Welcome to the Labrea Tar Pit of strangeness. This post is about a very obtuse series of moments from the ‘Wicked’ press tour. Now a press tour is when the stars of a film sit down and take a few questions from reporter after reporter after reporter. This can go on all day and for several days. It must be exhausting. Just felt the need to acknowledge that. In everyone’s defense. The reporter wants to stand out and get a good clip and the stars want to promote the movie. That’s the reality we’re dealing with. Okay? So, what is going on in this bizarre clip from the Wicked Press junket? That’s the question no one can seem to answer. And the video just gets stranger the more you watch it and think about what might be really happening. Once you’re invested? You’re stuck. It’s a tar pit trap. You have been warned. Let’s watch and discuss. Here’s the clip.

Okay. You have to watch it again. It’s a ‘Less is more’ award winning clip. All of it is so understated. Like a lava lamp in low gravity. It’s slow. But so many weird things are happening!

First of all, WTF is ‘holding space’? For real. I looked it up and here’s what I got: “Holding space” means witnessing and validating the emotional state of another person. Well, someone needs to hold space with the way I’m feeling. What in the actual hell is that?

But it doesn’t stop there. Oh no. Why is actress, Cynthia Erivo reacting the way she is? Does she even know what is happening? Then she goes on to get ’emotional’ and saying that what she wanted… WTF? Sweetheart, did you write the song? You sang it. You sang a cover of it. I have to think all these songs were worked out YEARS AGO on stage. Wicked has been around for ages! What surprised you so much you had to give us the fake emotion? And Erivo is acting in her response. That’s another creepy part. Her acting job is one level above an airline baggage associate who pretends to be concerned about your bag. It’s juuust believable enough.

And for cherry on top is Ariana Grande gabbing a single finger in what, sympathy? Is that what we’re supposed to think? Is that standard issue for empathy now? I’ll delicately lay my fingers on your index claw. Again: WTF is going on?

It’s like a David Lynch movie! The wardrobe choices. The creepy soft voices. Are they talking in code? Why is it emotional? Who ARE THESE PEOPLE and WHY ARE THEY DOING THESE THINGS?! Some have suggested that the actors are trying not to laugh. Nope. That is definitely not the case. Which leaves us scratching our heads and looking a video from another reality. And alternate reality when one feels completely disconnected. It’s bizarre. I’m going to try to empathize, I guess. This must be important to someone. And if you’re one of the people who understands what is happening, and why, hook the rest of us up. Explain this clip from the Wicked Press tour. It’s a head scratcher. And I don’t care for it.