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

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. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41927-020-00174-z.