Orange Is The New Black: Yay or Nay?

An oldie but goldie has recently become more popular on the Netflix platform. Orange is the New Black first aired on July 11th, 2013, and has had a hold on many people since the last episode in 2019. This show gives the audience a view into prison life, the violence, diversity, and hardships the inmates face in and out of the prison. 

The based on a true story comedic drama has grabbed the hearts of many. The show is based on a memoir called “My Year in Women’s Prison” by Piper Kerman. The show continued for seven seasons before ending on July 26 in 2019 and was one of the most-watched and longest-running shows on Netflix. 

The show includes women from many races, backgrounds, cultures, and sexualities all incarcerated for vastly different reasons. The diversity is what really ties the show together and makes it enjoyable for so many people. The reasons for the incarceration of the main characters are revealed throughout the seasons shown in flashbacks. Many characters fall in love with other women there, and fall into prison gangs and cliques, all while uniting together to make Litchfield prison a safe place that’s full of life. 

The show focuses on views of women and discrimination by casting all guards as dominant males with mommy issues and firing the couple of girl counselors that appeared throughout the show. Many of the men don’t appreciate the women who try to assert their dominance and participate in the so-called “lesbian activity” in the show. 

The show received 16 Emmy nominations and four wins. “Everyone wants to go back in time sometimes. To go back to the moment when everything was still possible before they made a wrong turn so that they could go on the right path. But it’s not possible. All we can do is make the most of it right now.” Counselor Healy once said, and this quote depicts the whole meaning of the show- women who can’t change where they are can only empower themselves and learn from their consequences, but they don’t have to do it alone. 

This show is highly recommended for people who want to see the fabricated reality of prison without going there themselves. This show is for mature audiences.