What's Up With That Insane Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Trailer?
Earlier this month, The CW debuted the first look at its new show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. But unlike almost every other show on the network, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend isn't a broody genre show populated by people with super-human abilities. It's about exactly what it sounds like: a totally normal, albeit slightly crazy, ex-girlfriend.
Rachel Bloom stars as Rebecca Bunch, an incredibly intelligent and successful NYC career woman who decides to leave her entire life behind after a chance encounter with Josh, her camp boyfriend from 10 years ago (who's a total jerk, BTW). Before you know it, Rebecca has packed her bags and followed Josh to West Covina, Calif., which is between two and four hours from the beach (as the trailer points out no less than five times).
She then proceeds to stalk Josh - who turns out to have a girlfriend (see above, re: jerk) - and break out into song and dance. Yup. That's right. It's a musical.
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But even more confounding than how a musical dark comedy wound up on The CW is the question you're all probably asking right now: Is Rebecca actually crazy? Like, does this woman suffer from a serious mental illness? Or at least some deep-rooted personal issues that will require years and years of therapy and possible supplemental medication?
In the trailer, she struggles to open a pill bottle, hears singing voices in her head and thinks she's so in love with someone she hasn't spoken to for a decade that she drops her entire life to stalk him across the country.
But despite all this, it doesn't seem the show want us to think Rebecca is all that insane. In fact, the one woman who calls out Rebecca for being crazy in the trailer quickly changes her tune. "You're in love!" tells Rebecca, validating all of her self-destructive, irrational and - frankly - troublesome behavior.
Labeling women as "crazy" for a any reason is part of a damaging cultural trend. Maybe Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is subverting the way the word is used as a weapon to manipulate women. Maybe it will turn out Rebecca does suffer from serious delusion and explore dating with a mental illness. Or maybe it will turn out the show's hero really is just a stalker with whom we're supposed to sympathize.
It's too early to make any real judgments about Rebecca or the show, but for now check out the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend trailer below and let us know what you think.
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