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I’m an OZ-head, so sure, I’ll see Wicked in due time.
But first, I'm treating myself to the luxurious experience of re-reading as many Oz books as I can, re-watching the original movie, Return to Oz, The Wiz, and any other Oz-related activities including fan fiction, fan art, and movie analysis.
Started with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and finished The Road to Oz last night.
L. Frank Baum was a genius on several levels. The guy went and created a series of American folk tales that give us something different from the traditional European stories.
First, these are absolutely psychedelic texts filled with trippy imagery and the colorful characters who populate the collective unconscious and tryptamine sphere. I can imagine a stoner losing their got dang mind when confronted with the Lolipop guild in the movie.
Next, the themes of confronting your fears and the value of friendship are timeless and perhaps needed more than ever.
It’s also a wise decision to present Dorothy as an orphan. This is an archetype throughout myth and folklore, reminding us that even with friends, we’re still an individual who at times must go it alone.
I also like the idea of a young adult Dorothy as presented in The Wiz to note that growing up can be a lifelong process.
And then, the issue with Dorothy’s longing to return to Kansas. When I was younger I would think, “keep those silver/ruby slippers and stay in Oz.” But now that I’m older, I get it, or at least I get this: in a society eager to use religion to oppress people, to get them to accept a lousy life with a flimsy promise of a better hereafter, asserting that there’s no place like the here and now and embracing your part in everyday reality is a progressive and humanistic perspective.
Thank you, L. Frank Baum for this gift to American culture.
But first, I'm treating myself to the luxurious experience of re-reading as many Oz books as I can, re-watching the original movie, Return to Oz, The Wiz, and any other Oz-related activities including fan fiction, fan art, and movie analysis.
Started with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and finished The Road to Oz last night.
L. Frank Baum was a genius on several levels. The guy went and created a series of American folk tales that give us something different from the traditional European stories.
First, these are absolutely psychedelic texts filled with trippy imagery and the colorful characters who populate the collective unconscious and tryptamine sphere. I can imagine a stoner losing their got dang mind when confronted with the Lolipop guild in the movie.
Next, the themes of confronting your fears and the value of friendship are timeless and perhaps needed more than ever.
It’s also a wise decision to present Dorothy as an orphan. This is an archetype throughout myth and folklore, reminding us that even with friends, we’re still an individual who at times must go it alone.
I also like the idea of a young adult Dorothy as presented in The Wiz to note that growing up can be a lifelong process.
And then, the issue with Dorothy’s longing to return to Kansas. When I was younger I would think, “keep those silver/ruby slippers and stay in Oz.” But now that I’m older, I get it, or at least I get this: in a society eager to use religion to oppress people, to get them to accept a lousy life with a flimsy promise of a better hereafter, asserting that there’s no place like the here and now and embracing your part in everyday reality is a progressive and humanistic perspective.
Thank you, L. Frank Baum for this gift to American culture.
