Blog Responce 3: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

I remember many times scrolling through Netflix and coming across Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. I considered watching the show many time but it’s musical elements have me flashbacks to my middle school theater days, and that’s too much for even me to reflect on. Despite it hitting a little too close to home for me, the musical element of the show does add to its dramatic and comic effect. Musicals are often intentionally overdramatic and somewhat spunky, but in all my years in theater I never saw someone laugh at a song from Grease.  Crazy Ex-Girlfriend recognizes the often awkwardness of the musical drama and lightens it up and creates something so strange yet it works. The random break into song not only matches the somewhat insanity of the lead character, but it’s adds a comic element to the show many modern works of television don’t take advantage of. We’ve seen the music and comedy combo work before with The Lonely Island and Bo Burnam, but never directly in a sitcom outside of Disney channel.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend uses the classic comic tool of normalizing the crazy. The lead character Rebecca is clearly off her rocker, to move across country for a boy; my mother would barely drive across town to visit my father at work, but its Rebecca’s insanity that leads to her subtle charm. Part of what makes Rebecca’s antics funny could be the superiority theory. Maybe the viewers find relief in knowing they’re not as desperate for love, or maybe we are and just less open about it.  Nevertheless I think there is a sense of superiority in this relationship, but as Julia stated, there is no denying the incongruity in this show. The songs in specific often slap the audience out of nowhere as they spout out. As mentioned the song “Face your Fears” is funny all the way down to facial expressions Paula as she sings to Rebecca. While Rebecca is worried about love, Paula goes to sing about handling the attack of a bear. Paula doesn’t give Rebecca or the audience the song expected, and that is what draws out the laughter. No one really knows what exactly is going on. Just like life Crazy Ex- Girlfriend,  is a somewhat laughable tragedy to keep you on your toes, so sing along.



Comments

  1. Shane HerronSeptember 28, 2018 at 10:19 AM

    I love that your mom wouldn't drive across town. I have known many a friends who would not even leave their house to hang out with other people. It does seem like it is a laughable tragedy, and I like that term. It's one to keep around. What makes that different from a true comedy though?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kaitlin RamsdenSeptember 28, 2018 at 12:52 PM

    I love that you talked about how you scrolled past the show so many times because it reminded you of your childhood. I also love that you related it to Disney channel because that makes the Netflix show so much more relatable to our generation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSeptember 28, 2018 at 1:18 PM

    I like the tone of your paper as well as the analysis of each song.

    ReplyDelete

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