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The Pathologization of Fatness Through Popular Culture
Full text linkIn an increasingly technologically connected society, and in a society that lacks fundamental legal protections for weight- or size-based discrimination, it is crucial research examines how and why fatness is being pathologized in digital popular culture spaces. The present research aims to examine this question by analyzing various social media posts and advertisements for patterns of anti-fat bias indicating pathologization. Advertisements and posts were sourced from Snapchat and X, respectively, and a goal of this research was to remove my personal social media algorithms and their output from their intended context (the screen) and into the space of higher education and academia. Two primary findings emerged through this analysis of digital content: (1) advertisements taken from Snapchat function as causes for the internalization of anti-fat bias and the individual thought being posted on X, and (2) fatness is being pathologized on social media platforms largely through concurrent forces of discrimination and marginalization (i.e. racism, ableism, and religiocentrism). The significance of this work lies in the lack of fat studies literature being produced on college campuses and in the ongoing marginalization and medicalization of fat bodies; I hope for this research to provide pathways for fat justice, counterforces against anti-fat bias and fatphobia, and a restorying of the dominant narrative that fatness is abnormal or pathological
The Road to Hell Is Paved with Good Intentions: Patents, Pharmaceuticals, and Price Gouging
Full text linkPharmaceutical companies are subject to monopolies of their own making in the pharmaceutical market. Legislators have tried to limit these monopolies by passing legislation in the hopes that it will lower prices. Unfortunately, these attempts to lower the costs of prescriptions have caused more issues to arise over time. When employing complex aspects of intellectual property law, such as evergreening and product hopping, there is no control exerted over pharmaceutical companies.
These monopolies in pharmaceutical markets exist because by the time generic products can enter the market, they have already become outdated. When the generics become outdated, they lose their benefits. The control these companies have over the pharmaceutical market allows the manufacturers to exploit their monopolies via price gouging. Legislators have turned to hoping generic brand companies have good intentions in having lower prices than brand name products to assist consumers. Grounding any potential remedies to these issues in intellectual property law and antitrust law will make legislation more effective. Introducing and passing new legislation is difficult if legislators do not understand the intricacies of intellectual property
Illinois’s Latent Disease Transformation: No More Harsh Rulings
Full text linkRecent amendments to Illinois statutes related to latent diseases have been the topic of current litigation. Traditionally, Illinois has placed a time limit on filing latent disease suits; however, after several self-described “harsh rulings,” the legislature amended this time-barring statute. Additionally, unlike before, plaintiffs are now allowed to go directly after employers. Employers have raised several issues concerning the constitutionality of the amendments to these statutes.
This Comment argues that the recent amendments by the Illinois legislature are constitutional because they do not violate ‘special legislation’ and are not applied retroactively. Trial judges and the Illinois Attorney General have all dealt with these issues most recently and came to this same conclusion. The Illinois Supreme Court recently issued a ruling on this issue in January 2025, through its opinion in Martin v. Goodrich
Expanding “Brain Games”: What Have We Learned from a Program Designed to Support Healthy Brain Aging for Older Adults?
Full text linkUnder the Limelight of Fame: Life, Success, and Revenge Porn—A Public Figure’s Right to Privacy Versus Speech on Matters of Public Concern
Full text linkThe twenty-first century continues to evolve technologically and socially. However, the main constant in society is the public’s devotion to celebrity culture. Celebrity culture constantly has the public’s attention, from Travis Kelce’s and Taylor Swift’s relationship, to the controversies surrounding President Donald Trump. As a result, being a public figure in a technologically advanced society comes with a limited right to privacy. Public figures over the years have become victims of nonconsensual pornography with limited options for recovery and accountability. California Civil Code Section 1708.85 is a prime example of a statute that poses a challenge to a public figure if their nonconsensual images or videos are considered a matter of public concern. This affirmative defense has become a significant barrier for a public figure in their journey for justice pertaining to their non-consensual images. There is hope on the horizon for public figures and their ability to pursue a federal cause of action without the affirmative defense of public concern posing a challenge on their journey for justice. However, with hope comes possible constitutional challenges that can be remedied to ensure a celebrity’s right to privacy and First Amendment rights are respected
