# Orange is the New Black **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399 "2013-07-13T14:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/121 "2013-08-18T21:15:19Z")
The Asian woman on the committee also represents the old gals, I believe. So she’s just representing as .5 an Asian 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/122 "2013-08-19T03:14:58Z")
> [@Red\_Stilettos](#): > > 1.something percent would be 1.somethings Asians per 100 inmates. There is no where near 100 characters on this show. So, in actuality, Asians are over-represented just with the one lady on the prisoner’s committee. I understand your friend’s argument, but her data defeats her. My friend sees racism everywhere. WRT to the fact that there actually is an Asian in the show, when that was pointed out the character was supposedly “played as a joke” so I don’t know what she’s on about. Sorry to hijack about my silly friend. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/123 "2013-08-19T15:50:02Z")
I assume there are surveilance cameras everywhere in a prison, especially outside. Anyone know if the images are recorded? If so it would show that dick Healy walking back inside when its obvious there is going to be a fight. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/124 "2013-08-20T17:53:23Z")
I watched the series over a couple of weeks and finished it this weekend. I really liked it, more than I thought I would. I don’t think any of the characters are one-dimensional, and I’m super happy that Pornstache actually has some smarts/power: “douche who the inmates laugh at behind his back” would have been way more annoying than simply “douche.” I didn’t watch _Lilyhammer_ (in fact, frankly I don’t remember ever hearing about that show) but I loved _House of Cards_, and when I finished OITNB I started _Hemlock Grove_: I’m just a few episodes in, but I’m also enjoying that more than I thought I would. So far, I’m very happy/impressed with Netflix’s originals. > [@alphaboi867](#): > > And they cast an actual transwoman to play her. Yes: I _love_ that! Her twin brother played pre-op Sophia in the flashback, which I also thought was brilliant. > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > If the show creator’s intentions were for us to originally like and sympathize with Piper, then start to dislike her as the show went on, they did a good job. And I mean that non-sarcastically. She started out as a sympathetic character, but they did add depth to it where she’s kind of shallow and self-centered. But despite that, you’re still pulling for her with her fight at the end. Seconded. I think they deliberately made Piper not entirely sympathetic, which is a nice change, and I love that the other characters call her on her bullshit. I’m not sure I was rooting for her to win the fight at the end so much as I’m rooting for her to grow the fuck up, but it does say a lot that I still have some hope for her and don’t just completely hate her. Yet. > [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Unlike a lot of shows there is nothing before the credits and they’re always exactly the same length. So I can start the episodes, set fast forward to 32x and play a little game to see if I can exactly hit 1:16 for hitting regular speed again. Yes! And they helpfully throw a nice little title card in at the end of the opening theme so I know when to press “play” again. 😃 > [@Zsofia](#): > > I really don’t get what kind of prison it is, though. It’s supposed to be federal, right? Regarding Yoga Joan: She’s there because she accidentally shot and killed an 8-year-old kid. She was drunk, and thought an animal was going after her best pot plants. ---
**Author:** ![alexandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@alexandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alexandra)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/125 "2013-08-21T14:58:30Z")
Really liked it. The sex/nudity doesn’t compare to Game of Thrones IMO. For a start there’s no incest. My favourite characters are Taystee and Crazy Eyes- I hope they get more backstory next season. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/126 "2013-08-21T15:02:15Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Regarding Yoga Joan: That wouldn’t have been a federal crime though, except… that it happened on her pot farm. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/127 "2013-08-21T15:29:27Z")
What did the nun do? They said something in the first or second episode about her chaining herself to a nuclear bomb, but would they really toss a nun in prison for that? I watched the penultimate episode last night, and somebody said she killed someone, so what am I missing here? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/128 "2013-08-22T12:59:34Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > What did the nun do? They said something in the first or second episode about her chaining herself to a nuclear bomb, but would they really toss a nun in prison for that? I watched the penultimate episode last night, and somebody said she > > killed someone, > > so what am I missing here? That character is based on a real person. I think it is Sister Megan Rice. She didn’t actually chain herself to anything, but hung banners and defaced property at a supposedly highly secure nuclear site. I think she was on the property for about 3 hours before being caught. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/129 "2013-08-22T16:48:29Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I don’t know how I feel about Chapman at this point. I kind of felt sorry for her in the early episodes, but now she not only seems to want to have her cake and eat it too, but is genuinely confused and upset when others consider this inexcusably selfish, like a child. I disagree - one of the good things about the character is that she owns her shit. She is whiny and needy and self centered and selfish and many other things… but generally when someone calls her on it, she does understand that she was in the wrong. I don’t think she’s supposed to be likable. Relatable to the (probably high) percentage of the audience who never really thought about prisons or that they’d be in one, but not likable. