‘Orange’ is the New Bad

The Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” has helped popularize both the streaming platform as well as the cultural phenomenon known as binge-watching.

The series, which follows events and characters inside a women’s prison, is often lauded for its inclusive collection of characters, and for its writing, which works to break down stereotypes surrounding various social groups not always fairly recognized by art or the media.

One character talks lightly about killing civilians overseas because he was “bored.”

The series has been praised for its diverse cast. Transgender actress Laverne Cox has shot to stardom since the premiere of the show in 2013.

However, there’s one group of people that “OITNB” seems to have adamantly worked to hate in this year’s fourth season, which debuted last month. The show is embroiled in controversy for its depiction of one of Hollywood’s favorite scapegoats — veterans.

In the series, the prison is bought out by a private company. When it’s suggested that veterans should be hired as guards to save on tax breaks, one person makes a crack about how they didn’t hire vets in the past because “you know veterans.” He then points his finger like a gun mimicking shooting everyone in the room.

The small moment could have been seen as an instance of wrongful and misguided stereotyping of veterans trying to fit back into society. However, what becomes offensive is that the man’s ignorance is validated wholly by the characters and storylines in the show.

The group of veterans eventually hired by the prison turn out to be almost universally violence-obsessed, exaggerated antagonists that are used as nothing but broadly painted caricatures to create obstacles for our protagonists. Their acts go beyond villainous and into delirious and pure evil.

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Each of the characters makes racist remarks. They sexually assault and harass the prisoners, and are each shown to have little to no respect for human life — or for their uniforms. The series constantly reminds viewers these people are veterans as well. One character talks lightly about killing civilians overseas because he was “bored.”

Veterans groups are, understandably, outraged.

“America has tens of thousands of troops currently deployed into harm’s way, and millions of others who have successfully transitioned back into society, but the writers and producers chose instead to offend them all just to fit a storyline that needed new villains,” said John A. Biedrzycki Jr., commander in chief of VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) in a statement demanding an apology from Netflix.

The statement was just one of many issued by other veterans groups, including the Disabled American Veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

The groups are not the only ones up in arms over the show’s broad and harsh depiction of military vets. “For a show that prides itself on realism and its ability to encourage empathy from its viewers, ‘Orange is the New Black’ had no problem using veterans as an embodiment of violent, sexist, inhumane behavior,” wrote Tahlia Y. Burton, an Air Force veteran, at Task and Purpose.

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The popular Netflix series, headed by creator Jenji Kohan, is normally celebrated as a story that breaks down social barriers. The show’s famed inclusion seems to be what is shocking people most about the veteran characters.

It wouldn’t be as shocking if it were one character of the bunch fitting certain negative stereotypes. What’s shocking and disappointing is that every single veteran character, save for a female one who is shown to simply have no backbone, is depicted as evil, deranged, and twisted to an extremely unrealistic and fantasy-like degree.

The fact that these broad strokes were used to paint a group already marginalized by the government and many civilians on a series with the reputation of “OITNB” is what’s most offensive.

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“Unfortunately, with seasons like this one of ‘Orange Is The New Black,’ I think it’s doing damage to the strides that organizations like NMFA [National Military Family Association], Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Project, and others are making to strengthen our nation’s service members and their families,” wrote Shannon Prentice at militaryfamily.org.

Sadly, this is not the first time veterans have been marginalized or painted with a horrific, broad and inaccurate brush by Hollywood.

Because of politically correct sentiments and outrage, veterans are often used as the go-to bad guys in television and movies. The “crazy vet” stereotype is one perpetuated by art and media because it’s safer to stereotype and condemn less than 1 percent of the population than it is to try to depict something like an Islamic extremist. That would simply upset too many people.