#anti taystee jefferson

[rockclimbinglover12107]

Unpopular OITNB opinions because I’m bored and procrastinating

I had little to no interest in Taystee and found her outright annoying at times. She was okay in the earlier seasons and my idea of her was that she was good character that I didn’t like due to personal preference. However, in the later season, I felt that she could be irritating, irrational and depressing in an unenjoyable way and that she got far too much screen time for what I considered to be a rather dull plot.

I find it hilarious when people try to complain about people on the show being mean or bad people. Like yes, that’s why 99% of them have landed themselves in prison. The funniest examples of this complaint are when people say that Lorna, someone who grew up Italian-American in New York, could sometimes say racist things or when Flaritza, two girls who probably couldn’t even legally drink before they went to prison and, in Maritza’s case at least, didn’t seem to have parents who cared for them, could sometimes be bitchy and immature. These comments are even funnier when whoever says this then goes on to say that they love Frieda, Carol and Barb.

In my personal opinion, Season 2 was the best season quality-wise but Season 4 was better when it came down to drama and entertainment. Season 3 was actually one of my favourites aside from Alex’s whole paranoid arc and I didn’t really mind the panty storyline. Season 1 was obviously good, if a little slow and boring at first. Season 5 shouldn’t have dragged on for so long, if they were only going to cover three days, although I probably would have enjoyed it if it hadn’t felt so absurd and weird compared to previous seasons. Season 7 was depressing trauma porn from start to finish and Season 6 was dreadful n every single way and a terrible conclusion for the riot.

I felt like the family dynamics became way less cohesive it’s the show progressed and people that had once gotten on perfectly well were suddenly at each other’s throats and vice versa. A good example of this was Spanish Harlem which went from a clearly outlined family where Aleida and Gloria acted as parents, Blanca was not a part of the group and the other four ( Maria, Daya, Maritza and Flaca ) pretty much did whatever Aleida said. Contrast this to Season 4/5 where Aleida leaves but Flaritza and Maria don’t seem to even notice, Gloria just let’s Maria have control over Harlem with no complaints whatsoever, Maria and Maritza seem to be at each other’s throats one second and back to there seemingly rather good Season 2/3 friendship the next, Blanca is suddenly an active member of the group and Gloria only cares about Daya. This faulty dynamic is true for all of the other groups as well, and never gets the chance to recover after they are sent to Max.

I didn’t like how some of the seriously traumatic stuff that happened to some of these characters, especially in Season 4, was never addressed by the show again and seemed to forgotten after the episode ended by both the writers and the character themself. You’re telling me that Maritza was creeped on, forced to eat a live animal, held at gunpoint and repeatedly harassed but she bounced back after throwing up like twice and hugging Flaca. In reality, she would probably take a long while to recover or feel truly comfortable in her own skin again, maybe even experiencing some PTSD, which could have been an interesting storyline to take her character down through Season 5, instead of relegating her back to comedy bits and pop culture references.

That’s all my opinions for now, although I will probably make a Part 2 for this post. Hope you agreed with at least one of my takes and that you don’t want to kill me for some of the things I said.

[justanoutlawfic]

"Be happy they didn't romanticize shit" 

 You can't say that when they romanticized shit for 90% of the white people, but not for a majority of the POC characters. If Vauseman is endgame, then Karla can live and Tasha can fucking get out...

I'm sorry, I'd rather see a struggling, immigrant who lost her children and had a shit ton of stuff already happen to her LIVE then die while trying to make her life better again vs. the toxic as fuck white couple get their zillionth chance.

I’m sorry I’d rather see a black woman that was falsely accused of killing a white pyschopathic male guard that was killed by ONE OF HIS OWN, go free vs. seeing Piper move to Ohio to get to hold hands with Alex.

They romanticized a hell of a lot for Piper fucking Chapman and Alex fucking Vause. They can romanticize some shit for Tasha Jefferson and Karla.