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/130 "2013-08-22T22:17:49Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I disagree - one of the good things about the character is that she owns her shit. She is whiny and needy and self centered and selfish and many other things… but generally when someone calls her on it, she does understand that she was in the wrong. > > I don’t think she’s supposed to be likable. Relatable to the (probably high) percentage of the audience who never really thought about prisons or that they’d be in one, but not likable. That was what I came here to ask - are we _supposed_ to be sympathetic to Piper? She’s such a - idiot? Child? Whoever said she needs to grow up, that’s spot on. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/131 "2013-08-22T22:54:39Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I disagree - one of the good things about the character is that she owns her shit. She is whiny and needy and self centered and selfish and many other things… but generally when someone calls her on it, she does understand that she was in the wrong… True, that’s one of the things I like about her; she freely admits she has no one to blame for being in prison but herself… It’s a direct contrast to her WASP mother’s attitude. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/132 "2013-08-22T23:23:13Z")
I am three episodes in. I’m doling them out slowly so I can savor them. I just finished the memoir and loved it. So I have to confess that while I’m not disappointed with the show, I am a bit miffed about some the changes. Like, as a black person, it’s hard for me not to notice how scary almost all the black characters are portrayed on the show, when in the book Piper seemed to connect with them right away. Now maybe the memoir is the exaggeration of the truth rather than the show, but it is still a bit jarring. (Yet I suspect that the scary black people trope is going to dissolve away soon). I do like the flashbacks, though. Not Piper’s (I don’t really care for those as much), but the other prisoners. I can’t wait to see more. I don’t understand why some of the names were changed. Why “Red” instead of “Pop”? Or “Yoga Jones” instead of “Yoga Janet?” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/133 "2013-08-23T01:11:43Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > (Yet I suspect that the scary black people trope is going to dissolve away soon). Having seen the whole season, I suspect you’re right. My favorite character is easily Crazy Eyes; I really want to find out more about her back story. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/134 "2013-08-23T01:35:26Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That was what I came here to ask - are we _supposed_ to be sympathetic to Piper? She’s such a - idiot? Child? Whoever said she needs to grow up, that’s spot on. I’m sort of ambivalent about this. Certainly she makes mistakes, but they’re mostly understandable given the circumstances and it’s generally only in hindsight that they’re obvious. What has she done since arriving at prison that makes her a bad or childish person? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/135 "2013-08-25T18:53:47Z")
I’m not entirely sure why she bothers me; she doesn’t listen very well, she doesn’t pay attention very well, she doesn’t seem to get that she can’t just kind of fumble her way through this experience and bat her eyes and it will all be okay because she’s so cute. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/136 "2013-08-25T20:04:46Z")
I just saw the end. I said “Shit!” so loud my cat leaped out of the bed. Dammit, I want the next season right now! ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/137 "2013-08-25T23:40:18Z")
Laverne Cox’s [twin brother](http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/-orange-is-the-new-black--star-laverne-cox-on-her-twin-brother-s-surprising-role-on-the-series-232519980.html) stood in for her character in the episode where she was a “he”. My takes now that I’ve seen the whole series: 1. Those last couple of epidodes were much more dark than humorous. 2. I still feel sympathy for Piper. She made mistakes, but they were all understandable to me. 3. Out of the Spanish mamis, I like Gloria the best. Her mannerisms crack me up. I’m still laughing at the cafeteria scene when she was twerking in response to the black dick commentary and had the whole cafeteria following suit. I could see that happening for real. 4. The black characters have grown up on me. I like the exchanges between Poussey and Tasty. But excluding Sophia and Janae, the black cast all seem to have interchangeable “goofball” dialogue. They seem to serve as the comic relief while everyone else is in charge of the drama department. The Spanish mamis also come across as kinda one-dimensional too, despite the subplot with Daya and Bennett. I guess if I were pressed to offer a racial critique, it would be that the show perpetuates the idea that minorities are all homogenous and that only white folk are interesting enough to break out into subcultures and camps. But maybe this will change as the series continues. 1. None of the guys, except for Bennett, are sympathetic. Even Larry gets on my nerves. 2. I am glad that show isn’t anything like the book. The book was so feel-good and positive, and it made me like Piper and all the people she was in prison with. It made me want to go to prison just to experience that world she created. But the show has none of that pap, and that’s why it’s good… It’s kind of messed up that the true story has to be exaggerated to make it interesting, though. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/138 "2013-08-27T04:23:32Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I like the exchanges between Poussey and Tasty. I love Poussey (heh…). She’s so cute! There are around 3 women I’ve ever seen that made me think “If I liked women, that’s who I’d like” instead of just idly thinking they’re pretty, and she’s one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/139 "2013-08-27T16:29:14Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That was what I came here to ask - are we _supposed_ to be sympathetic to Piper? She’s such a - idiot? Child? Whoever said she needs to grow up, that’s spot on. I think the best summation of Piper’s character came when… She was upset that no one attended her memorial for Tricia, saying “I guess I’m the only one who cares if there is a funeral.” …and Alex responded: “That’s not the most self-involved thing I’ve heard you say, but it’s definitely up there.” ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/140 "2013-08-27T18:39:14Z")
Well we know there are no cameras outside. Otherwise, they’d have caught the chicken right? Right? Oh, the chicken-who’s-not-a-chicken. Even they realized by the next episode just how ridiculous that plot was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399.md?page=8)