While surfing through Netflix this summer I came across a show whose title caught my eye: "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." I figured I would give it chance and see what it was all about. Little did I know I would find a new role model in the show's leading actress, co-creator, writer, and executive producer Rachel Bloom. She is quite literally one of my favorite people on the planet right now! She's such a genuinely funny person and is an inspiring person all around. Allow me to tell you why.
First off, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" was almost never put on the air. When Rachel won her Golden Globe for her performance as her character Rebecca Bunch, she recounted in her speech how the show got six rejections in one day and how awful that felt. However that didn't stop them because they knew the show was good and that a network would pick it up. That network was The CW. This story is so inspiring to me because it shows that if you put your mind to something you can accomplish it. We all face rejection in our lives, but it's our choice of whether or not we give into that failure that defines who we are. Rachel Bloom is the embodiment of grit and determination and I admire her so much for that!
Rachel Bloom also managed to create a show that flips the traditional formula for a romantic comedy on it's head. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is just as innovative as it is funny and that is so important to see on TV nowadays with networks constantly recycling the same source material. From the title, you would imagine that this show is just another silly comedy, but it's not. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" actually tackles some pretty heavy topics in new and funny ways!
For example, Darryl Whitefeather (played by Pete Gardner), Rebecca's boss in the show, realizes half way through the season that he is bisexual. The reason why I'm mentioning this is because there is a stigma associated with being bi in both the straight and LGBT community. I know people who identify as bi and some of the stories they've told me are insane. People have told them they need to "pick a team sooner or later" or that they don't trust them because they could leave them for someone of the opposite sex.
When Darryl started showing interest in another guy on the show, I thought it was going to be a stereotypical gay coming out moment. Now don't get me wrong, those moments are really important and representing the gay community is awesome! However, I feel as though being a bi character on a TV show is far less common than being a gay character on a TV show. The fact that Rachel Bloom incorporated this along with other forms of diversity including race, religion, and gender into her show is just another reason why I love her!
Like I mentioned earlier, this isn't you traditional romantic comedy. Rachel Bloom has made this show more about Rebecca's journey of empowerment as opposed to her love story with her camp crush Josh Chan (played by Vincent Rodriguez III). Near the end of the series we see Rebecca do a lot of self reflecting and eventually realizes that her obsession with Josh isn't healthy. She then works to change her old patterns and make herself feel more empowered! It's awesome to see her character evolve from a sad, rich lawyer in New York to following her heart to West Covina, California, and then coming to terms with what was making her unhappy and actively working to change it.
And that's the beauty of "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." It has the typical archetypes of a romantic comedy, but all of the characters have so much more depth to them. They aren't two dimensional characters that are larger than life. They are relatable characters who have their own struggles that they go through as the show progresses. On top of that, the show is also a musical that uses music to help progress character development. These musical numbers aren't just thrown in frivolously to entertain the audience; they are used to convey the characters' feelings in that moment. Don't get me wrong there are some comedic relief songs thrown in to, but even those serve some sort of purpose.
In short, Rachel Bloom is a gem. She started this show from the ground up and now it's a huge success going into it's second season! She has truly inspired me and I hope she continues to inspire young girls every where to follow their dreams and to never give up. Rachel, if you're reading this, thank you for being you! Can't wait to see what you do next!
