Reporter Reacts to Wicked Interview Going Viral, Explains What ‘Holding Home’ Means

The viral second comes from a Wicked junket interview between journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist and stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who play Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.

Gilchrist — who’s a journalist with EqualPride and was representing the mannequin’s Out Journal on the junket — suggested Erivo, “This week, people are taking the lyrics to ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding home with that. And feeling vitality in that.”

Erivo then appeared to get emotional, telling Gilchrist, “I didn’t know that that was occurring … that’s truly extremely efficient. That’s what I wanted.”

As Erivo turned choked up, Grande seemingly went to grab her hand to comfort, nonetheless instead held on to her prolonged, Elphaba-green painted fingernail.

“I’ve seen it on a pair posts, I don’t perceive how widespread. Nevertheless I’m in queer media,” Gilchrist added.

The clip blew on social media, with the second — and the phrases “holding home” notably — turning right into a meme. The video racked up larger than 6 million views on X, nonetheless it moreover blew up on TikTok, and Instagram as successfully — with celebrities and even producers leaping in on the viral second as successfully.

In an interview with Choice, revealed on Monday, Gilchrist mirrored on her interview going viral, how she feels about her phrases turning right into a “catchphrase,” and breaks down the definition of “holding home.”

Gilchrist first appeared once more at how she prepared for the junket, telling the outlet, “I merely did what I do, coming into into and doing an interview. I are normally that one which goes in and asks the socially associated question, or possibly additional extreme than [most junket questions]. Ideas you, this interview occurred a day-and-a-half after the election. I might interviewed Cynthia sooner than, so I went in very sincerely.”

“I’m glad people are discovering pleasure in it and laughing, and that it’s so viral,” she continued.

When requested how she feels regarding the clip going viral, Gilchrist admitted that it’s “overwhelming,” sharing that it “didn’t truly go viral until ultimate Friday.”

“I was in conferences and my phone started blowing up,” she recalled. “Later I was at lunch with a pal, and he saved asking me to make clear what was occurring — like, why is it humorous? I don’t know! It merely is.”

Gilchrist then addressed what many are seemingly questioning, and broke down what “holding home” means.

“I was very impressed by Tony Morrison, [senior communications director] from GLAAD. He posted the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ sooner than I did my interview. It was a implausible explainer,” she suggested Choice. “‘Holding home’ is being bodily, emotionally and mentally present with any individual or one factor. For me, it means being inside the second, not being distracted and feeling one factor on a cellular stage.”

“I consider you’ll be capable to keep home with lyrics of a tune – one you’ve bought heard an entire lot of situations – and it could probably immediately sort out new which means when you’re a queer specific particular person. The Trump administration is concentrating on LGBTQ+ people via Enterprise 2025,” she continued. “When Cynthia sings ‘I’m via accepting limits,’ there’s vitality in that. She performs a persona who’s othered. One who includes her full vitality when she is exiled by a charlatan, by a cruel chief. There’s quite a lot of resonance there correct now for anyone who’s marginalized. For me, holding home is listening to those lyrics anew and discovering solace or inspiration.”

Whereas she suggested Erivo in the middle of the interview that she observed a “couple of posts” about it, Gilchrist shared with Choice that the majority of her inspiration behind that question “actually bought right here from a dialog with a pal.”

“I was using that to tee up the question, and I was considerably thrown off by [Cynthia’s] response on account of it was so sincere and precise,” she recalled. “I was considerably flustered. I may need acknowledged, ‘I’ve all these associates, and that’s our dialog.’ Nevertheless instead I acknowledged, ‘I’m in queer media.’”

When the outlet often known as the clip a “definitive second for the queer media,” Gilchrist acknowledged, “It’s a catchphrase now.”

She moreover opened up about how she’s navigating being the subject of a viral second.

“It has been truly wild. In any case, there are cynics and haters available on the market nonetheless I’m truly merely trying to not pay an extreme quantity of consideration to that,” Gilchrist acknowledged. “This was for us, for queer people who understand what I meant by holding home — or truly, for anybody who feels marginalized and should relate. So it’s for us. It’s not for them. They’ll hate all they want.”

As for what’s subsequent, Choice requested the journalist if she plans on launching merchandise and even making a “Holding Home” docuseries,” to which Gilchrist acknowledged the earlier is already occurring.

“I’m fairly a bit slower than the online,” she admitted. “Associates of mine had been telling me to get a merch retailer up and working. I’m already seeing the T-shirts and the ballcaps. A pal of mine was at a gay bar in Minneapolis this weekend, and acknowledged any individual was carrying a shirt with my face on it,” she shared. “I’ve not thought-about the entire breadth of what that is prone to be. I had a podcast with The Advocate quite a lot of years prior to now, so who’s conscious of? Maybe considerably podcast. I’m open.”

Gilchrist beforehand spoke about “holding home” going viral ultimate week, reflecting on the second with Out, the outlet she represented inside the junket.

“After I posed the question to Cynthia about people holding home with the lyrics to ‘Defying Gravity,’ it was two days after the election, and all people I knew inside the LGBTQ+ neighborhood was trying to make sense of what we is prone to be going via,” she acknowledged. “I appreciated her response, and I like that people are having amusing, on account of I do know I would use one about now.”

“I certainly not thought-about I might flip right into a meme,” Gilchrist added. “Nevertheless as an unrepentant showqueen, I’m thrilled that it’s for one factor this campy, in response to a movie I like. Now go see Wicked!”