[asscidtears]

all this people saying daya deserved dying really make my racist sirens go off

except believing daya deserved the ending she got had nothing to do with race? This isn’t a race issue. Daya started out as an incredibly sweet and relatable character. She was just this funny, nice young girl who loved and had a passion for drawing. She was someone wanted better for herself and it wasnt until writers did a complete character assassination which made me start to hate her. Daya has become truly horrible and in my opinion very intolerable to watch. She suddenly transformed into a monster and became this OG prison drug lord? Telling taystee she’ll gladly fuck up and rearrange cindy’s face days before her getting out? plotting with taystee to sabotage cindy’s early release by planting contraband? setting her mom and Hopper up to get caught to make him lose his job even though she knew he was the SOLE provider for her brothers and sisters at home. Hopper’s income is what put food on the table and took care of the kids. If she wanted to get revenge on Aleida she couldve done that without bringing hopper down with her. She ruined her siblings source of income, how are they suppose to take care of themselves when they become homeless because hopper cant afford to pay rent take care of them anymore due to losing his job?

Involving her THIRTEEN YEAR OLD little sister with her drug business? Her little sister was only 13, why are you having her move weight for you and get you access to drugs? She’s supposed to want better for her and the rest of their siblings so none of them end up like her and their mom aleida. Aleida already was a bad example, role model and horrible mother figure as is, but at least aleida has SOME type of decency to not want that same type of lifestyle for her children and to not follow in her same footsteps. It was already too late for daya, shes serving life and has no chance of ever getting out,, but it wasnt too late for the rest of them, so in a way, i do believe aleida did the right thing, daya NEEDED to he stopped and so yes, the end did justify the means. people fail to realize but daya is one of those characters where even if she isn’t apart of the mainplot, her actions still end up effecting the main plot. a lot of things she does creates a chain reaction effect e v e r y o n e else around her we collateral damage.

Daya needed to die and i think her mom Aleida being the one to kill her was poetic justice in a way. This was the karma she deserved from all the horrible things shes done including unnecessarily and senselessly killing daddy. ( i know it was an accident but she still had bad intentions. She gave daddy that hooch thinking it would just “fuck her up” which is still awful. She intentionally was trying to poison her and it just backfired and killed her.)

In conclusion, i’m not racist. i myself am a WOC and i agree and support the writer’s decision to kill her off, i believe towards the end she became irredeemable and it was a smart decision. I understand that because of the times we currently live in and how fucked up and bad society is, especially towards poc and woc and this may be a sensitive subject, but Tumblr needs to understand that not EVERY poc’s/woc’s death on a TV show or movie isn’t always automatically a result of racism. Remember seasons ago when Red was beefing with Vee? Vee was ran over and killed back in season 3 and no one raised hell from that. Why? BECAUSE SHE WAS A HORRIBLE PERSON. i liked daya in the beginning but towards the end she became this toxic person and so her being killed off wasn’t a bad thing. almost everyone else on the show who started out bad had character development and transformed into better people towards the end of the show, its like daya’s character development aged backwards. i cant speak for other people and why they support her death, but for me personally, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with race, this isnt a race issue with me, its a humanity and morality issue and i believe(d) daya lost both of those, she lost her humanity and her morality. i stand by what i said.

[keeloves]

Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson vs Alison Dilaurentis

These two women have had someone of the same sex have feelings for them both of them were kissed by their crush the only difference was how they handled it. Taystee was kissed by Poussey but tried to let her down gently. She made it clear she was not into girls like that. She never shamed Poussey for her sexuality or never took advantage of her friend’s feelings for her. Alison on the other hand was kissed by Emily acted like she liked it and then later Emily took that to mean that Alison reciprocated her feelings. Emily tried to kiss her again and Alison tells her “Those kisses were for practice” She took advantage of Emily’s feelings for her and queer baited her and only wanted her when the going got tough. Alison took advantages of her friend’s weak points and Emily out of the liar was the easiest to manipulate and Alison knows that! Now Emison is married like ew gross! Emily deserves better than her! I am thankful for a character like Taystee who happens to be a straight character and didn’t make fun of Poussey being a lesbian or made of Poussey having feelings for her she just respectfully declined and still continued being her friend! The point is be a Taystee not an Alison!

