Okay, So What Is a Munchkin Now?

As a short-statured individual who has navigated through the labyrinth of life with grace and resilience, I must say that the recent revelation about the Munchkins in the upcoming “Wicked” movie has left me feeling more than a little disheartened.


Fellow inhabitants of Oz! We’ve got an essential update for you. In the latest tidbit from the upcoming “Wicked” movie that might leave you scratching your head and exclaiming, “What on earth is happening in Oz?”, all Munchkins are now officially red-haired. In a recent feature for GQ Hype, “Wicked” actor Ethan Slater, who resembles a real-life SpongeBob SquarePants, shared minimal insights into his personal life with co-star Ariana Grande, mainly discussing the challenges of navigating a divorce and a high-profile new relationship under public scrutiny.

Fortunately, director Jon M. Chu provided additional comments, and he revealed details about the creation of a new racial representation for the fictitious Ozian characters called Munchkins in the Wicked production. Specifically discussing the backstory of Slater’s character, Chu stated:

The director aimed to create a unique image for Boq, as he wanted him to belong to a specific culture. This led them to reimagine what a Munchkin could be. To them, being a Munchkin was not about size. Instead, they designed the appearance of Munchkinland around this character, conceptualizing him as a red-haired, fair-skinned individual. The director envisioned an agricultural society, filled with cheerful, innocent people who harnessed the happiness and vibrancy of all of Oz – a setting where Slater’s natural athleticism and liveliness would flourish.

It’s amusing that even Slater acknowledges that Boq, the most prominent Munchkin in Wicked, is a role typically suited for shorter individuals. He admitted, “Anyone around five-foot-seven in New York City knew about Boq as a role you could audition for.” However, in the peculiar and furry realm of Wicked: Part One’s narrative, it’s somewhat offensive to stereotype Munchkins by their height, but quite ordinary and wonderful when they’re all a race of primitive, cheerful red-haired beings who gather colors and happiness. In essence, they’re similar to leprechauns!

As a person standing at just five feet one inch tall, this behavior is beyond outrageous and highly inappropriate – not unlike the offensive fan art depicting Cynthia Erivo or the questionable inquiry about someone’s personal attributes (“is your ____ green”). There’s nothing amusing or endearing about any of it.

It degrades me
It degrades us.

To edit the Munchkins and hide their height is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.

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2024-10-31 01:53