The CW’s hit comedy musical series, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, is known for pushing the boundaries of television, featuring songs such as “Period Sex,” “I Gave You a UTI” and my personal favourite, “Sexy Getting Ready Song,” which details the disturbing (and sometimes painful) lengths women go to in order to make themselves more appealing to men. With ever-bold lead actress and co-creator, Rachel Bloom at its helm, the show never fails to shy away from topics that others might deem too controversial to air.
Now well into its fourth and (self-imposed) final season on the air, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend continues to push these boundaries further, with recent episode, “I’m So Happy for You”, featuring the song, “The Group Mind Has Decided You’re In Love.” The song is a direct call-out to the show’s fanbase, and fan-culture in general, exposing fans unhealthy and borderline creepy tendency to become overly invested in the activity of ‘shipping’ romantic relationships.
“The Group Mind Has Decided You’re In Love” zeros in on the characters Darryl and White Josh, who had dated throughout the show’s early seasons before breaking up in the third season due to Darryl being set on having a baby – whereas White josh decidedly did not. Despite this significant barrier, the two remain friends in season 4. Their friends eventually conclude (as many of the shows fans have) that they should simply get back together –despite neither one deviating from what separated them in the first place.
The song makes a point of how overly-invested and illogical shippers can be, attempting to force two characters together regardless of their wishes. They argue, “your relationship is important to us!” – as if this is more important than the individual character’s wants and needs. Darryl and White Josh are diminished by the swarm of fangirling characters around them, who, whilst claiming to be invested in their lives, reduce them to their relationship – just another cute gay couple to help them distract themselves from problems in their own lives. White Josh even comments towards the end of the song, “so it’s not about us at all anymore,” as the mob leaves them on the sidelines. The song doesn’t demonise shipping; it’s simply a light-hearted jab at the fanbase. This is a pretty common theme in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, especially when it comes to pointing out fans’ obsession with romance.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend makes it clear very early on in season one that the main focus of the show is not (and will never be) the outcome of Rebecca’s romantic pursuits. Fans rooting for one of Rebecca’s love interests to win her over in the end are clearly not paying enough attention. Showrunner, Aline Brosh McKenna confirmed this in Vanity Fair’s 2016 interview, stating, “the show is never about this boy or that boy. The show is always about [Rebecca’s] struggle for identity, and her coming of age.”
In earlier seasons, Rebecca’s focus is very much on her romantic relationships, and the show makes a point of why this is such an unhealthy mindset for Rebecca at the time. This puts fans in a difficult position, as shipping is such deeply-ingrained part of fan culture. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend challenges its fans to put Rebecca’s needs first, as she must also do, constantly tempting fans with new potential love interests, before quickly making a point of why they are not right for her. The result is an important (albeit sometimes cruel) lesson that a character’s happiness cannot be derived from any one relationship.
“The Group Mind Has Decided You’re in Love” reminds audiences of this same lesson. Darryl and White Josh’s relationship may have been enjoyable for fans to watch (and I’ll admit a part of me is still rooting for them to end up together) but at the present, the healthiest thing for both of their characters is to remain apart and move on as friends.
TheScreenReview 