Glad to see you laughing
Who, me? I love laughing, no news there! 
with cake…
I’ve heard a few nasty remarks passed for jokes in my five years as a diabetic. Worst one being an acquaintance that told me he didn’t believe I should be alive or thriving (referring to a sort of Darwinistic belief of his) with the most annoying being the repeated family guy quotes. Easiest response for me is to stare them dead in the eye and say “That’s not funny.” It kills it right there, and since I already know most of these people (sadly enough), they had already been educated on all the basic stuff, what T1 is, what happens if you go low, etc. If not, a little education can go a long way, though what you tell them depends a lot on what they said, what they know, how well you know them, etc. I remember the gentleman mentioned earlier had to shut it pretty quick after I reminded him that, without any healthcare, medical issues he experienced in the past, such as a broken bone, would seriously affect his ability to live a normal life.
What are the family guy quotes? Just curious - I have heard them.
First one is on any quote listing for family guy online "Wilford Brimley: Hi, I’m Wilford Brimley and I have diabetes. It hurts me to pee, and it causes me to be short with my family. I can’t sleep at night. The other day I stubbed my toe, and took it out on the dog. And two weeks ago, I ran out of Vanilla ice cream, and struck my wife. Then I find out, my wife’s been dead for six years. Who the hell did I hit?! "
More than one person has memorized this and throws that quote out.
The second one is when someone moves in, and Peter asks the person be treated like family…Chris asks if it that means they treat him like the Cousin who they’re nice to in person, but make fun of her behind her back because she is diabetic. They laugh and he says “she can’t have sugar.” I can’t find the exact quote.
That show is pretty crude, and the animation is primitive, at least in my opinion. There’s ways and then there are ways to be humorous and irreverent. Every time I get it when looking for other stuff I flip the channel immediately.
It appeals to a certain demographic of people…having been a young adult male for a while, I would say probably my demographic finds it most appealing. Family Guy has some moments that are funny, but it I do find it irreverent and classless when it comes to using certain groups of people for its humor. That being said, I really don’t watch it anymore, and there’s not much else for us to do except decide whether to watch it and encourage the humor or not.
Seems like when I go out to eat and I’m busy calculating, testing, and injecting, I look up and people are half done with their meals before I start. The only ones that bug me are the people at work who tell what i can and cannot have as though I’m a small child and don’t understand how to take care of myself. So lets give all that irritate us the middle finger salute. (my mom tried that once and we had to tell her she was holding up the wrong finger!)
I hear you, and understand the appeal to a certain demographic too. I remember Beavis and Butthead, that was sort of going that route… he he… he he… he he…
People think it is funny because the media usually makes it seem as if diabetes is something that overweight or old people get from eating too much and not having control… and in our society it is usually seen as an okay thing to make fun of people who are overweight… it seems like those jokes are people who just think of wilferd brimley as the face of “diabetus” and just think if people are diabetic it is because they eat too much and don’t have control. (Oddly enough we probably utilize more control than any of them!) I think it is extremely annoying too…
Don’t get me wrong, I love to make jokes or hear jokes if they are in good taste from friends or others… but I also have heard a rise in comments… i think even in a popular rap song i heard on the radio, where they use diabetes as a synonym for being fat and lazy and that is so annoying to me
Soooo I guess what I would like people to know is that diabetes does not equal being overweight… and it is not right to make fun of someone for being either
I get the most upset with people who make comments who are not diabetic or do not have the proper education to be making comments about my diabetes, or anyone else who has diabetes. A good example is my mother. She used to constantly watch over my shoulder to see what I was eating and make comments about whether or not I should be eating what I was eating. The worst part is that she couldn’t see that I was about to pass out from a low BS and try to stop me from drinking orange juice or soda. Granted she is my mother and she only did it because she cared.
I have no problem with people making jokes about diabetes in good taste, I have a problem when they think they know how I, or us should best handle it. The comment that I now get the most is “oh hey do want a piece of this…oh wait its got sugar in it you probably shouldn’t have it”. I’m not gonna go into convulsions and my throat close up if I have sugar. As a type1, without sugar and carbohydrates I would be worse off!! Now I just look them in the eye and say “oh yeah I probably shouldn’t eat that, because you made it and I don’t eat food that tastes bad”. Now that’s a funny joke!
If we couldn’t laugh sometimes and took ourselves too seriously, we really would end up being a Family Guy joke and take it out on the dog when we stub our toe. I’m type 1 diabetic and you are uneducated…school has just begun.
How do we expect everyone to understand or even try too. Are we all experts in understanding economics, cancer, epilepsy, astrology - be proud of being your own expert and HELP people understand rather than getting caught up in all the emotion - sounds hard but hey - live the only life you have in harmony and peace, try not to judge others ignorance, accept people for their short falls, they most likely are good listeners - although jealous - thank god there are some less people in the world that dont have to understand it for survival.
D’accord!
What does that mean exactly? good or bad? Hey out of curiosity have you guys got accu-chek mobile yet?
I would never tell an economist how best to apply game theory or an astrologer how to study celestial beings. I understand that not everyone is going to be educated or well informed about diabetes. I’m just saying it gets annoying when people comment about how I should eat or what I should or shouldn’t do when they just don’t know, and usually its by no fault of there own.
I am the Great Cornholio!
I don’t think those are friends.
I know what you mean… and the type of people you mean. You don’t mean the people who are merely ignorant, but the people who are ignorant, and yet don’t think they are ignorant and that they are the highest authority in what Diabetics should and shouldn’t eat or drink. I get ya. The Diabetes Police. I hate those people, too, they suck. It’s not merely a “getting annoyed” at having to educate a few ignorant people… but battling those who think they are authorities in the first place!
As more of the general population gets Type 2, they, too, may figure out that diabetes is a serious disease and stop making PWDs the butt of their jokes. Type 2 is rapidly increasing. Type 1 is misunderstood completely and those that do understand may discriminate… on playdates, after school activities and maybe even on the job. Unless the person is a family member, we ignore comments. In fact, we don’t mention she has Type 1 anymore unless the other person really needs to know. Very tiring educating people all the time; you also will find yourself arguing with the person you are trying to educate as they refuse to believe diet plays less of a role with Type 1s. Not worth the energy most of the time.