I am curious how people perceive diabetic jokes. Are they funny, do they bother you, are you indifferent? For example, A diabetic walks into a bakery and asks the baker "Do you have anything that is safe for a Diabetic (PWD)?"The baker responds "Everything. As long as you don't put it in your mouth."
Personally I am ok with them as long as they are factually accurate. This joke is not and it rubs me the wrong way. The correct answer to this joke is "Everything. As long as you are okay superbolusing for it."
I would like to hear other perspectives or maybe just share a joke or two.
At the moment, I can't think of a diabetes joke that I'd find funny. Perhaps this is because I have a child with Type 1 diabetes, and nothing about that is funny. Don't get me wrong, a good sense of humor is absolutely necessary in dealing with this disease. But jokes about diabetes? About as funny as jokes about cancer.
What's ole saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I've learned to have a thick skin thanks to my time in military. So "D" jokes don't bother me. I even make fun of myself sometimes. Like, saying to my wife that I am too sweet for her. Reading various diabetic forums. I've read where other diabetics have poked fun of other diabetics because of the differences of the types. I become very offended when another type 1's looks down upon those whom are type 2.
Sometimes I do become annoyed by the food police tying to limit what I can and cannot eat. Someone needs to come up with parody song using MC Hammer's song "You Can't Touch This," to be played to the food police.
For me, it depends on who is telling the joke. If it is another PWD, then I'm okay with it, or if a person who knows I have type 1 D, and has been willing to learn and does have a great sense of humour I'm fine with it. I usually look at a new joke and if I can tell it by changing the butt of the joke and it is still funny then fine. Like this one "Two blondes decide to go to Disneyland. on the way up the interstate they see the sign 'Disneyland, Left'. They burst into tears and go home". Now I can tell that joke as "two guys, or two brunettes, whatever, and it is still funny.
I focus on the intent of the speaker. If their purpose is entirely innocent and friendly, I take no offense -- why should I when someone is trying to make me smile?
As for the issue of factual accuracy, being innocently wrong about something is nothing to get angry or offended with someone over. Civil politeness, in my view, is to chuckle a little at whatever the humorous twist is, then simply correct their factual mistake in a friendly way.
As for the specific joke you cite above, in my view you have unrealistic and harsh expectations for the non-D population. They have no idea what a super-bolus is, and to the extent they understand diabetes, it is something that restricts you from eating sweets.
And that's forever what it will be with the vast majority of the public. They haven't the need, nor the interest, to know more.
Well, said with warmth, I just don't believe it rgcainmd.
You and your child are human beings. By definition that means you have had some funny moments related to D. We all have. I'm not talking about jokes others have told you, stuff that's just happened in your lives managing the condition.
And that is the stuff jokes are made of.
Here's one that I've had (true story): Woke up and checked my BG with my glucometer last summer, read 69. Not hypo for me, not even close (I gotta get in the 50s before I have real problems).
Noticed my meter was upside-down. Crap, wrong reading. rotated it upright, still read 69. I think I flipped that thing over and over about a dozen times, puzzled to all heck, until my brain woke up and engaged enough to realize, "oh yeah... 69".
So, here's how we make a joke out that: "A diabetic was checking his blood sugar, and it read 69. Seeing that his meter was upside down, he righted it and read it again. Still 69. So he threw the defective meter away and got a new one"
The joke I cited was published in a diabetes related kids publication. Second, I am with you on the appropriate way to respond to this sort of joke from the non-d population. I usually give a chuckle and if they are interested I will politely ruin the joke. It still rubs me the wrong way, I would like to think we can change peoples perception of diabetes. Your right we may not change everyone’s understanding but at least those who are interested in learning and mean well.
I think rgcainmd (first comment) made a nice distinction between diabetes being a joke and humor within diabetes. Diabetes as a condition is not a joke just like cancer or any other illness is not a joke. However, humor can be found while living with diabetes. Some other commenters offered some nice friendly funny (my opinion) jokes.
I do resent some people telling D jokes if it is said with contempt - related to the contempt many in the general public (and many healthcare providers) have towards people with diabetes. Kinda like how overweight people are the last "socially acceptable" group to taunt..
I would like to think we can change peoples perception of diabetes
I would too. Unfortunately, I am an uncurable skeptic when it comes to this topic. In my experience, people have to have an interest in something to be amenable to teaching them anything about it. And most people really don't want to talk about diabetes, unless they have it.
