This Is What Feminism Looks Like, As Told By “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” ended far too soon, but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t revolutionize what feminism looks like today. Rachel Bloom, the show’s creator, uses techniques such as catchy songs, emotional character development, and punchy political references to achieve a re-branding of how feminism is perceived. She does this through the lens of her alter-ego, her main protagonist Rebecca Bunch.

So here it is; a catalog of some of the show’s best songs depict the lessons of 21st Century feminism.

“Let’s Generalize About Men!”

Bloom et al were absolute pioneers when it came to highlighting the flaws in feminism. The song, as mentioned above, calls out women everywhere for including ‘man-hating’ as part of feminism. In their special live concert of the show’s best hits – Bloom states, “coming up is a song that manages to be both feminist and anti-feminist at the same time“.

There’s a difference between feminism and misandry. Bloom knows that by confusing the two, feminist movements undermine their own hard work. The “man-hating” brand of feminism distracts from facts such as the disparity in equal pay, or gender-based violence in developing countries.

So no, we’re not conceding to #NotAllMen. Instead, just making the feminist argument stronger, because “the world has little place for feminist anger.”

It is also an absolute banger of a song, so get yourself to Spotify asap.

“We Couldn’t Talk to Our Dads.”

The show really was the epitome of changing what feminism looks like, displayed in how it explored male emotions. Many popular sitcoms still mock men for expressing their emotions, which is considered, “effeminate.” However, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” touches on many different emotional issues that can affect men. It predominantly focuses on unstable male relationships with their fathers.

As displayed in the song, “Sport Analogies” Nathaniel and Josh discuss the universal male language of sports when it came to communicating with other men. Not only that, but they found that it was also the only way that both men could actually communicate with their fathers.

Although many shows and films mock women and their “daddy issues” there’s a significant amount of evidence that shows a vast amount of male issues with relationships or careers, “could often be traced back, sooner or later, to the lack of relationship with their fathers”.

This has been portrayed in many other pieces of media, such as Franz Kafka’s “Letter to My Father,” a book dedicated to ranting about his father’s wrongdoings, or Robert Bly’s poem ‘My Father’s Wedding 1924’. Hell, even Cat Stevens sings about it in his song ‘Father and Son’ hinting at his lonely childhood in the 1970’s single.

Even popular shows today, like “Game of Thrones,” we have Tyrion Lannister, whose father believes that Tyrion’s birth defect brings shame to the family. It would seem that, “daddy problems” are time immemorial.

As already established, Bloom wanted the show to equate feminism to equality. Feminism as a movement isn’t just concerned with helping women. It also focuses on aiding men to overcome toxic masculinity standards, e.g. men shouldn’t be emotional.

“Put Yourself First.”

“If I put myself first for him, then by definition aren’t I putting myself second?” Bunch sings at a chorus of women, trying to convince her that she’s prioritizing herself, not the man.

This song is a clever metaphor equipped to satirize the beauty industry marketing under the guise of “feminism.” In reality, these companies are still preying on female self-esteem issues. This trend, now called “Femvertising,” is merely an evolved version of, “sex sells,” where now, feminism sells.

An example of a successful ‘Femvertising’ comes from Tampax’s “Like A Girl” campaign. The slick emotive techniques adopted by the company in their commercial for TV and streaming services focused on a variety of video interviews with young girls, who were saddened by the fact that they noticed disparities between them and boys of their age. And, for a split-second, you emotionally invest in the company’s philanthropy. But then, you remember that Tampax still sells its products to women with the “pink tax” a tax placed on luxury items. Because apparently tampons are a luxury item; how blessed we are with our LUXURIOUS bleeding from the vagina.

“I Don’t Need a Man.”

*SPOILER ALERT*

The finale of the show sees Bunch choosing pursuing her own dream of songwriting. An unexpected ending, considering there was much build-up about which of the three love interests she was going to choose. Thus, depicting the overriding lesson of following your heart, not what someone else, or society, tells you to do.

But this synopsis isn’t rare, is it? Even when you search the internet for the “love vs career” discussion, there’s an abundance of articles and quizzes on the subject. But maybe, we should just stop making “love” an obstacle for a woman’s career and vice versa. Surely, whatever a woman does is her own business and shouldn’t be made into a duet. In reality, what a woman does with her life is a solo performance.

In conclusion, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is the greatest show to ever be created. And, yes, that may be a sweeping statement, however, the show has gone beyond any other media depiction of feminism. It taught me a lot, and I thought that my seven years at an all-girl school was the end of my female empowerment education. And in the end, Bunch made me fall in love with myself, and isn’t that all part of feminism?