ATHENA TORRES
Special to The Leader
The year’s most talked about show, “Orange is the New Black,” has proven to be not only incredibly funny and heartwarming, but extraordinarily diverse. According to GLAAD, “Orange is the New Black” features more queer characters than almost any other broadcast or cable series currently airing.
That is truly a remarkable thing to be able to say about any major mainstream program. “Orange is the New Black” has quickly become one of the most widely celebrated shows, garnering an astounding 12 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its sophomore season this past August, and winning three, including Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, Uzo Aduba.
As per www.imdb.com, other awards include the AFI Awards’ TV Program of the Year and the Critic’s Choice Television Awards’ Best Comedy Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Kate Mulgrew, and Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, also won by Aduba.
Based on the memoir of the same name by Piper Kerman, “Orange is the New Black” follows the life of a young New York yuppie turned inmate, Piper Chapman, as she attempts to navigate life with the differing personalities of the women she is forced to live with while in prison. The show not only focuses on Piper’s life, but also on the lives of the women around her.
The writers don’t seem afraid to address real issues affecting the queer community, specificially the queer community of the prison system, which creates storylines that feel universal. They aren’t afraid to humanize characters, while on other shows they would only be known for how different their sexualities seems to make them.
With characters such as Poussey Washington, Alex Vause, Big Boo and Sophia Burset — portrayed by Samira Wiley, Laura Prepon, Lea DeLaria and Laverne Cox, respectively — the writers effortlessly put real queer issues on the foreground, unafraid to touch topics such as the fluidity of sexuality, transgender issues and lesbian relationships.
While many other shows would use these topics as a way to generalize such characters, the writers of “Orange is the New Black” seize the opportunity to show their viewers that being a part of the queer community is not what defines these characters.
To the viewer, they are characters who just happen to identify as something other than what is expected. While sex is a part of the characters’ lives, it does not feel as if that is the only thing they are bringing to the show. Sex is seen as a normal part of life, rather than something used to titillate the audience, which is a truly refreshing thing to see on a major television show.
Not only does this show have the ability to make the problems the characters face feel universal, but it is also revolutionary in terms of its casting choices. One of the reasons the show works so well is because the cast has the amazing ability to make their characters feel real, and they are able to legitimize the feeling of these characters who represent women all over the country.
Cox’s casting has been especially beneficial to raising awareness to the issues her character has experienced as a transexual female because of the fact that, like her character Sophia, she is also a trans American. Because of the success of “Orange is the New Black,” Cox has been able to say that she is the first trans individual to be nominated for an Emmy, the first to appear on the cover of Time Magazine, and the first to have a leading role on a scripted television show. Also an activist, she has been able to campaign for the rights of those like the characters on the show.
As if you needed another reason to binge-watch “Orange is the New Black,” it has well-rounded characters and a relatable storyline, while still maintaining an air of drama and representing women of all shapes, colors and backgrounds. The show is filled with people from all walks of life.
Even if you don’t agree with something the characters do or where the storyline is going, it is extremely easy to understand why everything happens. No two women in this show are completely alike, which is a truly astounding feat and one worth all the recognition this show has been getting. While the third season is not set to release until June 2015, use this as an excuse to binge-watch the first two seasons of the show tonight, because it’s worth it.