In yet another jaw-dropping moment from the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classification decided to slap content and trigger warnings on “Wicked,” the Wizard of Oz-related movie that received a “PG” rating, warning audiences about moments such as where a “green-skinned woman is mocked” and “talking animals are persecuted.”
The warnings come as one of the British Board of Film Classification’s content categories is called “Discrimination,” which the board defines as, “Potentially offensive content, relating to such matters as race, gender, religion, disability or sexuality, may arise in a wide range of works, and the age rating decision will take account of the strength or impact of its inclusion.”
It adds, “The context in which such content may appear also has a bearing on the decision. Works with such content may receive a less restrictive age rating where discriminatory language and behaviour is implicitly or explicitly criticised; or the work as a whole seeks to challenge such attitudes, or is obviously dated.”
Noting in its rating commentary on “Wicked,” the board describes how “Discrimination” played a role in the movie getting a PG rating, saying, “We rated Wicked PG for mild threat, discrimination. This means the film is suitable for general viewing, but parents and caregivers should be aware that some scenes may be unsuitable for more sensitive children.”
In its review, the board describes how discrimination plays a role in the film, saying, “A wider theme of the story is discrimination. Similar to franchises such as Harry Potter and The Worst Witch, Wicked largely takes place in a magical school in which young sorcerers attend lessons with talking-animal teachers and practise various enchantments. Certain characters are obsessed with popularity, and Elphaba is objectified and bullied by her classmates because of her appearance. This leads to some emotional and upsetting scenes, until she is finally accepted.”
Giving another example of that in the movie, it said, “Similarly, her sister is treated differently by others because she is disabled and requires a wheelchair. She is condescendingly offered help by others when she clearly says she prefers to manage by herself, and is referred to as ‘tragically beautiful’ multiple times.”
And, in yet another example, it describes discrimination against talking animals as potentially “distressing,” saying, “Additionally, within the magical land of Oz distressing political and societal shifts are resulting in the talking animals that populate the world alongside Elphaba and Glinda to be marginalised and even arrested. Elphaba fights for their freedom, but scenes in which a beloved teacher – a goat – is dragged away by the authorities may be distressing to very young viewers.”
Further, the review describes what discrimination elements were present in the movie, saying, “At PG, our guidelines state that ‘Discriminatory language or behaviour should be clearly disapproved of. Some language or behaviour may be permitted if justified by context (for example, reclaimed, historical, lack of discriminatory intent)’. Throughout the film, all forms of discrimination are condemned and a message of acceptance, understanding and equality is clearly promoted. Although occurring in a fantastical setting, seeing beloved characters being mistreated, especially when Elphaba’s skin-colour is used to demonise her as the ‘Wicked Witch’, may be upsetting and poignant for some audiences.”
Watch one of the moments from the Wicked press tour here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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