IPCXG0101 Psychology & mental health in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend S01E01 "Josh Just Happens to Live Here!"

Aurora Brown is joined by Registered Counsellor and Student Clinical Psychologist HuiMei "Lulu" Lu and award-winning actor, singer, director, and vocal coach Richard White to kick off We're All So Broken Inside -- a deep dive into the portrayal of mental health and psychology in the CW musical dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Together, they unpack the pilot episode, in which Rebecca Bunch quits her high-powered New York law firm and moves across the country to reconnect with a summer camp ex -- a decision that is, on paper, a terrible idea, and yet somehow completely compelling. So weird, right?! The episode closes with the panel's first Fanon Test ratings for the series, scoring Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 1, Episode 1 across all five scales. The verdict? A surprisingly strong opener -- with a few notable caveats.  Connect with Richard on Instagram at @RichardLloydWhite, and check out his LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/richardlloydwhite 🎁 Support the podcast and get exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/IntersectionalPsychology. 📄 Download a transcript of this episode on IntersectionalPsychology.com. ⏳ Chapter Timestamps 00:00:00 Short introduction to representation of psychology and mental health in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend S01E01 00:01:18 Land acknowledgement 00:01:47 Title credits: Glitter Just Happened to Explode Inside of Me!  00:02:29 Welcome and guest introductions   00:04:48 Content note 00:05:10 "SO WEIRD, RIGHT?!" Orientation to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CXG) 00:10:58 Recapping the plot of CXG S01E01: "Josh Just Happens to Live Here!" 00:14:45 "In that moment it was like everyone was my mom." Summer camp scenes  00:24:46 "When was the last time you were truly happy?" New York City scenes  00:33:31 "I'm hopelessly, desperately in love with..." West Covina  00:36:40 "This is where I live. Yay for me." Office and Home Base scenes  00:47:07 "Ass blood!" The Sexy Getting Ready Song  01:01:33 "To broken people." The party scenes  01:10:21 Rating CXG S01E01 on the Fanon Test  01:30:25 Conclusion: "This is that time to obey the ticking clock of destiny."   01:36:31 End credits Stay connected 🔗 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts 📮 Got feedback or questions? Reach out at @IntersectionalPsychology or IntersectionalPsychologyPod[@]gmail.com 🌈 If this episode resonates, please share it, rate the show, and send us your thoughts.  You can contribute to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund at https://www.pcrf.net/  References Bloom, R. (Writer), Brosh McKenna, A. (Writer), & Webb, M. (Director). (2015, October 12). Josh Just Happens to Live Here! (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In R. Bloom, A. Bosh McKenna, & M. Webb (Executive Producers), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. MMXV CBS Studios; Warner Bros. Entertainment.  Bloom, R., Dolgen, J. & Geier, M. (2015, October 6). Sexy Getting Ready Song [Music Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky-BYK-f154 Bloom, R. & Kurtenbach, J. (2015, October 23). West Covina [Music Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92538NJ0lbE   Bloom, R. & Kurtenbach, J. (2015). West Covina Reprise [Song]. On Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Original Television Soundtrack (Season 1 - Volume 1). WaterTower Music.   Brogan, C. (2020). "That's a sexist term!": how Crazy Ex-Girlfriend flips mental illness and misogyny. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7, 396–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30160-7 Shine, J. (2020). "I'm on My Own Path": Musical Development of the Musical in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019). Music and the Moving Image, 13(3), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.5406/musimoviimag.13.3.0015  Veilleux, J. (2025). The psychology lessons of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. University of Arkansas. https://tempt.uark.edu/the-psychology-lessons-of-crazy-ex-girlfriend/  See Privacy Policy at https://intersectionalpsychology.com/privacy-policy/