I was looking at Manny’s awesome video for World Diabetes Day trying to think of something to do (still strugling with that). Something caught my eye and drew me away from the video. It was the side banner ad for Bayer Contour Meters. Picture Nick Jonas giving you a smoldering stare with his trusty Bayer Contour meter by his side.
Am I the only one who finds the fact that he is selling blood glucose meters a little slimy and offensive? Do these companies think that people with diabetes are naive enough to buy anything that he puts his name on? Should I just chill and let him make as much money as he wants?
Maybe I just feel like he should use his influence in a way that benefits someone other than himself.
mick,
how do we know he is getting paid for this, and not donating any funds he may receive? i know after talking to Elliott Yamin, he doesn’t take any money for lending his name for diabetes related business.
Couldn’t help notice Nick’s cute face hawking a product, but admit to being jaded enough not to think of it as anything more than another celeb cashing in on his celebrity. Just another pop star endorsement to me. Everything, sadly, is a product, including Nick. As soon as I heard of him being diabetic, I wondered which pharm co would sign him on.
Would be a better world if people used their influence for the betterment of others, but it’s the rare person who does. Celebrity or not, how many people do any of us know who are selfless?
I kinda like that Nick Jonas is doing that. It’s nice to see a cute, popular, and pretty normal kid involved in diabetes advertising. Often the ads I’ve seem have either obese adults or scrawny kids, and that makes me feel weird and abnormal about having D.
Thanks for all the responses. I wasn’t sure what the community at large would think about this issue. Landileigh is right, he may donate all the money, and there is a link to a foundation on the ad page. It just struck me as a little over the top. I guess any talk/publicity/recognition etc for diabetes serves the general good.
I look at this way if kids see him and test more often and get better control because they want to and not because they are told by parents to its a win win, Well then let him make a few bucks and be a positive role model. At least he is a teen role model who is dealing with diabetes and if kids see that and are inspired instead God Bless. I say it better than other teen stars who do not give off positive messages. He isn’t my role model or yours but, if helps kids out then so be it…
I hear ya but I’d give the kid a break. It’s not like he’s endorsing cigarettes or Twinkies or something. I mean he’s endorsing a product that obviously helps him control his diabetes, and could help other kids control theirs as well.
As a kid, I had a tough time testing…so if Nick can a get a young diabetic all riled up to check his or her blood sugar, I say more power to him.
The more I have though about this subject, and read the responses to my post, the more I am coming around on the issue. It is absolutely true that if Nick Jonas gets one additional kid/fan to check their BG more often, it is a good thing. I guess that’s the beauty of this online community, you get to experience diabetes through many points of view, not just your own!
Has Nick Jonas really had diabetes long enough to have used more than one meter to make a comparison?
As a pod user, why doesn’t Nick use the integrated freestyle meter on his PDM?
Ah, tiger beat endorsements… I’m sure it helps market to the intended audience.
I can’t get my head around the whole Nick Jonas thing. On the one hand, I like the fact that he’s raising awareness for diabetes. But on the other hand…I find it a little annoying when you search for diabetes on youtube and find all this stuff about how you should “support poor Nick and his diabetes.” One video angered me so much that I left a comment saying that I’m pretty sure “poor Nick” would like the poor title removed from his name…needless to say my comment was promptly deleted. Oops.
Mick,
I hear you. It’s a mixed feelings kind of situation. One one end, clearly Nick is a very influential celebrity and anything he does will carry a big weight with his millions of fans (young and not-so-young, as well).
Having said that, regardless of the fact that this ultimately benefits the bottom line of one company, if it results in more people testing (even if it is because they like Nick), this is not all business in the end.
One last thing I’ve learned about recently, Nick and his brothers are also using their celebrity status to help the cause at large through their Change for the Children Foundation.
As a whole, when I put everything on he scale, I am glad that someone of his celebrity status has become a very visible face for the disease. I think it helps with awareness at large.
After reading all the responses, I think that my initial reaction was not too far off-base. Perhaps if the advocacy aspect of was more prominently played up, rather than just the face with the meter they are trying to sell, I would feel differently. I do see links to the Change for the Children Foundation in small boxes at the bottom of the screen, but it’s not tough to miss them.
As I said, I see the really positive aspect of putting his name out there, to make awareness greater and get people to make management of their diabetes a priority. It one single Nick Jonas fan starts testing becuase of this ad, it’s justified. That said, the whole thing still rubs me the wrong way a little bit, and I think I’m not the only one who shares this opinion.
I think that Nick Jonas just coming out as someone with diabetes is a big step. he has a big influence on the younger generation and I think that he is being a positive role model for other younger persons with diabetes that you can accomplish what you desire and have diabetes…it doesn’t have to stop you from leading the life you want. I think that if he is endorsing the bayer Contour meter it’s no different than Patti Laballe endorsing One Touch He’s showing america that it is not just an older persons disease.
I hate how Nick makes it seem like the Omnipod is the only way to go!
Diabetes is different for EVERYONE, and Nick Jonas should respect that.
I mean, the omnipod does look cool and all,
but its kinda offensive when he basically sits there and trashes all other pumps/meters.
cause i absolutely LOVE my cozmo, and i know people who hate them.
I dont think its right for him to advertise it so much, because we all know that almost 90% of the female diabetic and nondiabetic population will think the same thing, without hearing another word out of his mouth.
He’s amazingly goodlooking and all, but i wouldnt sit there and go all googly-eyed over the omnipod just cause of him.
I think Carly nailed it - the influence he has could be used in ways other than selling products. I would much rather see him putting his name out there for pump therapy in general, rather than just the Pod, or that testing your blood sugar is the important factor, not go buy the Bayer contour becuase that’s what I use. Just like the name of the community, it’s TuDiabetes - your diabetes. No one else can define diabetes for YOU and (as is true for all advertising) he is telling us what’s right for him is right for us.
Christine is absolutely correct, there’s no difference between this case and Patti Labelle or BB King endorsing One Touch, but I would argue that two wrongs don’t make a right, so to speak.
I think the only people who could be influenced by Nick Jonas suggesting what meter/pump to use would be young teenage girls. That said, young teenage girls still have to get by their parents who actually pay for the stuff.
Having Nick Jonas, Bo Diddley or anybody else marketing diabetes products is no different than Michael Jordan marketing cigars or running shoes.
