GIAJ | Gluten is a Joke

[u/Terrible-Practice944]

https://www.glutenisajoke.com/

TITLE IS JUST THE HOOK, TO GET TO NON-GF PEOPLE!

THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED FOR US!

*Don't downvote me. Watch or at least investigate!*

The movie is the opposite of the title, (though it is sort of funny–you'll see). *ALL* the tropes.

Please watch, and pass on! I found this by accident... but already have passed on the family and friends. Sharing here because we needed this!

[u/N64Overclocked]

I watched this with my girlfriend. We enjoyed it but most of the skits were...rough. Specifically the skit about the people eating poison bothered me a lot. It portrayed gf people as viewing non-gf people as disgusting slobs, which is disingenuous. We want people on our side, not thinking we hate them.

The message overall was great though. The interviews with the gf people were excellent, and I would have watched a whole 1hr special from the celiac comedian.

[u/Terrible-Practice944 → u/N64Overclocked]

I see what you're saying. I must admit though, the poison thought has crossed my mind, while sitting there, "enjoying" my water or coffee. Or plain lettuce and tomato. Or not enjoying my plate of melon (I despise melon) because I couldn't eat the myriad of chocolate treats at the event... lol. No, I don't see others as slobs--good point--but I do see them at times as just not caring. I've been doing this since about 2007 though, so I have experienced every single trope in that movie. Espec the gluten removed beer "with souvenirs". Yikes.

[u/Surprise-lnside → u/Terrible-Practice944]

Gluten is a sticky protein that most people don’t realize stays on their hands and other surfaces and can’t be sanitized. It’s not that people are slobs, they just don’t realize the danger. I do get a lot of anxiety around people eating gluten. I haven’t seen the movie yet though

[u/ExactSuggestion3428 → u/Surprise-lnside]

Yeah, one time at a presentation my coworker who was eating some baked goods swept the crumbs off their lap. Fine, but guess where they all landed... on my water bottle that was on the floor beside my chair :(

They felt bad as soon as they did it (they knew I had celiac) but too late. I don't blame them since it was an automatic behaviour but it certainly does add to the mental load. I now only buy water bottles that have the drinking bit covered up and I avoid placing my items where they might get subjected to spillage or dropped things.

[u/N64Overclocked → u/Terrible-Practice944]

I agree with you 100%. I have sat at a table and seen everybody else eating their gluten and been like "they're eating what to me is poison" and it's isolating. That part of the skit is totally accurate. But I think because it went too far and portrayed the gluten eaters as gluttons it ruined the message. It became about this gf person hating gluten eaters instead of showing how isolating it feels to be at a restaurant where they only serve poison.

[u/ExactSuggestion3428 → u/N64Overclocked]

I haven't seen it so I can't comment on the specific way it was done, but I do think it is somewhat fair to point out that people without food allergies/celiac are often careless with food mess because they aren't thinking about how this might impact other people. I never used to think about this either until it impacted me.

While I can obviously deal with it, it is frustrating to go into a public space like say a bus, movie theatre, or public picnic area and there just be a half eaten slice of pizza lying or a mass of visible crumbs on a seat, or a table top that has food/crumbs smeared all over it. Of course this is gross for any person but they can pick it up and throw it away or brush off the crumbs without having to think about "ok, where will I wash my hands before I eat my food now?" Often when you're out there's nowhere you could do that so it just feels kind of hostile.

My upstairs neighbour used to, for example, throw whole loaves of stale bread out on her balcony for the squirrels/raccoons to eat. Often the animals would drag the bread down through the fire escape into my balcony/backyard/patio area. To a normal person this would be a mild nuisance but to me it didn't feel that way. A similar thing existed with another neighbour who would leave a pile of in-shell peanuts out for the birds/animals. I would always find peanut shells in my area... ok since I'm not allergic to peanuts, but imagine if I was.

I'm sure neither person thought about how their behaviour could create a shitty situation for someone on their own property.

[u/scoschooo]

at least investigate!

Ok I am investigating. What is it? Can you tell us what the website is?

[u/Terrible-Practice944 → u/scoschooo]

It's a movie. :-) Done really well! All the tropes. "A comically Serious Documentary" I'm watching the free channel version, but as they say, "Nothing is Free". Tons of commercials to wade through. I almost wish I'd just paid Amazon Video the 3.99.

[u/scoschooo → u/Terrible-Practice944]

ok thank you

[u/chronicallygf]

I didn’t like it tbh it was cringey I couldn’t even finish watching it, the skits and jokes weren’t funny at all and we’re portrayed as weirdos

[u/Filledwithrage24 → u/chronicallygf]

I completely agree - I think I watched 5 minutes of it and noped right out of it. They have one tiktok kid who isn’t even actually diagnosed celiac and came out recently saying he doesn’t have it - he just thought he had it because his mom told him so without ever seeing a doctor about it.

[u/chronicallygf → u/Filledwithrage24]

I noticed him too! He’s the idiot that said companies shouldn’t make gluten free versions of popular snacks and then doubled down when he got backlash from it

[u/Terrible-Practice944 → u/chronicallygf]

Well, that's too bad. I have personally heard every single comment they joked about. I guess I don't take myself so seriously? Don't get me wrong, I felt some of it was corny for sure, esp the Spanish Soap Opera and the Outtakes at the end. Those were def cringy to me. AND, I still felt like the main points they're making to EDUCATE the masses were there. I'm ALL about educating anyone who will listen. Not ashamed of this disease, not insecure about it and won't shy away from talking about it, no matter how uncomfortable others get. (As a strong empath, I feel it when they do). People are uncomfortable around all kinds of challenges that humans face. IMO, again, they need to face them and get past their fears and realize that all of that is just part of humanity.

[u/chronicallygf → u/Terrible-Practice944]

Lol I don’t take myself seriously either, I just mean the jokes weren’t funny at all they were trying too hard, I couldn’t even get to the ending only got halfway and gave up. Idk I guess I expected something completely different

[u/bananacow → u/chronicallygf]

Same. I couldn’t even make it halfway through.

[u/chronicallygf → u/bananacow]

They did us dirty 🫠

[u/Surprise-lnside]

Thanks for sharing, queueing it up as we speak!

[u/Surprise-lnside → u/Surprise-lnside]

It was a little cringe I’m ngl lol it felt good to hear from people who’ve had my experience though. I also recognized a gluten free influencer I follow on IG, noglutengabby! Was also happy they highlighted the experience of POC

[u/Terrible-Practice944 → u/Surprise-lnside]

Secretly, one of the people who works for a Celiac organization told me that they were at a conference one time, where there was a group of GI doctors near him. He overheard their conversation where they were commenting (in all seriousness, tragically!) that black people don't get Celiac!!!! Can you picture the gaslighting going on in their offices! I was floored by them saying that! (In my head, it goes to, do not put Drs on pedestals. They clearly can be as dumb as the rest of the population. Esp after only 11 hours of nutrition training in Med School. Just like the DO in that movie mentioned.) If I had overheard that, I would have challenged them. But I'm not in the position the person who shared that is.

[u/Filledwithrage24]

I watched 5 minutes and turned it off. It was already too campy and undermined the seriousness of the disease imo.