“Carotenodema in Popular Culture” was a brief essay I composed in early 2017. I had previously submitted it to JAMA Dermatology for consideration in their “Notable Notes” section, for which it was promptly rejected. Familiar readers may note that the topic and content of this essay (henceforth simply “Carotenoderma”) are remarkably similar to an essay by Hsiao & Clukay entitled “Orangeness–Peeling Back the Myths Behind Carotenemia” later published in JAMA Dermatol in Sep. 2017.

For clarification, I submitted Carotenoderma to JAMA Dermatol on the evening of Feb. 20, 2017 (submission reference DER17-0346), and was surprised to receive a rapid rejection the following morning. I was then quite shocked to see Hsiao & Clukay’s article appear in the September issue of the journal seven months later, and further struck by the similarities in both premise and specific examples. Upon inquiry to the editorial administration, similarity between the two essays was granted, but the journal did not acknowledge a request for details on the submission/decision dates for the Hsiao & Clukay article (and I cannot speculate on the duration of the press production period for manuscripts accepted to the Notable Notes section).

I have made the essay available here, viewable below.