Perhaps one of the most notable examples is from the series "How I Met Your Mother," which uses the trope as a gag. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The goal -- especially when it comes to your romantic life -- is to avoid the label at all costs. Going into its fourth and final season, co-creators Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna have successfully maintained the momentum that allowed this show to beat the odds and make it onto mainstream television in the first place. However, times are mostly associated together with night. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” does not fall victim to this, and still figures out a way to be unparalleled in its use of satire. The others: Fat. Railsback lives! Rebecca Bunch, Josh Chan, Paula Proctor, Greg Serrano, Valencia Perez, Darryl Whitefeather, Heather Davis, "White Josh" Wilson, Nathaniel Plimpton III, Whitefeather & Associates (Mrs. Hernandez, Karen, Maya, George, Tim & Jim, Sunil), Main Characters' Families (Naomi Bunch, Silas Bunch, the Chan Family, Scott Proctor), Other Secondary Characters (Father Brah, Dr. Akopian, Trent, Hector, Audra Levine, Kevin). 2015 TV-MA 4 Seasons TV Comedies. Rebecca Bunch may be a little "crazy" -- after all, who isn't at times? If the premise sounds like a more absurdist version of "Felicity," it is, but somehow it works, turning the crazy lady romantic narrative on its head. 'Crazy Ex Girlfriend' Found A New Trope To Flip. It turns out Demonic Possession and being a Lonely Rich Kidreally messes with one's mental stability. But this is where the Crazy Girlfriend trope starts. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is an American romantic musical comedy-drama television series that premiered on October 12, 2015 on The CW and ran for four seasons, ending on April 5, 2019. Others, including The Huffington Post’s own Emma Gray, have applauded co-creators Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna for reclaiming the "crazy ex-girlfriend" trope and spinning it into a hilarious and even feminist show, which critiques the cliché of the hysterical woman in the show’s funny song-and-dance numbers. Contractor’s ‘Hope Stoves’ Help Homeless People Cook, Stay Warm, Winners And Losers: What A Biden Presidency Means For Canada’s Economy, How To Open A Stubborn Produce Bag, The Pandemic-Safe Way, Saskatoon Man Uses The Cold To Show How Effective Face Masks Can Be, One Of These Great Canadians Will Be The Face Of The New $5 Bill, From The Supermarket To The Dollar Store, A Dietitian’s Fave Budget Eats. "Don’t you talk about my friend like that ever again," says Paula, admonishing her for bringing "crazy" talk into the mix. -- but she's also intelligent, funny, professionally competent, flirtatious, goofy, charming and brave. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend really did the most. When I first heard about the CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — from several of my smart, feminist friends and just about every critic at a major media outlet — a glimmer of hope shone through the sea of crazy. TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has smashed the trope … At some point between childhood and adulthood, you learn that crazy is just about the worst thing you can be. Hopefully, its surprise Golden Globe win will give this show the attention it deserves as it enters the second half of its first season. Share this: ... Get Trope in … As Harris O'Malley wrote for The Washington Post in 2014: "'Crazy' is one of the five deadly words guys use to shame women into compliance. ", Harris O'Malley wrote for The Washington Post, 'Gilmore Girls' Actor: I Didn't Storm The Capitol And My Tweet Was A Joke, O’Toole Wants Sloan Turfed From Tory Caucus After White Supremacist's Donation, Alex Trebek Will Be In Trump’s ‘American Heroes’ Statue Garden, Churches Flouting Pandemic Rules Need A Come-To-Jesus Moment, New Hospital Opening In Ontario To Relieve COVID-19 Capacity Crunch, Kenney: Biden Owes Canada ‘Respect’ Of Hearing Case For Keystone XL, Ford Insists ‘There Is No Confusion’ About Lockdown Rules, Vacationers Won’t Have Access To New $1K Sick-Leave Benefit: Trudeau, Our Great Canadian Guide To Buying Local For 2020, B.C. As a single 28-year-old woman living (and dating) in New York City, there are few labels I've learned to fear more than "crazy." Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a breath of fresh air. Her philosophy comes from a deep belief that, ", Oh my god, I’m crazy," she says in horror. Led by Bloom’s character, Rebecca Bunch, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s cast of […] Perhaps the key to doing away with the negative power the "crazy" label has over women is to embrace it with compassion and humor. By Alice Walker. Her journey follows a familiar trope in romantic TV shows and movies where the heroine chases after a guy (i.e. When she finally breaks down about her real reasons for coming to West Covina when confronted by her new coworker Paula, it's Rebecca who berates herself with the crazy trope: "Oh my god, I’m crazy," she says in horror. Rachel Bloom Upends Romantic Comedy Tropes On 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' Bloom talks to