Later Edit:
I’ve had some readers point out a different perspective shared by the Gluten Dude. I like his perspective; I don’t disagree with him at all.
His general point is that in this bit Jimmy Kimmel doesn’t put enough care into pointing out how serious and real the gluten-free diet is for people with celiac disease. So instead of ridiculing just the gluten-free fad followers, it makes a joke of everyone who avoids gluten, including those of us who must be gluten-free.
While I don’t think that was Jimmy Kimmel’s intent, I have to agree that Kimmel didn’t tackle the issue with the nuance it requires. And I appreciate the Gluten Dude pointing out how this flippant bit is still harmful to our community.
Jimmy Kimmel has said some ignorant, hurtful things regarding gluten and gluten intolerance, but in a recent video he highlights why he has been led to make those ignorant, hurtful comments. I’m tired of the fad dieters marginalizing the severity of a very real disease and this video pokes fun at those fad dieters.
A few weeks ago a gluten-related video clip from comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show went “viral.” In case anyone reading doesn’t understand what that means, it means the video was widely viewed because people repeatedly shared it and spread it among all their friends and family.
In this clip, people from Jimmy Kimmel’s show go to a nearby area where people often exercise. They ask different people if they avoid gluten, and if they answer yes, they ask them, “What is gluten?“
Sadly, the responses from these people who claim to be avoiding gluten are rather embarrassing… and admittedly a little comical. Mr. Kimmel’s caustic humor mildly ruffled my feathers, and I’m not crazy about seeing celiac disease presented so lightly, but unfortunately I think he does make a couple of good points with this segment.
He’s being a comedian, so be forewarned that he takes a couple shots at the gluten-free diet and the gluten intolerance phenomenon. Try not to be too sensitive about it; as frustrating as it is to acknowledge it, he does highlight a real problem.
Of course, I also found it mildly amusing that his attempt at an accurate definition of gluten is only partially correct. Then again, it’s meant to be a quick and simple little spot on a late night comedy show, and he still got it better than many news outlets.
His quip, “a lot of people don’t eat gluten because someone in their yoga class told them not to,” rings true, unfortunately.
On the whole, the phenomenon this clip accurately illustrates frustrates me because it marginalizes my attempt to educate and heal people with legitimate cases of gluten intolerance.
I don’t want readers of the Gluten Intolerance School and subscribers to my newsletter to be like the individuals interviewed in that video. I want to make sure you know what you’re talking about when it comes to gluten.
So please review this lesson on gluten and take the interactive quiz:
I encourage you to share this lesson with any friends or family members who are curious or concerned about gluten.
I genuinely care about your understanding and your health, and I’ve often been proud of how much more knowledgeable my gluten intolerance newsletter subscribers are about gluten and celiac disease than the average person posting foolish comments on gluten-related news stories and blogs.
I know comedy can be subjective and a little touchy, so I hope I didn’t offend anyone by including a link to a snarky comedy video in the Gluten Intolerance School. But I think it provides some important perspective on how our cause is so easily marginalized by misinformation.
