Wicked has some seriously dark and disturbing scenes. The original book, which was adapted into a Broadway muscial and now a blockbuster film, was released back in 1995 and titled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. This story reimagined The Wizard of Oz's story from the perspective of the green-skinned villain and featured some horrifying storylines that included rape, bestiality, child murder, racism, sexism and transphobia.
Although the 2024 Wicked film was given a rating of PG, meaning parental guidance, the original source material is far from it. Some unassuming parents may think the book is appropriate for young children but with such controversial topics, its best to avoid at all costs. Wicked is a fantasy book set in an alternate universe and author Gregory Maguire makes sure the racism and misogyny toward the residents of Oz is clear at the very start of the book.
Women, the Vinkus people and animals are segregated and comments made about Elphaba, the book's protagonist, have clear discriminatory undertones. In the musical and the movie, some characters kiss and there are cheeky implied references to doing the deed, but in the book there are graphic descriptions of sex, orgies, bestiality and more. At one point, Boq and his pals attend the Philosophy Club where creatures of all shapes and sizes come together to engage in BDSM, which later involves a jaw-dropping situation between humans and a tiger, while a mother and daughter are described a.
