of Jan. 6

‘A Day of Love’: The president-elect and his allies have spent four years reinventing the Capitol attack — spreading conspiracy theories and weaving a tale of martyrdom for their ultimate political gain.

UPS delivery change request

UPS My Choice

Have any of you experienced this? I placed an order with an online vendor, not Amazon. Soon, I got an email from UPS saying, “You’ve Submitted a Delivery Change Request,” which I had not made.

The message body reads, “Hi, We’ve received your delivery change request. You asked us to Deliver to a new address.” I did no such thing.

When I first received one of these notices, some years ago, I had to join UPS My Choice and add a delivery location. Before it closed, I had designated the CVS at 1026 Madison Ave., the closest venue to my house, to hold my package. Then, I changed it to the CVS at 1170 Western Ave., which closed on December 12.

I’m often home

I usually get the package, but on at least one occasion, I did not. I had ordered a book called Knife by Salman Rushdie from the publisher or the distributor, but they couldn’t deliver it for some reason. The book was returned to the publisher, and I got my money back without asking.

Still, I don’t understand why certain packages couldn’t be delivered to my house. A few I know were pretty darn large, and maybe they were afraid of porch pirates. Though we’ve gotten heavy Chewy deliveries directly to our house, many were small compact discs or books.

There seemed to be no correlation between the package size and whether they could send it to my house directly or a secondary location.

Have you experienced this? I’m confused. I tried to ask the UPS bot the answer to my question, but it doesn’t seem to understand what I’m asking. Meanwhile, I need to change my secondary address to yet another location. Oh, goody.

SCAM

I regularly get an e-mail a text message saying US post: “You have a USPS parcel being cleared due to the detection of an invalid zip code address. The parcel cannot be cleared. The parcel is temporarily detained. Please confirm the zip code address information in the link within 24 hours.”

The link that starts with usps.com and then has some junk noise after it JLKNU.TOP. Then it says, “Please reply with a Y, then exit the text message and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link into your Safari browser and open it. Have a great day with the USPS team.”

Sometimes, it has a phone number associated with Nigeria. Please leave me alone, spammers. I’ve reported this as junk several times, and it has not gone away.

The #1 hits of 1905

remember me to Herald Square

Here are the #1 hits of 1905. Since there was no Billboard or comparable charts, how is that possible? Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories 1890-1954 gives due credit to Jim Walsh. He is “the world’s leading authority on the pioneer recording age.” His columns in Hobbies magazine ran “a remarkable 40 years.”

The Whitburn book also notes: We compiled charts for those years by incorporating various surveys and sources, notably the Talking Machine World periodical, offered monthly listings of all popular records released starting in 1905 and frequently provided information on the hottest current hits, although not in charge chart form.”

“In the early decades of the 20th century, a song’s popularity was measured by its sales of sheet music and recordings… nearly every department store in five & dime, in addition to music shops, sold sheet music to the day’s top hits. Annual sheet music sales were approaching 30 million by decade’s end. A driving force behind these sails was the ubiquity of pianos in middle and upper-class American homes.”

The songs

The Preacher and the Bear – Arthur Collins (Edison), 11 weeks at #1, gold record. It is listed as a comedy record. It is… of its time.

Yankee Doodle Boy – Billy Murray (Columbia), eight weeks at #1. You’ll recognize part of this. He was The Biggest Star of the Phonograph Era.

In The Shade of the Old Apple Tree – Irving Gillette (Edison), seven weeks at #1

In My Merry Oldsmobile – Billy Murray (Victor), seven weeks at #1. These were still the early days of the automobile industry in the United States. I’ve heard this song!

Give My Regards to Broadway – Billy Murray (Columbia), five weeks at #1. I had forgotten how old Broadway was until my daughter and I went to the Museum Of Broadway earlier this year.

Where The Morning Glories Twine Around the Door – Byron Harlan (Columbia), 5 weeks at #1

Come Take A Trip In My Air-Ship – Billy Murray (Victor), four weeks at #1. Air-Ship, just two years after the Wright Brothers flew in Kitty Hawk

Dearie– Corinne Morgan and Hayden Quartet (Victor), two weeks at #1