Feminist Ex-Girlfriend Frances Diederich Columbia College Chicago (2017)
Despite the title that has received extensive criticism, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend works to subvert the trope of the crazy ex, giving the lead character Rebecca agency by making her an active character, the sexual subject rather than the sexual object in her relationships, and not only an emotional person but a logical one as well. One important thing to note, as Rachel Bloom, cocreator and star of the show explains, is that the title is not “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” “This is not a man saying, Oh, my crazy bitch ex, she’s so fucking crazy. […] This isn’t written from a male perspective. We want to welcome women in,” Bloom tell Vulture. Even in the title sequence, Rebecca speaks out against the label. As the cartoon versions of her friends dance and sing “She’s a crazy ex-girlfriend” around her, she snaps, “That’s a sexist term!” A Huffington post article explains the title perfectly, describing how the crazy exgirlfriend trope is stripped from its negative power in Bloom’s hands and becomes more compassionate and humorous. It points out that “At no point during the pilot does anyone in Rebecca’s life call her crazy. In fact, the only time the label comes up is when she’s insisting that she’s not crazy, mostly to herself.” Later in the episode, when Rebecca breaks down and begins insisting that she is crazy, Paula urges her to stop saying, “Don’t you talk about my friend like that ever again.” Watercooler Journal
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One element that makes Crazy Ex-Girlfriend a feminist take on the trope is Rebecca’s role as the sexual subject in her relationships rather than the sexual object. “Sex with a Stranger” is a perfect example with this, as Rebecca hooks up with a guy she just met through a dating app. The song is a subversion of the typical hook up song sung by a man — while it does have certain lyrics that objectifies the man rather than the women (“You got a tight-ass bod / Big brown eyes / Come on cutie get between my thighs”) it also has lyrics that express what it’s like to be a woman in a situation like this. The hook of the song is “Please don’t be a murderer / Pl-pl-please don’t be a murderer,” which is often a real fear of a woman’s when sleeping with someone new. As the song plays, Rebecca and Jason hook up and it’s very clear from their positions that she’s the one in charge. She’s the one pushing him on the bed and startling him, making it clear that she’s the subject while he’s the object to her.
both of these traits, but Rebecca balances them perfectly, making her a unique and amazing role model for young women and a message to any misogynist that women don’t have to sacrifice feelings for intelligence. Many feminist critics were initially worried for Crazy Ex based on the title alone, but it’s quickly surprised people in what a feminist message it’s spreading. “Rather than perpetuate the stereotype of the clingy “crazy ex,” the show subverts the trope by diving headfirst into it. What emerges is an empathetic portrait of a smart, accomplished woman prone to the same insecurities (and terrible life decisions) as the rest of us” (Leon). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend breaks down many of the misogynistic stereotypes many other shows have perpetuated, turning the crazy ex-girlfriend trope on its head as Rebecca Bunch, a strong, intelligent, sexually aware badass female, fills the role.
“Rebecca doesn’t lose her emotional side for her intelligence or vice versa.” image credits © The CW works cited Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Cast. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Original Television Soundtrack (Season 1). 2016. Spotify.
Rebecca often speaks up against the objectification of women’s bodies, namely in the song “Heavy Boobs” where she explains why bigger breasts may be sexy, but they’re also more of a nuisance than anything. “What you gotta know is that boobs may be where it’s at / But if you cut them open, they’re just sacks of yellow fat.” Bloom explains in the commentary that she’d been “wanting to desexualize the boob for quite some time.” She also jokingly calls the genre a “boner killer” which she describes as a “song where it should be sexy but it is not.” “Oh, just try to jerk off to it,” she challenges her male audience. “Just try.”
Emami, Gazelle. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Rachel Bloom on New Suburbia, Depression, and How One Comes to Be ‘Crazy’” Vulture. N.p., 12 Oct. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2016. Gray, Emma. “How ‘Crazy Ex Girlfriend’ Is Reclaiming The Crazy Woman Trope.” The Huffington Post. N.p., 13 Oct. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.
Another way Crazy Ex is a feminist depiction of the overused trope is by making Rebecca intelligent and emotional. Often shows depict a female character who’s smart and proclaim her a feminist icon, but then these characters are more robotic than human, are often socially awkward, and don’t seem to have any emotions. Other shows depict females as emotional messes with little else to them. Rebecca doesn’t lose her emotional side for her intelligence or vice versa. She’s very clearly emotional, as one would have to be if you’d drop everything and move across country for an old ex-boyfriend, but she’s also smart. She went to both Harvard and Yale, was offered a position as a junior partner at a major law firm in New York City while still in her twenties, and speaks at least five languages. In the episode “I’m Going on a Date with Josh’s Friend!” she brags that her IQ is 164 and that she only got two questions wrong on the SAT and “in subsequent years those questions were stricken for being misleading.” While she often acts illogically when it comes to her romantic life, this doesn’t stop her from being excellent at her job and incredibly smart. Female characters are rarely shown with Watercooler Journal
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Leon, Melissa. “‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Is Still the Smart, Subversively Feminist Comedy TV Needs.” The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company, 29 Oct. 2016. Web. 14 Dec. 2016. Ott, Brian L., and Robert L. Mack. Critical Media Studies: An Introduction. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print.Web. 13 May 2014. Winter, Katey. “Return of the Swinging Sixties! Sales of Lava Lamps, Drinks Trolleys and Decanters Soar as Brits Recreate Mad Men Style in their Homes.” Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd. 13 May 2014. Web. 13 May 2014.
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Witchel, Alex. “‘Mad Men’ Has its Moment.” The New York Times Magazine. The New York Times, 22 June 2008. Web. 13 May 2014. Wolfson, Brandon Matthew. Salon. Salon Media Group, 27 April 2014. Web. 13 May 2014.
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