[80s4life]

Character/Movie List

Below is movies and TV shows I like personally and are lsited as a reference. If you don't see something you're interested in, it is not that I don't like it, it is because I most likely forgot it because I love so many movies/shows tbh. Just ask, and I'll answer! And, from the Rules and Regulations page, what I had meant by "mostly" is that I can dabble outside of the acting world and into actors/actresses themselves and/or singers, popstars, etc.

{Another side-note, I am not so much into shows, but mostly movies! Although, there are some exceptions that I love beyond belief!}

MOVIES

Back to the Future Series:

Biff Tannen

Griff Tannen (Maybe, he wasn't the best of the Tannen's imo)

Buford Tannen

Marty McFly

George McFly

Doc Brown

Lorraine Baines

Match

Titanic:

Rose DeWitt Bukater

Jack Dawson

Caledon Hockley

Brock Lovett

Rabrizio De Rossi

Thomas "Tommy" Ryan

Karate Kid Series {1/2/3}:

1-

John Kreese

Mr. Miyagi

Johnny Lawrence

Daniel LaRusso

Tommy

Dutch

Bobby Brown (not so much; don't know him too well)

Ali Mills

Lucille LaRusso

2-

Chozen

Kumiko

3-

Terry Silver (duh lmao)

Mike Barnes (also duh)

Jessica Andrews

Stand By Me:

Vern Tessio

Billy Tessio

Gordie LaChance

Chris Chambers

Eyeball Chambers

Ace Merrill

Teddy Duchamp

Goonies:

Brand

Mikey

Chunk

Mouth

Data

Andy

Stef

Jake Fratelli (he was kinda hot ngl)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off:

Ferris Bueller

Jeanie Bueller

Cameron Frye

Sloane Peterson

License to Drive:

Les Anderson

Dean

Mercedes Lane

Charles

Toy Soldiers:

Billy Tepper

Joey Trotta

Snuffy Bradberry

Ricardo Montoya

Hank Giles

Derek/Yogurt

Scream Movie Series {1/2}:

1-

Billy Loomis

Stu Macher

Dwight "Dewey" Riley

Ghostface

Randy Meeks

Tatum Riley

Sidney Prescott

Gale Weathers

2-

Cotton Weary

Derek Feldman

Mickey

Predator:

Dutch

Blain

Yautja

Escape Plan:

Emil Rottmayer/ "Victor Maheim"

Ray Breslin/ "Anthony Portos"

The Expendables:

Barney Ross

Lee Christmas

Toll Road

Tool

Gunnar Jensen

Bao Thao/ "Yin Yang"

Hale Caesar

Trench

Church

Divergent Movie Series {1/2/3}:

Divergent-

Beatrice "Tris" Prior

Caleb Prior

Peter

Tobias "Four" Eaton

Christina "Chris"

Eric Coulter

Will

Insurgent-

Marcus Eaton

Allegiant-

Matthew

Terminator Series:

T-100/"Uncle Bob"/Terminator

T-1000 "Austin"

John Connor

Sarah Connor

Grace

Dani Ramos

Dazed and Confused:

David Wooderson

Fred O'Bannion

Randall "Pink" Floyd

Ron Slater

Don Dawson

Mitch Kramer

Benny O'Donnell

Rocky Series:

Rocky Balboa

Apollo Creed

Captain Ivan Drago

Zombieland {1/2}:

Tallahassee

Columbus

Berkeley

Witchita

Little Rock

Madison

Lethal Weapon Movie Series {1/2/3/4}:

Martin Riggs

Roger Myrtaugh

Rianne Murtaugh

Leo Getz

Goodfellas:

