Upon first learning of the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and hearing a brief explanation of what it was trying to accomplish, I was mildly concerned. It aimed to deconstruct negative stereotypes surrounding a loaded sexist term — “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” — with an extremely flawed protagonist at the center of it all. It’s a tall order, something that might be near impossible to properly parse out without contributing to the problem the show is trying to address. At least that was my initial thought. Rachel Bloom proved my doubts wrong with her creative take on an honest portrayal of mental health that incorporates comedy and musical theater without obscuring the serious nature of these issues.
Bloom certainly set up an attention grabbing premise: A woman with unresolved mental health issues and suppressed trauma leaves her high paying prestigious job as partner at a New York City law firm to live in a small town all the way across the country in West Covina, California. Even more enticing, she does so for a man who she only briefly dated for a summer back when they were both teenagers. This process of moving is detailed through a grand musical number entitled “West Covina” that has blind optimism akin to Tracy Turnblad’s “Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray.
Many of the subsequent musical numbers in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend take a similar satirical, tongue-in-cheek approach. One of the more popular numbers “Let’s Generalize About Men” shows female characters calling themselves out for their sweeping statements about men in the moment but, nevertheless, including this in their girls’ night because it’s “some kind of primal ritual we need now and then.” Another musical sequence “Don’t Be A Lawyer” details a character’s gripes with his previous law profession only to have him return to his life as a lawyer very soon after. The musical numbers often draw inspiration from and parody popular artists like Ed Sheeran or well-known musicals like La La Land.
Co-creator and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Bloom was heavily involved in everything from writing to producing to acting. She wanted her show to feel authentic and, through her dedication, was able to create amazing character arcs across the four seasons of runtime. A character originally believed to be vapid and self-centered grew into a kind and compassionate friend. Another who seemed to never take himself seriously went on a path of deep introspection. Of course, there was also Rebecca, the protagonist, whose mental health journey and eventual psychiatric diagnosis was at the center of it all.
Having a truly authentic and accurate as possible approach to mental health was important to Bloom. She has been open about her struggles with OCD and the feeling of shame that often comes along with mental illness. With this in mind, she consulted with mental health professionals in order to ensure that Rebecca’s diagnosis — which I will not directly mention here because it is a bit of a spoiler — was true to her character and the symptoms she displayed. Instead of building the character around the diagnosis, they created a character and sought out a diagnosis afterwards.
There is a major stigma around mentally ill people in media portrayals that Bloom could have easily played into, but she didn’t. Even though many fans of the show likely don’t agree with or endorse the decisions Rebecca makes, they are able to see her as a complex person with nuanced motivations and a compelling storyline worthy of a fully fleshed out character. That’s not something many mentally ill characters are awarded. Bloom’s history with mental illness and her use of musical theater and comedy as a means to convey important messages while still providing entertainment sets her apart as a TV show creator.
Rachel Bloom’s YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/racheldoesstuff
“West Covina”
“Let’s Generalize About Men”
“Don’t Be A Lawyer”
https://www.glamour.com/story/rachel-bloom-okay-ill-talk-about-the-ocd-thing
https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/crazy-ex-girlfriend-rebecca-bpd-nathaniel-season-3-1202608629/
Thanks so much for sharing! I watched this show a few years ago and definitely felt a similar sense of distrust going into it. However, I definitely agree that Bloom is able to dig into stereotypes without falling into them. I appreciate you writing about this series since it’s such a great example of a piece of art influenced by a creator’s mental illness.
ReplyDeleteCrazy-Ex Girlfriend is such an incredible and underrated show, and it in no way gets the credit it deserves for what it was able to pull off. It was so interesting to read about how some of the songs in the show were analogies to other works; it makes perfect sense that a musical theater lover like Bloom would take inspiration from the existing canon of work. While the character of Rebecca is absolutely flawed, she is also relatable in many ways, and is both very fleshed out and very human. There are so many songs I adore from the show and could never pick a favorite (I had to go put on the soundtrack while writing this), but if we're talking about the song that makes me laugh the most? It would have to be "The Trent is Getting Ready Song." Iconic.
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