In November 2024, the cinematic adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked landed in movie theatres and mesmerised audiences with its catchy tunes, stellar performances, and bizarrely timely political allegories. For anyone who hasn’t ridden the green wave before, Wicked is a tale about a woman of colour who is ostracised and painted as an evil witch by a charismatic and power-hungry con artist, creating an eerie link to this year’s US presidential election.

At the same time, it’s a story about the marginalised and disenfranchised, who fall victim to a semi-fascist political regime that attempts to villainise them to unify the common folk and stifle political discontent, which should also strike a resounding chord with many cinema-goers.

wicked being about a weak old man who manipulates a minority for his own benefit only to criminalise said minority for the rest of a nation because they stood up against him for using their power to censor a huge part of another minority phew i’m so glad that’s totally fictional

— sam grace (@thatsamgrace) December 1, 2024

However, it’s not its compelling plot or impressive marketing campaign that made headlines recently, but rather how a healthcare provider managed to reimagine the iconic Broadway poster to highlight a different, but equally important, social crisis: vaginal health.

In case you don’t know your memes, Wicked’s original musical posters, plastered around every major city since its debut in 2003, were subjected to graffiti and vandalism like many adverts are. And one piece of graffiti reached viral heights within a short period of time.

One vandal decided to scribble a couple of words on the poster, suggesting that Glinda is asking Elphaba: “Is your pussy green?” due to the witch character’s green-coloured skin.

It was posted on Imgur in January 2014, sparking parodies and memes related to the Broadway show and cementing itself as a prevalent joke on social media ever since.

In October 2024, the catchphrase resurfaced online after the Wicked movie adaptation’s posters aired and Elphaba actor Cynthia Erivo criticised the edits of the new poster, calling them shameful and degrading.

“is your p*ssy green?” pic.twitter.com/HswGQfpd1b

— red💋 DREW’S DAY (@sweetandgrande) October 9, 2024

making all my friends do the “is your pvssy green?” poster with me pic.twitter.com/EHDk669N5A

— thomas ミ☆ (@tomsappetite) November 29, 2024

@missfiercalicious

I hate gay halloween wdym you’re the Wicked AI fight

♬ original sound - Miss Fiercalicious

Still, the prominent meme remained and became the basis of a post by the sexual health care provider and educator Planned Parenthood.

Amid the Wicked hype, it repurposed the famous catchphrase—which depicts Glinda whispering into Elphaba’s ear—to serve a cheeky reminder for people to keep up with their routine testing for sexually transmitted infections.

“Is your discharge green,” its writing on the Broadway poster asked, hinting at the fact that green vaginal discharge can be a sign of a bacterial infection or inflammation in the vaginal area.

 

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A post shared by Planned Parenthood (@plannedparenthood)

@moxiehq

Replying to @✧🐋₊Laur🩵˚◝꒱ 𓂂 yellow or green vaginal discharge - what does it mean? #vaghealth #discharg #knowyourbody #intimatecare #downtherecare #sti #sticheck

♬ original sound - MOXIE

“If you’re experiencing wicked sexual and reproductive health care concerns, Planned Parenthood health centres are ✨holding space✨ to help—even if your p*ssy’s green. 😉💕💚Call 1-800-230-PLAN to schedule a visit,” the caption read.

Of course, this funny, little edit spread like wildfire with celebrities like Pedro Pascal liking it.

nice way to promote sexual and reproductive health care, a little spicy though!

— blesskatty 🦋 (@blesskatty) December 2, 2024

Reactions ranged from “Give the gay intern a raise, please” to “Wicked Itch of the Yeast,” and “Cynthia this one’s for a good cause, PLEASE FORGIVE IT.”

Others reacted shocked with statements such as “Dear god,” or just plainly “Excuse me?”

Oh look, Planned Parenthood’s social media team thinks they’re the Wicked Witch of the West now. How edgy. Because nothing screams ‘professional healthcare’ like comparing your discharge to the color of a fictional character’s skin. Next, they’ll be telling us to consult the…

— Ali Qaisrani (@AQaisrani_) December 3, 2024

If this doesn’t get you to move your ass to the cinema to see Wicked and get your private parts checked out while you’re on the way, I don’t know what will.