Thursday, May 3, 2012

Diabetes is no laughing matter

I love to laugh and consider myself to have a pretty good sense of humor. I even laugh at things that are inappropriate. Show me a video of a dad getting hit in the groin by a ball his child kicked and I'm hysterical. And any joke that starts off with...A priest, a rabbi and a plumber are in a boat... is bound to be funny and have me in tears.

So I'm confused with myself as to why a joke about diabetes left me annoyed rather than rolling. Here's the joke: John has 32 candy bars. He eats 28. What does he have now? Diabetes. John has diabetes.

Um, no, he doesn't.

Maybe it's because this hits way too close to home for me since Little Man was diagnosed. Maybe because it also promotes ignorance and misconceptions. I mean, if you're going to be funny, at least have some truth to what you're saying. I get tired of having to explain that he got this disease by an unlucky roll of the dice and not because he ate too much chocolate. And yes, he can eat candy. Of course I moderate how much, just like I did back before he was diagnosed.

Eating candy or sugar based foods does NOT give you diabetes any more than standing next to an idiot makes you stupid. Although there is that whole concept of the company you keep but I'm speaking generally.

In all honesty, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have laughed at this diabetes joke even if Little Man didn't have the disease. Because it's just not funny.

Although this did rub me the wrong way I still laugh and joke around and with me there's always something funny going on. Maybe in time I'll find this and other diabetic funnies to be humorous.

And maybe not.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks, that's a good one. I was searching for diabetes related humour. If you can't laugh at life you won't have a good one. You'll probably have a stroke earlier because laughter is good medicine.

    I was searching for the funny video where the old man says "Diabetis, it's no laughing matter" which is funny because he says "diabetis" (sic).

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    1. I guess it caught me on an off day. Usually I can find humor in every situation, it keeps me out of the loony bin. Glad you had a laugh and thanks for stopping by!

      Oh, and I believe you're thinking of Wilford Brimley...Diabeetus. lol

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