Prison foodways in "Orange is the New Black"

The current study adds to the literature on prison foodways and media studies by exploring the role of prison food on the show Orange is the New Black (OITNB). Specifically, this project aimed to better understand the nature of televised incarceration experiences through the way in which incarcerated characters interacted with food in the scenes. Through an analysis of 601 food-related scenes in OITNB, findings suggest: 1) food is a vehicle for additional layers of institutional control of captive bodies; 2) food plays myriad non-food roles such as medicine, a transactional medium, a vehicle for contraband, and even sexual pleasure; and 3) food, primarily in OITNB's prison kitchen, offers empowerment to incarcerated women albeit through disempowering tropes and stereotypes.