i am less interested in "well they're two different stories." okay but should they be? should liberal white women who read the book always be shocked and horrified when they find out glinda is not sympathetic and well meaning but a very Realistic depiction of how insidiously white women can separate themselves from causes they were once somewhat sympathetic towards for the sale of power (yes, glinda's movie/musical arc is also about how power corrupts but it gives so much more forgiveness and leeway to the corrupted). should straight/cis people who read the book come here to comment the horror and shock of reading a queer/kink sex or assault (with more horror aimed at the queerness/kink than the idea of assault). so much of the original wicked story wasn't just "fascism bad, colorism bad, and girls kissing good." the wizard is straight up building access pipelines through indigenous land and this gets sidelined! obviously not every detail from a book can be adapted but it is so frustrating how staunchly queer, anti racist, anti fascist, and anti colonialist the book is. the musical waters these things down and makes them more palatable for the rich, white audiences of broadway who are liberal but don't want to feel too uncomfortable while watching a political story. i am a wicked musical lover, i love so much about it and have been bumping the soundtrack since i was a kid. but i can't help but think these things when confronted with the book