"The book is insightful and provides a unique perspective on an equally unique show."—Allison Lips, the Journal of Popular Culture
"This collection stands both as a fitting tribute to its much-loved subject and as a reflection on the dynamics of popular culture. . . . It's no mean feat to write about comedy in a manner that captures its intellectual weight without destroying its silliness. Led by Konkle and Burnetts, the contributors to Perspectives on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend do so admirably here."—Keri Walsh, author of Women, Method Acting, and the Hollywood Film
"One of the most readable yet theoretically informed essay collections about thought-provoking television that readers are likely to encounter. . . .a collection that deserves to be savored, taught, and revisited by media scholars, students, and fans alike. This is truly Peak Media Writers Writing on Peak TV."—Rebecca Bell-Metereau, Texas State University
"Offers fans, students, and scholars some much needed help navigating the contrapuntally hysterical and profound depths, eddies, and undertows beneath the series’ intriguingly complex methods of re-presentation."—Anna Froula, East Carolina University
"Examining the series through the lenses of genre, fandom, queerness, mental illness, feminism, and more, the authors in this collection highlight the series’ progressive, original, and compelling contributions to contemporary television."—Taylor Nygaard, Faculty Associate at Arizona State University
Description
With an off-putting title and a decidedly retrograde premise, the CW dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a surprising choice for critical analysis. But, loyal viewers quickly came to appreciate the show’s sharp cultural critique through masterful parody, and this strategy has made it a critical darling and earned it several awards throughout its run. In ways not often seen on traditional network television, the show transcends conventional genre boundaries—the Hollywood musical, the romantic comedy, the music video—while resisting stereotypes associated with contemporary life.
The essays in this collection underscore the show’s ability to distinguish itself within the current television market. Focusing on themes of feminism, gender identity, and mental health, contributors explore the ways in which the show challenged viewer expectations, as well as the role television critics play in identifying a show’s “authenticity” or quality.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: “The Situation Is a Lot More Nuanced Than That”—How Crazy Ex-GirlfriendDefies Peak TV
Amanda Konkle
Part One. Critics, Genre, and “Quality TV”
1. “Crazy for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”: TV Fandom and the Critical Reception of a “Nutty” Network Series
David Scott Diffrient
2. Musicals Have a Place: Navigating the Television Market with a Crazy Cult Show
Chelsea McCracken
3. Deconstructing Crazy: Jewishness, Neuroticism, and the Stylized Rom-Com in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Charles Burnetts
4. Television after Complexity: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and the Late 2010s
Billy Stevenson
Part Two. Queering Television
5. “This Is What Happy Feels Like”: The Cripped Narrative of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Caitlin E. Ray
6. “Lady, We’re All Gay!”: The Math of Homosocial Triangles
Hazel Mackenzie
7. “Getting Bi”: Darryl Whitefeather as Bisexual Bellwether
Kathleen W. Taylor Kollman
Part Three. Trauma, Vulnerability, and Mental Illness
8. “I’m the Villain in My Own Story”: Representations of Depression and the Spectatorial Experience
Lauren Boumaroun
9. “A Diagnosis!!”: Crazy Ex-Girlfriendand the Destigmatization of Mental Illness in the Era of Postnetwork Television
Margaret Tally
10. “Let Us Ugly Cry”: Spoofing Emotional Vulnerability in Season Three of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Stephanie Salerno
11. Failure and the Family in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Christine Prevas
Part Four. New Feminisms
12. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Female Networks: From Hacking and Selfies to Taking Responsibility
Marija Laugalyte
13. “Put Yourself First in a Sexy Way”: Metamodernist Feminism in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Bibi Burger and Carel van Rooyen
14. “I’m Ravenous”: Hunger for Food, Sex, and Power in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Christi Cook
Appendix: Complete Episode List, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Notes
Bibliography
Contributors
Index
About the Author
Amanda Konkle is assistant professor of film studies and English at Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus in Savannah, Georgia. She is the author of Some Kind of Mirror: Creating Marilyn Monroe.
Charles Burnetts teaches film in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Kings University College at the University of Western Ontario. He is the author of Improving Passions: Sentimental Aesthetics and American Film.
September 2021