Dear, Elle Magazine. Celiac is a Disease, not a Joke. #Iamthatfriend

So this morning, as I’m scrolling through my Facebook feed, I happened upon a post from one of my favorite Celiac Bloggers~ Gluten Dude. He was up in arms again, and rightfully so, over a cartoon published by Elle Magazine. You can read his heartfelt reaction in the link above. This cartoon, got my blood boiling. Seriously, Elle do you really find it funny to tease about a Disease?

I rarely get so frustrated, because let’s face it, people are assholes. There are plenty out there that think an autoimmune disease is just something that’s in your head. Well, get your head out of your ass and wake up. It’s not a joke. It’s real. And there is no cure. Except, eating strictly Gluten Free. There is no pill, no cream, nothing but elimination of Gluten. Plain and simple. Got it? Good.

Here’s the thing, Elle and your well-informed staff. May is Celiac Awareness Month. Bet you didn’t know that, because that would have taken some time to research.

Research, you know what that is, don’t you? It’s all shits and giggles over there in your creative department while you’re eating your bagels and drinking your beer, joking about a group of people who have a disease. Well doesn’t that make you special.

Poking fun of people who have no control over something that is debilitating in their lives. Making fun of people who can’t just take a pill to make the pain go away. Pain that not everyone can see and pain that none of us would wish upon another, except maybe some explosive diarrhea just so you have a hint of what happens to them during a glutening episode. An episode that can have lingering effects for weeks, and if untreated, can lead to devastating diagnosis that could include Cancer.

You wouldn’t make fun of someone with Cancer, now would you, Elle? No foreshame. It’s a disease. A disease people have no control over, and although there may be medications to help destroy the cause of it, it still leaves people helpless at its grimy hands.

See, there is no fun in making fun and teasing people who have a disease. Would you place a person in a wheelchair in that bubble? An MS sufferer in that bubble? Cancer patient? You get my point, don’t you?

You disgust me!

Anyone who makes fun of a disease, disgusts me. How can you be so cruel. Yeah I’m just a little pissed off at your attempt, sad sorry ass attempt at humor. Now if I wanted to make fun of myself in a lighthearted way, so be it, because there is a distinct line in humor and humiliation, degradation, callous, rude, crude…you get the point, YET!

But your commentary about this disease is just one of many in the public eye by people who are in a position of preaching to a far-reaching audience of impressionable people.

Your attempt at making fun of a disease is deplorable. And as I’m sure the sun will set tonight, I’m sure you probably won’t ever see this post, or the comment I made on your Facebook post about this either. But that’s ok. If I can at least get one more person to see, that this is NOT A JOKE, it’s a Disease. Then that is more than enough for me. You are not alone in this, and as much as I dislike giving you and your business attention, I think that my small blast at your poor attempt at humor will balance out in the end.

Karma if you will. Or maybe you and your staff will research Celiac Disease, and maybe do some volunteer work, or at least take the disease seriously.

#Iamthatfriend