“An apple pie a day does not keep the doctor away”: Fictional depictions of gout in contemporary film and television

Abstract

Background Fictional portrayals of illness and medical management in film and television can reflect and perpetuate cultural stereotypes about illness. The aim of this study was to analyse fictional depictions of gout in contemporary film and television. Methods We conducted a search for English language depictions of gout in film and television since 1990 using the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), other internet media databases, and member suggestions from the Gout, Hyperuricemia and Crystal-Associated Disease Network (G-CAN). Film and television episodes with gout content were analysed for depictions of characters with gout, causal factors, and management strategies (n=44). Results Gout was used to denote royalty or nobility in historical settings, and as a plot device to explain the absence of characters from key events. The most commonly depicted causes of gout were overindulgence of food and alcohol (61%), and portrayals of biological causes were infrequent (12%). Common management strategies were change in diet (36%) and short-term pain relief (32%), with only one mention of urate-lowering therapy (5%). The majority of films and television episodes depicted gout as humorous (59%) and embarrassing (50%). Conclusions In contemporary film and television, gout is portrayed as a humorous and embarrassing condition, caused by dietary indulgence. These depictions may reinforce inaccurate beliefs about the causes of gout and its management.

Racial and Sex Disparities in Gout Prevalence Among US Adults

“…Gout has historically been considered a disease of White men who overindulge in gamey meats and other rich foods. 1 However, emerging data suggest gout and hyperuricemia (its causal precursor) impart an even larger burden on other demographic groups, including Black men, Black women, and White women. 2 Indeed, the global frequency and disability burden of gout among women have been rising disproportionately relative to gout among men, 3 with gout among women characterized by a higher frequency of obesity 4,5 and related cardiometabolic sequalae.…”

“…Gout has historically been considered a disease of White men who overindulge in gamey meats and other rich foods . However, emerging data suggest gout and hyperuricemia (its causal precursor) impart an even larger burden on other demographic groups, including Black men, Black women, and White women .…”

Impact of Television Depictions of Gout on Perceptions of Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The gout and control episodes were from the television sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris." The gout-related episode, "Everybody Hates Chris, Everybody Hates the Gout" (season 1 episode 16) was identified in the prior content analysis of television episodes depicting gout (18) and involved a character who experienced a gout flare "trying to figure out how he got the gout." He was seen by a doctor who described gout as caused by "a poor diet," including "smothered pork chops," "smothered chicken fried bacon," and "smothered chicken fried bananas."…”

“…In a recent content analysis of gout in contemporary film and television, dietary choices and alcohol were the most common causes depicted, and the disease was frequently portrayed as humorous and embarrassing. The most common management strategies described in those on-screen depictions were change in diet (36%) and short-term pain relief (32%), with ULT rarely mentioned (18).…”

‘It’s just a great muddle when it comes to food’: a qualitative exploration of patient decision-making around diet and gout

“…Gout has been synonymous with diet and lifestyle in popular culture for centuries [ 1–4 ]. It is the most common inflammatory arthritis, affecting 2.5% of UK adults [ 5 ].…”