Today's Topic: Recently various petitions have been circulating the Diabetes Online Community, so today let’s pretend to write our own. Tell us who you would write the petition to – a person, an organization, even an object (animate or inanimate) - get creative!! What are you trying to change and what have you experienced that makes you want this change?
I'm petitioning all TV shows that have diabetic characters. Would it kill you to make it a little more realistic? I once watched a show in which a ten or eleven year old girl got diagnosed with diabetes. They made a whole episode out of it, showed her in the hospital, showed her family supporting her, everything. The unrealistic parts, at least for me, were: She went home after one night in the hospital, and no education (at least none that they showed). Once she got home, there was barely any mention of it. You never heard her mom ask what her blood sugar was, you never saw her give insulin, you never saw any type of care being taken. Yes, in the next episode they had a family dinner, and while there the mom's phone went off, and she excused herself and her daughter because it was time for her insulin. In reality, diabetes takes over your life- especially when you're first diagnosed. You count carbs, are still adjusting insulin, and are checking your blood sugar many times a day. So, do some research, talk to some real life diabetics, and find out what it's actually like to have diabetes. THEN make a character in a movie or TV show have diabetes, but only if it's going to be realistic!
Oh, that's a hot button for me, too! Panic Room with Jodi Foster and Kristin Stewart was the same thing... it was all wrong. I feel like they need "diabetes consultants" for these shows....
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! It almost makes me want to stop watching the show when something like this happens...
DeleteBrea, thank you for sharing. I think it is great that you notice the unrealistic-ness of tv shows and movies when featuring a person with diabetes. You are totally right. We exist in a minority, and sometimes the sad truth is that in order to understand the plights of the minorities you have to be a part of them. You would think people would just not have a character with diabetes, but as we very well know, with diabetes comes drama. The lows, the highs, the mood-swings. Diabetes is kind of like the perfect storm.
ReplyDeleteI am with you though, sista. Let's get a real accurate depiction of diabetes to the public through television or a movie. I think we can.