As the main character Penny and her grandma mentioned many times in this emblematic comic strip, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (179). While her powerful quote applies to things such as oneself, it certainly doesn’t apply to today’s society; in fact, it brings to light that the society America inhabits today is broken and does need a lot of fixing. The nation is compiled of three prominent issues: judgement, discrimination, and technology. The comic “Bitch Planet” is a message that allegorically focusses on these issues in today’s world and by doing so, underlines the qualities possessed by a desirable society. 

Judgement. In any culture, it’s impossible to please everyone. Human beings are jealous creatures and hold high expectations even though they themselves are nowhere near perfection. Judgement is inevitable and this issue is illustrated throughout the entire comic. In the very first scene, Penelope, otherwise known as Penny, states she can feel the people on the screen judging her. The compilation of faces on the screens represent society as a whole and their accompanying discernment on the population, which is represented by Penny. As the story continues, the viewer sees that Penny is being poked fun at on a couple different occasions, such as at school and at   work. These two settings relate closely to two bullied settings in real life, where teens and adults alike never seem to meet the expectancies of their peers. Shrewdness has become a growing problem in this world and the persecution of others based on appearances, hobbies, or interests is unjust. A population without apathy is one that will not prosper, with this being said, everyone should love themselves and embrace all they have to offer, regardless of what others think; this is the lesson viewers are exposed to at the end of the story when it is revealed find out that Penny’s idealized version of herself is the current one she already is despite what the council thinks she should be. 

Discrimination. Another defect in society that is brought forward in this comic is the unfair treatment of people or things. The protagonist is a black, plump female; all three physical aspects are considered to be in the minority pool and are looked down upon/discriminated against. Prejudice has been a reoccurring characteristic in the nation and has seized to be completely stopped, yet the desire to end the unfortunate trend continues today. Also illustrated in the comic, the leaders on the screen are predominately white and are ordering around a person who is black. Again, this is a tendency in today’s society where blacks are usually found to be discriminated against by whites. The use of colors in the comic feeds into this fracas between the two races. In the first couple of pages, Penny is seen wearing orange clothing and her commanding guards are seen wearing blue. The two colors are complimentary colors, meaning they’re opposites on the color wheel. This link illustrates the relationship between whites and blacks impeccably: the two are polar opposites and have yet to build a bridge to close their gap. Another color comparison exemplified is the use of darker colors when Penny is experiencing bad things and lighter colors when the white leaders are speaking. This again highlights the superiority of whites by subconsciously implementing the idea through colors. In a desired society, discrimination would collapse and the human population would be united as one. 

Technology. Everyone is familiar with the buzzing of a ringtone or the sound of keyboard clicks. Our society relies heavily on the use of technology, so much that the very science itself has begun to consume our reality. In the futuristic setting seen in “Bitch Planet,” one is exposed to the technology used in the prison when they see people communicating through numerous television screens. At the end of the story, the guards use a device which will project Penny’s desired image of herself onto a screen; the image ends up being Penny as she is now. Not only does this evidence tie into the earlier message of embracing yourself, but it also highlights the fact that society does not need technology as much as it thinks it does. Penny knew who she wanted to be without the help of the giant contraption. While the world may feel as though it needs technology in its life, it doesn’t in the amount that it consumes. The human race is more than capable of functioning with less technology than it does. Too much technology is not a good thing. Take the Pixar movie Wall-E for example. The human race is forced to take refuge in space after too much consumption has left the planet in ruins. Society, now living completely off technology and using robots and machines to help them, has become filled with overweight humans whom cannot function on their own. This movie serves the same purpose as “Bitch Planet:” it’s sending a message that humans must cut back on our usage of technology in order to continue as a thriving society. More technology doesn’t make people better off. It prevents them from growing by doing everything for them. When used excessively, it weakens the population and pushes the population further away from functioning on its own.  

Judgement, discrimination, and technology: three things that are slowly causing the demise of civilization. “Bitch Plant” uses symbolism, colors, and multiple scenes to exemplify these issues in an attempt to open one’s eyes to the changes that need to happen. The continuation of the three matters only hurt society. The perfect society would exist without judgement, discrimination, and technology. While sadly no society can reach perfection, there can be steps taken to make said society more efficient and more enjoyable. The problems are known, and now the ball is on society’s court. The next play rests in the hands of the nation.  
