Hearing the phrase "crazy ex-girlfriend" is enough to make anyone cringe, so why should you watch a show titled that? Well, contrary to what the title makes it sound like, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is actually amazingly feminist and tackles issues like mental illness and sexuality. Oh, and it's a musical.
The fact that it's a musical might turn some people off if they don't like musicals, but I'm here to tell you that shouldn't dissuade you from watching. The songs aren't unnecessary, it's to add comedic value to the show. The songs are hilarious, from "The Sexy Getting Ready Song" which comments on the ridiculous routines women go through to go out to "Getting Bi" which explains the meaning and misconceptions of bisexuality.
Even if you hate musicals and refuse to watch it simply on that basis, the show is still hilarious. There's such a variety of characters that you're bound to find someone you love. There are characters like the lead, Rebecca Bunch (played by Rachel Bloom), who's quirky and ridiculous, and then there are characters like Heather Davis (Vella Lovell) who are apathetic and sarcastic. The dynamic between all the different types of people within "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is just part of what makes the show so funny.
Did I mention that the cast is incredibly diverse? The main character is a Jewish woman, and she's surrounded by Filipino and Italian love interests, three well-rounded female best friends and a bisexual boss.
Okay, but the show is still called "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend", how feminist can it actually be? Rebecca, the so-called "crazy ex-girlfriend" actually calls out the use of that term as sexist in the season one theme song. In addition, when she finds out her ex-boyfriend Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III) has a girlfriend, Valencia Perez (Gabrielle Ruiz), it's obvious she's jealous but she knows that girls need to uplift each other, not fight, and so tries to be friends with Valencia. Although Rebecca and Valencia go through a lot of turmoil, by the end of season two they actually end up being really good friends, despite starting out fighting for the same guy.
In addition to female friendships, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" shows an average sized, average looking woman being sexually active and sexually desirable. Arguably, Rebecca is not what we think of as conventionally attractive and she is not skinny like most people we see on TV. Yet, we see her having sex and being desired, showing women that they don't need to be perfect in order to be sexual.
Not only does "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" talk about sexism it also discusses mental illness heavily. Rebecca is canonically diagnosed with manic depressive disorder, and it's addressed in several episodes. It's not like her journey with her illness is smooth-sailing either, she has trouble with it, just like anyone else. Rebecca's depression is not glamorized in any way.
While I love "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" with all my heart, there is a problem I do have with it. Rebecca tends to get herself into some really uncomfortable situations, and it gives me a lot of second-hand embarrassment. It can be really hard to watch sometimes when you're yelling at Rebecca to stop being such an idiot. If second-hand embarrassment isn't something that bothers you then there's nothing to worry about.
But if you do hate second-hand embarrassment, have no fear. My sister hates second-hand embarrassment in shows, so much so that she'll skip past anything that's too uncomfortable, yet she loves this show. Because the great thing about "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is how real and relatable its main character is. Rebecca shows us that everyone in life goes through really awkward moments, so it's not so much embarrassing as it is sobering. We finally see a character who goes through even more embarrassing situations than the rest of us, so it's almost like relief.
There are so many reasons to watch "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" that I could go on and on, but I'll just let you see for yourself. It's super easy to watch as it only has two seasons so far and they're both on Netflix. Happy bingeing!