Fresh Air's Ann Marie Baldonado about the CW musical comedy series, now … Basically, she's a human being. October 26, 2015 justenoughtrope Uncategorized Leave a comment. As many know, the "crazy ex-girlfriend," also known as the "psycho ex-girlfriend," is a sexist trope where a woman is dismissed as "nuts" in the aftermath of a breakup. At no point during the pilot does anyone in Rebecca's life call her crazy. In "Crazy Ex Girlfriend," it's the female characters who control the "crazy" narrative -- not the men who surround them. This song appears in episode 15 of season 1 (“Josh Has No Idea Where I Am!”) of the CW’s comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Not only was it one of the only musical shows on television, but it also turned the trope of the crazy ex-girlfriend on its head. Slutty. Rebecca Bunch is a manifestation of our inner obsessive. Copyright © 2021 HuffPost.com, Inc. "HuffPost" is a registered trademark of HuffPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved. The CW's "Crazy Ex Girlfriend" (very intentionally not "My Crazy Ex Girlfriend") was created by two women, Rachel Bloom and Brosh McKenna. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a brilliant TV show that no one watches. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has long used the familiar beats of romantic comedies to raise, and then upset, our expectations. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” co-creators Rachel Bloom, left, and Aline Brosh-McKenna, pictured at last year’s Comic-Con, discuss the show’s series finale that aired Friday. This is a character list for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. As it turns out, Heather still lives with her parents (who are both wonderful). http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/CrazyExGirlfriend. In their hands, the "crazy woman" trope becomes a lot less tragic and a lot more interesting. As a Jewish girl, I find that Rachel Bloom’s show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend speaks so many truths about the American Jewish experience. After a decade of dating and perpetual fear of ending up branded "crazy," I found myself watching a new musical TV show about -- you guessed it -- a crazy woman. McKenna told the New York Times that "'Crazy ex-girlfriend' was a sexist term she and several of her friends had appropriated to describe obsessive behavior, whether prompted by a relationship gone awry, twisted work politics or even something trivial like having a car fixed." And thankfully, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was there to let me know I’m not alone. Warning: Contains spoilers for season 3, episode 11 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend which aired 2 February in the US. Sometimes, adding one more couple to the blend can make things up some sort of notch. It's not going to be pleasant, but … "Crazy Ex Girlfriend" follows protagonist Rebecca Bunch (played by Bloom), an ambitious but miserable real estate lawyer who runs into an old summer camp boyfriend, Josh, on the street and decides to follow him across the country. Rebecca is the "crazy" ex-girlfriend who uproots her life to pursue Josh. And, really, what could be so bad about that? "You're brave.". As the long-term girlfriend of the primary male love interest during the first season, Valencia was presumed straight by most of the audience until very recently, when she is seen holding hands with and kissing a woman. "I’m crazy and I’m irrational and I’m everything my mother said.". So here’s to hoping for a renewal, for more trope and stereotype destruction, and for more brilliantly funny, subversive, visceral work by the team behind “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Advertisement Music and comedy aside, what sets CXG apart from other romcom fare is its handling of mental illness that turns the “crazy ex-girlfriend” trope on its head. We get jazzed for today’s show as we talk up Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and get down into a sci-fi classic, Lifeforce! The series was created by Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna and stars Bloom in the lead role as Rebecca Bunch, a lawyer who moves from New York City to West Covina, California to pursue her ex from high school camp. Her philosophy comes from a deep belief that, "we’ve all been that person.". She ends up in a completely underwhelming suburb, West Covina, Calif., with a new legal job and plenty of time to casually stalk Josh while insisting that, "I did not move here for Josh because that would be crazy and I am not crazy." November 17, 2015. Rebecca is also very charming and smart. Felicity). Rebecca has spent so much time pursuing love that she’s lost sight of who she is. Get the top stories emailed every day. All of these songs toy with the "crazy ex-girlfriend" trope: the clinging, vengeful lover who refuses to understand when it’s over. You could take your significant some other on a lunch time, brunch date or also a date to feel the sunrise. While I love her, her attempt to control certain aspects of my life became too much. Starring: Rachel Bloom, Vincent Rodriguez III, Santino Fontana. 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