Nick Jonas and I have had a very rocky relationship. To be quite honest, we have never actually
met. But the relationship is real…for
me. When the Jonas Brothers first took
off, I fell in love like all the other tweens graced by the wonders of the newest
boy band. Attractive, talented and a
fellow type 1 diabetic, Nick held a special place in my heart…until I became a
little jealous.
I hated Nick's new song “A Little Bit Longer." I guess it’s kinda strange to dislike a song that detailed many of the same feelings I had and still have about T1D, but then again I never made much sense. :)
However, in this case, I have real and valid reasons. The image of teens and tweens all across the country absentmindedly singing the words to a song about Nick’s struggles that resemble my own just really bothered me. It just seemed wrong. The majority of the Jonas Brothers bandwagon had no idea what it really meant to be a type one diabetic. They didn’t draw the drop of blood nor count each carb that entered their bodies. They just closed their eyes, swayed to the music, opened their mouths and sang. It really bothered me.
On the other hand, I pointed a finger at Nick himself. “You don’t even know…” Nick repeats time and again throughout the song. “You don’t even know.” Wait. I think I do. I do know. I test my blood sugar ten to twelve times per day. I put on my pants weird in order to keep the site on my bottom in place. I get the weird looks when my mom asks if I am "high." I have had my pump tubing get caught on the cabinet handle. And I “know what it’s like to feel so low.” Nick, how can you say that I don’t know?
So I guess I toned down my Nick Jonas fangirling a little bit after this song came out. I toned it down even more when the TV show, named nothing other than the oh-so-original title, “Jonas LA,” perpetuated the misinformation I cringe at. Despite the fact that there was a knowledgeable type 1 diabetic cast member to help promote facts about T1D (looking at you, Nick), there was a scene in which one character explains how Nick would smell like chocolate chip cookies…sugar free, of course.
(Skip to 5:24)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFkaamw5IQI
Dude. Nick. Really? Why would you let that one slide? Let me just tell you…I eat cookies. Chocolate chip cookies that are not sugar free. And I enjoy them...a lot! I was a bit upset that he allowed that line to make it in the show. I believe that us type 1 diabetics have to be our own advocates! We have to stick up for ourselves and the truth! And the truth is…we can have chocolate chip cookies, like real chocolate chip cookies, just as much as a “normal” person can.
Nick, however, made a decent comeback in my heart when he stood up for us in the twitter battle with the CEO of CrossFit. I wasn’t a huge fan of the “Open Diabetes” Coke ad the CrossFit CEO created and was proud Nick used his fame to encourage fact-checking.
I hated Nick's new song “A Little Bit Longer." I guess it’s kinda strange to dislike a song that detailed many of the same feelings I had and still have about T1D, but then again I never made much sense. :)
However, in this case, I have real and valid reasons. The image of teens and tweens all across the country absentmindedly singing the words to a song about Nick’s struggles that resemble my own just really bothered me. It just seemed wrong. The majority of the Jonas Brothers bandwagon had no idea what it really meant to be a type one diabetic. They didn’t draw the drop of blood nor count each carb that entered their bodies. They just closed their eyes, swayed to the music, opened their mouths and sang. It really bothered me.
On the other hand, I pointed a finger at Nick himself. “You don’t even know…” Nick repeats time and again throughout the song. “You don’t even know.” Wait. I think I do. I do know. I test my blood sugar ten to twelve times per day. I put on my pants weird in order to keep the site on my bottom in place. I get the weird looks when my mom asks if I am "high." I have had my pump tubing get caught on the cabinet handle. And I “know what it’s like to feel so low.” Nick, how can you say that I don’t know?
So I guess I toned down my Nick Jonas fangirling a little bit after this song came out. I toned it down even more when the TV show, named nothing other than the oh-so-original title, “Jonas LA,” perpetuated the misinformation I cringe at. Despite the fact that there was a knowledgeable type 1 diabetic cast member to help promote facts about T1D (looking at you, Nick), there was a scene in which one character explains how Nick would smell like chocolate chip cookies…sugar free, of course.
(Skip to 5:24)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFkaamw5IQI
Dude. Nick. Really? Why would you let that one slide? Let me just tell you…I eat cookies. Chocolate chip cookies that are not sugar free. And I enjoy them...a lot! I was a bit upset that he allowed that line to make it in the show. I believe that us type 1 diabetics have to be our own advocates! We have to stick up for ourselves and the truth! And the truth is…we can have chocolate chip cookies, like real chocolate chip cookies, just as much as a “normal” person can.
Nick, however, made a decent comeback in my heart when he stood up for us in the twitter battle with the CEO of CrossFit. I wasn’t a huge fan of the “Open Diabetes” Coke ad the CrossFit CEO created and was proud Nick used his fame to encourage fact-checking.
I loved what my mom wrote on Facebook about the whole issue so I shared it below:
“Although type 1 and type 2 diabetes are different, both are very serious conditions and not something to 'joke' about. Fortunately, I don't see people joking about skin cancer and those who sit in tanning beds or spend hours at the beach. CrossFit can get their message out without the cheap and inexcusable 'humor.' Very proud of Nick Jonas for speaking out!”
Well said, Mom. Well said.
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