If you've caught a glimpse of "Wicked," you'd undoubtedly recognize Marissa Bode, who portrays Nessarose, Elphaba's beloved sister. Recently, Marissa took to TikTok to voice her concerns over the "profoundly uneasy" jokes circulating about Nessa's disability.
"As a disabled individual with a platform, I yearned to share my thoughts on this swiftly," Marissa commenced her post. She acknowledged that it's perfectly alright to dislike a fictional character and that making "lighthearted" and "silly" jokes is equally acceptable. "I'm a whimsical soul," Marissa confessed. "I cherish a good chuckle. Jokes about the house? They're playful and harmless, grounded in the fictional world. Jokes about Nessa's deeds or demeanor? Silly and playful, for she's a creation of imagination."
However, when the jokes revolve around Nessa's disability, it crosses a line, Marissa emphasized. "[It's] exceedingly uncomfortable," she stated, "because disability is not a figment of our imagination. In reality, I, Marissa, am still disabled and confined to a wheelchair."
Marissa condemned "aggressive remarks aimed at causing hurt, pushing Nessa out of her wheelchair, or suggesting she deserves her disability," describing them as "utterly revolting and detrimental."
"The mere thought of uttering these words sends shivers down my spine," Marissa confessed, "for I have borne witness to the dire consequences endured by my disabled comrades who dared to speak their minds online against ableism and the insensitive, stand-related humor that reduces us to derogatory slang—'vegetables,' a term I unfortunately encountered in a comment pertaining to Nessa. Despite the gripping fear that clutched at my heart, I found my voice to shield others from the pain such jokes inflict."
"Be compassionate," she urged. "A pivotal theme in 'Wicked' is the capacity to listen and comprehend one another. I sincerely hope many of you can embrace and carry this practice forward."
You can view the entire video here and catch "Wicked" now playing in theaters.