Henry Hill

Jimmy Conway

Tommy DeVito

Karen Hill

Marvel:

Avengers Heroes-

Iron Man/Tony Stark

Thor

Ant-Man/Scott Lang

Hulk/Bruce Banner

Captain America/Steve Rogers

Hawkeye/ Clint Barton

Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff

Black Panther/T'Challa

Vision/Victor Shade

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

Mantis

Spider-Man/Peter Parker

Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange

Avengers Anti-Heroes/Antagonists:

Yondu Udonta

Loki Laufeyson

Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes

Whiplash

Thanos

Mysterio

Kaecilius

Ronan

Hela

Ultron

Wolverine/Deadpool:

Wolverine/Logan Howlett

Sabretooth/Victor Creed

Bolt/Chris Bradley

Gambit/Remy LeBeau

Cyclops/Scott Summers

(Younger!)Professor X

Deadpool/Wade Wilson

Cable/Nathan Summers

Colossus/Piotr "Peter" Nikolayevich Rasputin

Dopinger

Weasel

Negasonic Teenage Warhead/Ellie Phimister

DC Universe:

Superman/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill)

Batman/Bruce Wayne (Affleck, Bale versions)

Aquaman/Arthur Curry

Wonder Woman/Diana Prince

Harley Quinn

Joker (Leto, Ledger, Phoenix versions)

Deadshot

Captain Boomerang

Enchantress

Rick Flagg

Bane (Tom Hardy)

TV Shows

Stranger Things:

Mike Wheeler

Nancy Wheeler

Will Byers

Joyce Byers

Johnathan Byers

Maxine "Max" Hargrove

Billy Hargrove

Dustin Henderson

Lucas Sinclair

Robin Buckley

Jim Hopper

Steve Harrington

Sex Education:

Erric Effiong

Aimee Gibbs

Adam Groff

Ola Nyman

Rahim

Otis Milburn

Maeve Wiley

Hannibal (Show):

Hannibal Lector

Will Graham

Dr. Alana Bloom

Jack Crawford

Abigail Hobbs

Orange Is the New Black (OITNB):

Piper Chapman

Nicky Nichols

Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren

Galina "Red" Reznikov

Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson

Dayanara "Daya" Diaz

Gloria Mendoza

Lorna Morello

Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett

Alex Vause

Joel Luschek

Big Boo

Maritza Ramos

Poussey Washington

Yoga Jones

Gina Murphy

Brook Soso

Sophia Burst

George "Pornstache" Mendez

Larry Bloom

Polly Harper

Stella Carlin

The Boys:

Billy Butcher

Starlight/Annie January

Hughie Campbell

Homelander

Kimiko Miyashiro

Queen Maeve/Maggie Shaw

Mother's Milk "M.M."

The Deep/Kevin Moskowitz

Frenchie

Stormfront

Becca Butcher

The Walking Dead (TWD):

Daryl Dixon

Merle Dixon

Rick Grimes

Carl Grimes

Lori Grimes

Maggie Greene

Beth Greene

Glenn Rhee

Negan Smith

Michonne Hawthorne

Carol Peletier

Shane Walsh

Paul "Jesus" Monroe

Eugene Porter

Sgt. Abraham Ford

Outer Banks (OBX):

Sarah Cameron

Rafe Cameron

Ward Cameron

JJ

John B

Topper

Pope

Kiara

Shameless:

Frank Gallagher

Fiona Gallagher

Lip Gallagher

Ian Gallagher

Debbie Gallagher

Carl Gallagher

Kevin Ball

Veronica Fisher

Mickey Milkovich

Mandy Milkovich

Svetlana

Jimmy "Steve" Lishman

Karen Jackson

Cobra Kai

Miguel Diaz

Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz

Robby Keene

Demetri

Carmen Diaz

John Kreese (baby version & old version)

Terry Silver (baby version & old version)

Tory Nichols

Samantha "Sam" LaRusso

...AND MANY MORE!

