Critical Fat Studies Seminar Attracts Global Audience

Harriet Brown, Professor, Magazine, News & Digital Journalism, moderated the October 24th virtual event, “‘But Those People Are Disgusting!’: A Seminar on Fat Critical Studies.” Audience members attended from the SU campus, other universities, the Icelandic Ministry of Health, and beyond. More than 100 attendees zoomed in for the seminar in Critical Fat Studies featuring two well-known presenters. Dr. Sabrina Strings’ lecture focused on the intersections of gender, race, and weight stigma. Dr. Amy Erdman Farrell’s talk offered a look at how historical materials illustrated and amplified those intersectional stigmas. Both talks sparked lively interchanges of questions and comments, reflecting ongoing interest in the subject of Critical Fat Studies. This seminar, the first in a lively, interactive series, was organized by Professor Harriet Brown of Newhouse, in collaboration with Professor Anne Bellows of Falk and other faculty across campus. Dr. Sabrina Strings is the author of Fearing the Black Body, and Dr. Amy Erdman Farrell is the author of Fat Shame. Harriet Brown teaches COM 300 “Fat and Feminism,” a course open to Honors students in Spring, 2022. To receive future announcements about the series, contact Harriet Brown at hnbrown@syr.edu.