Running head: REPRESENTATIONS IN ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK 1 Representations in Orange Is the New Black Student's Name Language of Television Montclair State University April 27, 2017 REPRESENTATIONS IN ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK 2 Abstract Representations are typically defined as something or someone that is being portrayed in place of something else. When discussing representations in the realm of television, it is outlined as the way that a group, community, topic, or idea is depicted from an ideology set forth by society. The critically acclaimed Netflix show, Orange Is the New Black, authentically represents aspects of race, gender and sexuality in its narrative and diverse cast of characters. These three components of the show are examples of intersectionality because they are social constructs that create the overlying theme of oppression and discrimination that the characters face in the show. “Enlightened Racism” by Sut Jhally and Justin Lewis discusses the negative stereotypes that African-Americans face by the way they are depicted on television. “Television, Representation and Gender” by Julie D’Acci explores how representations in television shape how audiences view society’s perception of gender and sexuality. Both essays apply to how Orange Is the New Black integrates the three topics into their narrative and character storylines. Ultimately, this essay highlights how Orange Is the New Black realistically depicts race, gender and sexuality and how it commendably gives voice to those who are misrepresented in television and media. Keywords: Orange Is the New Black, representations, television representations, portrayals, character portrayals, race, gender, sexuality, shows, television, characters REPRESENTATIONS IN ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK 3 Representations in Orange is the New Black In the world of television, characters are not only important to the narration of the story, but are also important to add structure and depth to the world that is created. The complexity and intricacy of a character creates a greater impact on their storylines in the show. One of the main reason why people engage in a television show is because of the relationship the audience has with the characters. The audience gets attached to characters not just because of their story-arcs in the show, but because the audience can relate to and empathize with the characters. Humans are always taught that they, the audience, are real and that the characters in the show are not- they are fictional. Contrastingly, characters give a sense of realness because they represent actual people so that the audience can emotionally connect with them. Whether people realize it or not, characters and depictions on screen can shape who people become, aspire to be, and most importantly, how they view the world. We live in a world where children turn on the television and admire the person on the screen or look through magazines and want to look just like the person on the cover. Growing up today, it is important to see portrayals of characters from all walks of life in the entertainment industry. Television characters gives viewers a reflection of themselves, even though television cannot reflect one’s vision of reality. For instance, the phrase, “you can’t be what you don’t see” demands the media industry to tell stories of a large portion of people in the world who are often misrepresented in television. That being said, diversity in a cast of characters can impact the audience in a positive way. Because the world we live in today is constantly changing, the entertainment industry is continuously representing characters that anyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and economic upbringing, can be drawn to. REPRESENTATIONS IN ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK 4 Orange Is the New Black has earned high critical acclaim and scholarly praise for it’s realistic depiction of race, gender, and sexuality. The show gives voice to the groups of people that are not regularly represented in television and media. The Netflix original show tells the story of Piper Chapman, a woman who is sentenced to Litchfield Penitentiary, a women’s prison, because she was convicted of smuggling drugs for her then-girlfriend Alex Vause. In prison, she is reunited with Alex and meets several inmates, all who come from different backgrounds and represent diversity. The success of this show proves not only to Hollywood, but the industry that people will watch programs that steer away from stories that feature straight, white males. Prior to this program, there was no other prison show that presented females in such a way; most prison shows were about men. Orange Is the New Black illustrates that women programs mcan just be as successful as shows about men, and it definitely got the ball rolling for more female representation in the future. Intersectionality takes place within Orange Is the New Black because it features racial, gender and sexuality issues of inequality and all three of these aspects of the show do not stand alone- they all interconnect in the prison setting. As an approach to explore the representations in Orange Is the New Black, this following analysis considers Julie D’Acci’s “Television, Representation, and Gender” essay, along with Sut Jhally and Justin Lewis’ “Enlightened Racism.” “Enlightened Racism” by Jhally and Lewis makes a point about how the wildly popular sitcom, The Cosby Show, helped American families recognize the exemplification of a different kind of family on television and its recurring importance in the real world, which its thesis collides with the racial parts of Orange Is the New Black. Also, D’Acci’s “Television, Representation and Gender” composition discusses that representations in television, for example, shape how people understand societies perception of gender and sexuality in a cultural, economic, and ethnic way; this essay will strengthen the REPRESENTATIONS IN ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK 5 aspects of gender and sexuality that are depicted in the show. In what follows, this paper will discuss how Orange Is the New Black authentically represents race, gender and sexuality, and how it effectively incorporates these topics into their storylines and cast of diverse characters. Race Race and ethnicity play an important role in human lives, and is outlined as a biological characterization that individuals share based on skin color. Race can be intellectualized as a socially constructed character that progresses over time, where racial classifications are dictated by societal forces- socially, economically and politically (Omi & Winant, 1986). The show Orange Is the New Black presents an accurate depiction of racial issues that people face today, like discrimination and oppression, while challenging cultural stereotypes. The women in Orange Is the New Black deal with both oppression and privilege which is decided on because of their race. In Kimberly Crenshaw’s (1989) thesis titled “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex,” the term intersectionality is instituted to express the diverse interlocking frameworks of oppression, domination, and discrimination that people may battle against. The frameworks cannot be isolated because they all add to the general mistreatment that an individual deals with in society. In the beginning season, the show’s antagonist was Officer Healy, the prison’s corrections officer and inmate counselor. Healy took a liking to Piper in regards of just her race and status, and preferred her instead of the other inmates based on his assumption. In “Enlightened Racism,” Jhally and Lewis point out that the fight between racial depictions “is fought entirely on the turf of the dominant culture, ultimately legitimating white, upper middle class hegemony” (Jhally & Lewis, 2003, p. 284). Specifically, in episode 5 of the first season, titled “The Chickening,” Officer Healy strictly punishes Poussey Washington, an African-American inmate for running on prison grounds. Though, it was evidently Piper’s fault REPRESENTATIONS IN ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK 6 that Poussey started running in the first place. Healy is aware of this and lets Piper off easy by knowing that she only made a mistake. He tells Piper that the African-American inmates, like Poussey, “are not like [Piper] and [himself.] They’re less reasonable. Less educated” (Jones, 2013). This hits home to issues going on in the world, such as the Black Lives Matter campaign. Likewise, the women in Orange Is the New Black separate themselves due to race, and Piper is awakened to see such racism in the prison. In the pilot episode titled “I Wasn’t Ready,” Piper is introduced to the prison atmosphere. During the episode, Piper enters the cafeteria and while she is looking for a place to sit, another inmate tells her to “sit with the nice, white lady.” Throughout the show, the cafeteria, along with the bathroom, evidently illustrates women being segregated with others within their own race. Piper is privileged and self-centered. Just from the beginning of the first season, Piper has an eye-opening experience because of her new reality, which Lorna Morello, a white woman like her, assures her to be true when saying that in the prison they “look out for their own” (Friedman & Kohan, 2013). Moreover, many shows that feature other races and ethnicities are primarily being shown on a white program. Thus, several of stereotypes are fed into those characters and storylines. For instance, “Enlightened Racism” by Jhally and Lewis argues that The Cosby Show helped to break through the typical stereotypes that African-American families face because “it is, nonetheless, a notion that takes on a greater degree of urgency for black people, who feel that they have been victims of years of negative stereotyping” (Jhally & Lewis, 2003, p. 279). Audiences who watch Orange Is the New Black may think that the show is filled with stereotypes, but the show challenges those typecasts by adding depth to characters through flashbacks and storylines.