Welcome to “Is Orange the New Black?”! The purpose of this website is to delve into the ways media portrays, represents, reviews, and acclaims characters, storylines, and themes as “diverse” in the hit Netflix show, Orange is the New Black through a critical feminist analysis. As four students of the Social Justice Institute at the University of British Columbia, we strive to educate the public on various representations of feminism in the media, and provide critiques to effectively point out issues of race, class, health, gender, sexuality and more. If you would like to learn more about us, please check out our About Us page!
Additionally, we are aware that we have the immense privilege of attending university, and in such, tend to use theoretical jargon as well as terms that may not be familiar to all. In an attempt to make this website more accessible to the public, we have included a Glossary page to provide explanations for words that are less likely to appear in colloquial speech, as well as to allow for clarification of words which may often be confused or misinterpreted.
A Brief Summary of Orange is the New Black
Before you begin exploring our site, we would like to warn you that our analyses do contain spoilers! If you have not seen the show and would like to maintain the element of surprise for your viewing pleasure, take caution!
While this site is intended for fans who have already seen the show, we welcome anyone who wishes to explore the critical and controversial topics which we will be discussing. For the benefit of those who may be less familiar with Orange is the New Black, here is a brief description of the series:
Orange is the New Black, a show which first aired on Netflix in 2013, follows the life of women in a correctional facility in New York State. The show centers around a white, upper-middle-class, cisgendered, bisexual woman named Piper chapman. Piper is in the midst of her 15-month sentence, which she received ten years after being a part of a drug-smuggling incident with her girlfriend at the time. Completely out of place at Litchfield Penitentiary, Orange is the New Black shows Piper learning how to survive in prison while highlighting the stories and histories of her fellow inmates. The series delves into issues of race, sexuality, gender, assault, religion, class, and more, and is set to air its 6th season this summer.
IS ORANGE THE NEW BLACK? 