If there is something or someone you like not on this list, feel free to ask or direct message me! For movies like the DC Universe and Marvel, if there is multiple actors of that character and you want a certain one, please make sure that you add that detail!

Rules & Regulations

Masterlist

[thats-so-religious]

From Kosher Meals to Conversion, “Black Cindy” Becomes “Tova”: Examining Judaism in Orange is the New Black

“I’m ready to get my Jew on. And it ain’t just about the food although the more I been learnin’, the food a big part of it, am I right?”

The catalyst for the most intriguing storyline in season three of the Netflix dramedy Orange is the New Black (2013) begins unexpectedly, and religiously, at the heart of all Jewish culture (and my Bubbie’s number one concern when I enter the house): food. Although disappointingly, not with bagels. Nonetheless, Orange is the New Black (OITNB) highlights a wonderfully rich example of the relationship of religion in popular culture. In understanding this relation, Bruce David Forbes invites us to consider the fundamental questions about how religion is expressed and portrayed in the series (11 – 12).

After the privatization of Litchfield Penitentiary, notoriously mediocre prison meals become significantly worse. To reduce costs, the inmates’ meals start coming pre-prepared. In a word, the brown slop that the women are served appears as if when ladled onto a serving tray makes a sound that’s repulsive enough to make viewers want to dry-heave.

However, the inmates discover a loophole to combat eating the thawed sludge. Lolly Whitehill, a savvy inmate, suggests that, “if you tell cafeteria workers you’re Jewish, you’ll get kosher meals, which is way better than prison food – and they can’t question your religion, because it’s illegal”. 

Predictably, this leads to a sudden increase in the number of “Jewish” inmates who keep kosher. MCC, the private prison corporation, becomes suspicious of the growing affinity for Judaism after requests for kosher meals increases. In an effort to save money, while also making some unanticipated holocaust jokes, MCC sends a “Rent-a-Rabbi” to Litchfield to detect who is actually Jewish.

During Rabbi Tatelbaum’s interrogations, the women recite every Jewish stereotype and trope in an attempt to receive kosher meals. Though, Cindy “Black Cindy” Hayes goes above and beyond, as she passionately intertwines the plots from Annie Hall and Yentl into the story of her upbringing.

OITNB has been lauded for its diverse representation of female characters and the nuance with which their stories are told. Yet, prima facie the portrayal of Judaism and Jews in this precise scene has received some audience backlash as problematic, and at worst, has been chided as anti-Semitic. This critique of OITNB merits further reflection.

Sana Amanat’s discussion on identity, representation in media, and stereotyping provides a useful starting point for thinking about OITNB. In her TEDx Talk, Amanat describes how our individual identity is tied to the group identity, and how this social identity can be affected and oftentimes shaped by larger cultural representations, particularly through the imposition of stereotypes (5:32 – 7:00). Stereotyping can be detrimental to the sense of self because it works to flatten and essentialize diversity into a binary, ultimately seeking to minimize and categorize non-dominant groups as “Other” (Harris). The stereotypes that the women express in their interviewers are not meant to demonize, disempower, negatively impact, or belittle Jewish folks; in my decoding of the scene (Hall), it appears to do quite the opposite. The montage highlights the women’s ignorance and lack of maliciousness toward Judaism, while simultaneously debunking the validity of the stereotypes because of their absurdity. For instance, when Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson proclaims, “you know what I hate? Shrimps. Damn, dirty shrimps. Don’t even talk to me about shrimps!” its purpose is not to position Judaism as the punchline of the joke, it’s to convey a message about Taystee’s lack of knowledge and society’s habitually simplistic (mis)understanding of Jewish cultural traditions and religion more broadly. In contrast to how Muslims are discursively depicted in Western popular culture as one-dimensional caricatures of America-hating villains, the Jewish stereotypes in OITNB are clearly just funny - I mean, did you hear the woman spontaneously break out into her own rendition of “Hava Nagila”? The stereotypes are not indicative of xenophobia, nor do the portrayals actually influence national security policy discussions. I would be hard-pressed to find any Jews being detained by the TSA because of stereotypes surrounding their dietary restrictions. 

