S02 EP 2-2 Symbolic Violence and the Weight of Judgment: Fat Hatred, Media, and Medicine

Описание: In Part 2 of our conversation with sociologist Dr. Jeannine Gailey, we move beyond body image to confront the systems that actively harm people in larger bodies—often under the guise of health, entertainment, and “concern.”

This episode explores fat hatred as symbolic violence, examining how medical dismissal, reality television, workplace stigma, and cultural commentary function as everyday assaults on people’s dignity and wellbeing. Dr. Gailey explains why being told to “just lose weight” is not neutral advice but a mechanism of erasure, one that invalidates pain, delays care, and reinforces shame.

We also unpack the evolution from shape to size as a social obsession, the exploitation embedded in weight-loss reality shows, and the growing pressures now placed on men’s bodies. As AI-generated models, GLP-1 weight loss drugs, and corporate “body positivity” campaigns enter the conversation, Dr. Gailey raises urgent questions about whether society is moving toward inclusion or doubling down on exclusion.

The episode closes with a hopeful turn: a discussion of body neutrality, narrative therapy, and what healing might look like when bodies are treated not as ornaments to be judged, but as instruments that allow us to live fully.

This is a challenging, honest, and necessary study session on power, stigma, and what it truly means to care about health.

Timestamps:
00:00 | Episode Preview with Dr. Jeannine Gailey
01:58 | The size vs. shape argument in regards to body
05:04 | What do you think about reality shows around weight and obesity?
08:52 | Is the pressure on men the same as it is on women to conform to a certain body standard?
11:38 | How do you think AI will impact body standards?
12:42 | What is the body positivity and what is the body positivity movement?
15:18 | How will GLP-1s surge on the market impact society?
18:29 | The Obesity Epidemic Discourse as a form of symbolic violence explanation
24:49 | If money were no object what would you like to research Jeannine?
27:33 | Open Notes Podcast Ending

Guest: Jeannine Gailey
Video Editor | Kiana Gerhart ‪‪ @its_kianaaaa
Content Revisers | Nora Mortimer, Angela Thompson & Amber Hovanec-Carey
Information from UITAC Publishing