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https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003390459-9/sick-tired-alex-franklin
ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the representation of medical gaslighting in the double episode, “Sick and Tired,” which opened the fifth season of The Golden Girls. The episode follows Dorothy’s arduous quest for medical aid with a mysterious and debilitating illness, which is eventually diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) (elsewhere known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)). Through discussion of Dorothy’s difficult experiences (which are a proxy for those of series writer, Susan Harris), this chapter explores some of the ideological underpinnings of medical gaslighting – such as the low status of chronic conditions within the prestige hierarchies of the medical industries, persistent structural and institutional inequalities in the medical profession, and the broader neoliberal project of disciplinary biopolitics in which poor health is positioned as a personal and moral failing – ultimately positioning medical gaslighting as a social pathology rather than an individual failing. The chapter also addresses related themes, such as Dorothy’s (and her friends’ and families’) self-advocacy and ongoing resilience in the face of institutionalized prejudices.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003390459-9/sick-tired-alex-franklin
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ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the representation of medical gaslighting in the double episode, “Sick and Tired,” which opened the fifth season of The Golden Girls. The episode follows Dorothy’s arduous quest for medical aid with a mysterious and debilitating illness, which is eventually diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) (elsewhere known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)). Through discussion of Dorothy’s difficult experiences (which are a proxy for those of series writer, Susan Harris), this chapter explores some of the ideological underpinnings of medical gaslighting – such as the low status of chronic conditions within the prestige hierarchies of the medical industries, persistent structural and institutional inequalities in the medical profession, and the broader neoliberal project of disciplinary biopolitics in which poor health is positioned as a personal and moral failing – ultimately positioning medical gaslighting as a social pathology rather than an individual failing. The chapter also addresses related themes, such as Dorothy’s (and her friends’ and families’) self-advocacy and ongoing resilience in the face of institutionalized prejudices.