THE CASE OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS: ANALYZING TELEVISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF RACE AND GENDER IN TWO 21ST-CENTURY CRIMINAL DRAMA SERIES

Abstract

This discourse analysis examines Orange Is the New Black and How to Get Away with Murder to determine how race, gender, and intersectional positions are represented in fictional criminal justice shows of the early 21st century. The analysis determines how “rewards” and “punishments” shape the shows’ discourses on these positions, as well as what the discourses indicate about power and hegemony. The sample consists of 56 episodes from the first two seasons of each show. Results indicate that both shows call attention to certain stereotypes and inequalities related to race and gender, via tribal divisions, hyperaware stereotypes, and race-based rewards and punishments. However, they contribute to other hegemonic ideologies, including the normalization of racism, traditional female gender roles, LGBT conformity to heteronormative ideals, and power based upon socioeconomic status. Taken together, the discourses indicate that the shows are at least somewhat influenced by white, middle to upper class male hegemony.