Dear Cynthia Erivo...Chill Out

Dear Cynthia Erivo,

I hope this letter finds you well. First, congrats your upcoming role in Wicked. Fans, including myself, are absolutely thrilled to see this iconic musical dancing to life on screen.

As excitement builds for the movie, there has been a wave of fan edits of the film's poster, with some recreating it to resemble the original Wicked musical poster. While I completely understand the importance of protecting the creative vision of the movie and respecting those inhabiting these roles, I believe these edits come from a place of passion and nostalgia. Wicked has been such a meaningful part of so many lives, and fans often express their love for the show in these creative ways.

It would be wonderful if there could be some flexibility or lightheartedness around these fan-made tributes. I’m certain they’re meant with deep admiration and excitement rather than disrespect. A gesture of understanding from someone as admired as you would only enhance the deep connection between the fandom and the film.

Thank you for your time, Cynthia. We all can't wait to see the magic you'll create with Wicked.

My Best,

Polite Version of Chris

~~~

That’s the polite version of a letter I would write Cynthia regarding the news that she took deep offense to a fan edit of the movie poster to make it look more like the original musical poster. A poster design, by the way, that the movie marketing team tried very much to pay homage to.

But Cynthia feeling like that it was the last straw and calling it the “most offensive thing I’ve seen” is nothing more than an eye-roll-inducing reminder of how insufferable Cynthia Erivo is and has always been since going back to her "Color Purple” days.

Now, on the eve of her biggest movie role yet, she goes out of her way to vilify the fanbase of said movie musical.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that there have been explicit, perverse, hateful memes and messages thrown Cynthia’s way regarding this movie on social media. After all, social media is a cesspool right now. But this fan edit of the movie poster wasn’t that, and to be compared to the abovementioned garbage was an unforced misstep by Erivo that doesn’t come at all surprising to those who have been around her since 2016.

But do you know what really bothers me? Cynthia has a point. The erasure of Black women in entertainment is very much a current pervasive issue rooted in systemic racism and sexism. Stereotyping, typecasting, and exclusion from leading roles limit their visibility. This is a real problem where the solutions aren’t coming fast enough.

And if that edit was actually the official poster for the movie, I might agree with Cynthia’s point. But this fan edit of the movie poster isn’t that. It’s not even close, and for Cynthia to equate it to that puts an unfair target on the fan who made the edit.

No one’s trying to erase you from the movie. You earned a reported $2 million for the gig. You’ll likely get at least a Golden Globe nod from it, and you’ve got plenty of work(that you rightfully deserve) coming your way after this.

If there is actual hate and explicit content being thrown at you, that’s awful, and it deserves to be called out.

But no need to go after a fan who made an artistic edit to a poster to make it look more like the original musical poster.

And if that’s the “most offensive thing” you’ve seen, what a blessed life you’ve had.