Orange is the New Black is in the top ten greatest TV shows of all-time. I can safely say that and not feel like I am just a prisoner of the moment. It's smart, it's funny, it's emotionally captivating and it's one of the best written shows I've ever sat down and watched and it's still going on. Now, with all that well earned praise given, I have noticed something a tad bit peculiar. All the men on the show are either evil, scumbags or morons.
Some would say, "Well, it's a show about a female prison. It's bound to have nothing but bad people in it." That's kind of the beauty of the show. We all have this preconceived notion that convicts are bad people. The show attacks that notion head on by dishing out a bit of truth. People can do bad things but that does not make them bad people. Sometimes it's a victim of circumstance situation. Just because of the worst of the worst cases, we rope convicts into one bad package and that's not entirely fair. Now with that positive message enforced greatly, why is every single man a horrible person. It kind hurts the shows message a bit.
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Hell, almost all of the convicts backstories about how they made it to prison is because of a man. Either the women has a bad male model in her life or she turns to crime to appease man or she wants revenge on a man who has wrecked her life. It's very light on the backstories where they do it just because they felt like it or it is their own doing. No, the evil no good very bad men are the real culprits.
It doesn't just end there. The majority of the guards on the show are men and they are worse than half the dudes that landed these women in prison. They are sexist, misogynistic, racist, violent, dumb, cowards, rapists or all of the above. There isn't a single one who is just a guy trying to earn a paycheck with no malice in their DNA. Nope, just drug dealers and guys who run out on the prisoners they impregnate. It honestly hurts the shows credibility a bit when every single male guard are the worst parts of the bible. I get they are trying to say Litchfield's hiring practices are awful, but there is a limit.
Even back when they had somewhat of a positive male character in the show with Piper's finance Larry. The show immediately vilified him with his relationship with Piper's best friend while she is locked up. Besides that they never portrayed him as smart. He was a horny moron as well. It's just not a good look for men when they are shown to be the root of all evil.
Now, I just complained at great lengths about male representation in a show that does a ton of good and even after all that. I can't even be mad at the fact. In fact, it makes me respect the show all the more. It's rare when a show makes me feel what every other culture and gender must feel when they watch the majority of projects churned out by the Hollywood machine. It's time males got the proper slap in the face. That's fair. Besides, the show is terrific in every single other aspect. It has great representation for everybody else and some of the horrible male characters make great villains. Pornstache and Piscatella are so damn good to watch and are characters you love to hate. So, as a white straight male. I don't care how the show portrays white straight males. Just as long as they keep hitting entertainment quality out of the park.
