Comments on: The Next Wonder Drug

By: Alas, a blog » Blog Archive » Link Farm and Open Thread #10

Alas, a blog » Blog Archive » Link Farm and Open Thread #10 — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 22:02:38 +0000

[...] A Modest Proposal: The Next Viagra Ã¢â‚¬Å“We have perfected the weight-loss drug. Enipaznalo not only takes off those excess pounds, it makes you beautiful. Movie-star beautiful. ThereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s just one catch; it also makes you crazy.” [...]

By: Lynne Murray

Lynne Murray — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 03:14:06 +0000

Thanks, Debbie. I sent the link without much comment to a couple of friends, one of whom said it read “like a romance novel.” The friend other worried what would happen in that institution to a young woman with exactly the same symptoms, only 30 pounds heavier. I had thought to say something about that initially, but the answer seems both obvious and depressing. The staff would spend less time with her, possibly getting a less accurate diagnosis. They might also hesitate to give her the more effective medication for fear of causing more weight gain.

By: Debbie

Debbie — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:30:27 +0000

Zuzu, the mutual admiration society continues to convene.

Lynne, I noticed the business about the consultant’s chin. I’m sure it fits into my observation that only the girl has a name in the story. I really like your storytelling lens.

By: Lynne Murray

Lynne Murray — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:20:37 +0000

If you look at this article through the lens of storytelling, you see that it’s the tale of Heroic Young Doc trying to save the Beautiful Princess, and once having rescued her, trying to retrieve the beauty that attracted him to her in the first place. Then we must hear the ponderings of Heroic Young Doc, being confused (poor thing) about whether it was worth it alleviate the young woman’s symptoms if it meant making her someone to whom he was no longer attracted.

Body Impolitic points out that only the young woman was identified by name, but she is also the only one who is physically described with one notable exception. Heroic Young Doc consults with older doc thusly:

“…he discussed Nia with the unitÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s consultant, a man of compromise with a small chin.”

Now, the Unit Consultant may be a brilliant man (there must be some reason he is being asked for his opinion). However, any medical genius Unit Consultant may have is totally invalidated by his small chin. (We never actually find out what Heroic Young Doc looks like, but evidently his chin is bigger than Unit Consultant’s chin, if ya know what I mean.)

By: Feministe » The Stuff You Find Through Trackbacks.

Feministe » The Stuff You Find Through Trackbacks. — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 02:44:59 +0000

[...] Body Impolitic. And not just because Laurie Toby Edison called my post on Nia “brilliant.” Because of the body-politics posts and the gorgeous photography, as well as the riff off my post: The psychopharmacologists are missing a bet. Someone, somewhere, should be delving through the drug-design software trying to reverse the effects of Olanzapine, the drug that made the young woman in this story get sane and gain weight. [...]