Orange is the New Black - A Cultural Innovation or Cultural Setback?

Orange is the New Black is a Netflix-original series that premiered in July of 2013 and soon gained a large following of loyal watchers. The series is based on the true story of Piper, an upper middle-class, educated, white woman who ends up in prison many years after smuggling drugs. The show follows the protagonist Piper’s adventures in a women’s federal prison and also the daily lives of her fellow prisoners who come from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities. The show is notable for not only having many women in lead roles, but also numerous people of color. Though the show has often been praised for its very cultured cast, the characters of color often perpetuate racial stereotypes. Orange is the New Black sustains stereotypes that black women are unintelligent, hypersexualized and lazy through the scripts and actions of the black characters.

One of the characters on Orange is the New Black, Cindy Hayes, “a.k.a Black Cindy” is portrayed as an unintelligent woman who often does not think about the consequences of her actions. Cindy ended up in prison because she often stole items from travelers while working as a TSA officer. Cindy is also seen leaving her younger sister locked in a car as Cindy goes to smoke marijuana with her friends in one of the shows many character flashbacks. As well as being depicted as unintelligent, Cindy is portrayed as quite lazy because she does not want to lift a finger for anyone but herself. Cindy even has to be bribed with a cake by a fellow prisoner Vee to become a part of Vee’s tobacco smuggling business.

Taystee, a friend of Cindy who is also black is actually released from prison, but cannot handle the fast pace and responsibility of the real world, so she purposefully violates her probation and ends up back in prison. To Orange is the New Black writers, this ploy may have appeared as a genius segue to Taystee’s return to prison, but it actually perpetuates the stereotype that black people are unintelligent and in this case unable to handle the responsibility of the real world.

Another black prisoner named Suzanne is portrayed as hypersexualized. A prison counselor Healy recalls that Suzanne has a problem with coming on to other prisoners and has had many prison wives in her past. Suzanne takes an interest in Piper and is seen stalking Piper and pursuing a relationship with her. Suzanne also goes on to write an extensive pornography novel that becomes highly popular among the prisoners.

Many viewers praise Orange is the New Black for its innovative plots and its unique perspective on lives of women and people of color. Though the show is quite raw and often not sugar-coated, it portrays some people of color in their unrightful stereotypes. Some viewers may interpret this racist stereotyping as comedy, but this stereotyping is not something that should be taken lightly. If popular shows like Orange is the New Black can blindly stereotype races and get away with it, what views or rights does that give our nation as a whole? Racism can not be solved if popular media keeps perpetuating stereotypes and keeps getting away with it.