When Cindy Hayes doesn’t make the list of inmates approved for kosher meals, she decides to convert to Judaism. Cindy makes a genuinely tearful plea to the Rabbi that captures the crux of Judaism, and what it means to truly practice one’s religion. In the season three finale, Cindy’s conversion comes to a climax as it just so happens that there’s a lake beside the prison enabling her to have her Mikvah.  

Black Cindy’s conversion to Judaism is treated as a serious development in her character arc. Susanna Danuta Walters’ questioning of “whose gaze?” (Harris) can help us understand the meaning behind this plotpoint. When Cindy is given permission to convert, it’s obvious the storyline that began as a joke is no more. Cindy’s desire to convert doesn’t merely stem out of wanting better meals, it emanates from feeling estranged from her own religious roots. Moreover, Rabbi Tatelbaum recognizes that Cindy is lying and instead of becoming irritated he applauds her endeavour to understand Jewish culture through examining classic Jewish cinema. OITNB portrays the Rabbi as empathetic, and Judaism as a religion that is open and accepting of newcomers, rather than rigid. I don’t always see robust portrayals of religion or religious leaders as dynamic and openhearted. Additionally, given the lack of representation for Jews of colour, it’s particularly noteworthy that the show prominently features one and challenges the audiences’ notion of who can be Jewish be providing depth and authenticity to a different perspective.

Lastly, Catherine Albanese’s functional definition of religion as the effects it has in daily life, and how it aids people in dealing with the “ills” of living (Forbes & Mahan 17) is the essence behind Cindy’s conversion. The function of religion goes beyond merely obtaining kosher meals. Religion serves not only as a way to provide Cindy with a multifaceted storyline, but it also demonstrates her ability to exercise literal and metaphorical freedom and agency over her life when imprisoned. In this, Cindy’s religious journey is worth scrutinizing as it’s relatable and accessible to viewers. Where at its core, religion serves the same function inside or outside of prison: providing guidance and an escape from the struggles of everyday life. 

Works Cited 

Forbes, Bruce David. “Introduction: Finding Religion in Unexpected Places.” Religion and Popular Culture in America, edited by Bruce David Forbes andJeffrey H. Mahan, University of California Press, 2017, pp. 1 - 24. 

Harris, Jennifer A. “Introduction to Religion & Popular Culture.” 10 January. 2019, University of Toronto, Toronto. Class Lecture. 

Harris, Jennifer A. “’Reel Bad Arabs’: Representations of Muslims & Islam in Popular Culture.” 31 January. 2019, University of Toronto, Toronto. Class Lecture.

Harris, Jennifer A. and Hall, Stuart. “’It’s a Bird!’ Superheroes & Their Religious Roots.” 24 January. 2019, University of Toronto, Toronto. Class Lecture. 

Kohan, Jenji, creator. Orange is the New Black. Netflix, 2013.

“Fear, and Other Smells.” Orange is the New Black, season 3, episode 8, Netflix, 11 Jun. 2015. 

“Trust No Bitch.” Orange is the New Black, season 3, episode 13, Netflix, 11 Jun. 2015. 

“Where my Dreidel At.” Orange is the New Black, season 3, episode 9, Netflix, 11 Jun. 2015.

“Myths, Misfits & Masks: Sana Amanat at TedxTeen 2014.” Youtube, uploaded by Tedx Talks. 17 March 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9lev9739zQ. 

Media Content 

Cindy Hayes, Lunch Line gif: https://giphy.com/gifs/oitnb-shabbat-shalom-26BkNHIQcJGbN2tAQ

Video I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3_f8h0MIbU

Video II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO94rhKJAR8