鈥�鈥� was phenomenal. It was so phenomenal that I had to start getting my thoughts on paper in my parent鈥檚 guest room the night after its release 鈥� with the newly released soundtrack on in the background, of course. I spent the drive home from the theater spilling all the fun facts and bits of foreshadowing 涓� I had been holding my tongue not to point them out in the middle of the film.
If you couldn鈥檛 tell, I鈥檓 a 鈥淲icked鈥� fanatic. I鈥檝e been anticipating the film adaptation鈥檚 release for years on end 鈥� since I first got to witness the show live on Broadway when I was 13. I鈥檝e permanently burned the original cast recording into my brain since then, and I could probably recite the entire show forward and backward by now. Even at 20 years old, the last chorus of 鈥淒efying Gravity鈥� gives me chills, and 鈥淧opular鈥� is my go-to getting ready song.
So when world-famous, ubiquitously recognizable pop star Ariana Grande was my favorite character, Glinda, back in 2021, I was slightly skeptical. I, , initially worried that her Nickelodeon would serve as insufficient experience for the role. I was further concerned that her pop star stature would pop-ify her songs and render her unable to separate herself from the character. My doubts faded as I learned about Grande鈥檚 dedication to her performance and the she had earned from the film鈥檚 director, so I went into the theater with almost complete faith in her.
Any lingering concerns of mine were dispelled by the end of the first song. Grande was anything but pop-esque 鈥� she was operatic, and it was clear that she had put in the work to achieve the voice the role requires. Throughout the film, she both perfectly executed Glinda鈥檚 physical comedy and captured the character鈥檚 nuances with her dramatic acting skills. From the beginning to the very end, I didn鈥檛 feel like I was watching Ariana Grande play Glinda. I was watching an actress step into a role she was born to play.
Grande completely exceeded my expectations and the . So why have so many continued to tear her performance apart over a week after the film鈥檚 release?
For years before production began and well beyond, hundreds of Reddit users across the site have complained about Grande incessantly. My own TikTok feed has been flooded with fresh criticism for days.聽
Some have accused her of being a 鈥� implying she was chosen mostly to boost ticket sales and that other, more deserving actresses were passed over because they weren鈥檛 famous enough. Both before and after the film was released, people complained about every minute detail of her style and mannerisms they could identify, from the shape of her to . They say she was and didn鈥檛 emote enough in the film, yet is on the press tour. Many of the posts from the 11,000 users on Grande鈥檚 hate subreddit use jabs at her to criticize her career, which is not only a non sequitur but downright nasty.
Despite the negativity from the vocal minority, critics, and alike agree that Grande delighted on the silver screen. She did her character justice, and no one can say she didn鈥檛 the chance to prove she was capable of doing so. So why do certain internet users seem fixated on their grievances and refuse to acknowledge her merit?
Short answer 鈥� people really do hate to see a woman succeed. It’s worth noting that many of these subreddits full of hate towards Grande also contain hateful comments directed toward her costar, , who plays Elphaba. 鈥淲icked鈥濃�檚 male lead Jonathan Bailey receives in users鈥� comments.
Similar patterns emerge with male stars who, like Grande, are famous for their pop music careers but have also taken on serious acting roles. Harry Styles received online for his part in the 2017 film 鈥淒unkirk,鈥� with users and pointing to the fact that he 鈥渁uditioned for the role and got it fair and square鈥� 鈥� just like Grande did. He certainly faced some criticism for his , but nowhere near the level that Grande has endured.
On the other hand, the acclaim for Justin Timberlake鈥檚 acting career 鈥� of NSYNC and solo career fame 鈥斅� has been abundant. Reddit users call him and , and generally, he faces little criticism online. The public has allowed him to seamlessly transition from a pop icon to a credible actor without protest or pushback.聽
Why can鈥檛 Grande be awarded the same opportunity? She鈥檚 obviously worked hard to establish herself in the musical theater sphere, but audiences would rather see her stick to what she knows 鈥� or rather, what they know her for. It鈥檚 a clear reflection of the double standard female celebrities can鈥檛 escape when making career moves. Their male counterparts are given the benefit of the doubt while they are criticized at every turn 鈥� even when their performances are nothing short of incredible.聽
Grace Longworth is TPN鈥檚 assistant copy chief who managed to turn her love and excitement for her favorite Broadway show into a feminist argument. You can rave to her about 鈥淲icked鈥� to your heart鈥檚 content at [email protected].