A Call to NBC to Remove Their NASCAR Super Bowl Ad

nascar super bowl ad

This is not a rant. This is not a rave. For this post, I am using my quiet voice. Yes…I have a quiet voice.

A fellow celiac notified me that NBC was running a Super Bowl ad immediately following the end of the game promoting NASCAR. The Super Bowl is seen by over 100 million people. So yeah…it’s a pretty big audience.

You can already see where this is going. In this ad, they poke fun at what else? Gluten of course. I mean, why not. It’s the hip thing to do these days, so why should they rise above the bottom feeders? And yes…I’m still using my quiet voice.

Before I go any further, I’d like you to watch the ad:

(Dude note: The ad is no longer available. Trust me…it sucked.)

They have a cool concept, a funny actor and a huge audience. They could have selected one out of 1,000 things that related to America being “soft” that would have still been humorous. But they chose gluten. Why?

You’d think I’d get used to these things, but each time hits me to the core. But after the Joy Behar calamity last week (which of course followed all of the other calamities our community has had to put up with), I wasn’t sure if I should even approach this ad, for a number of reasons.

One, I want to avoid the whole “boy who cried wolf” thing and not jump every time someone slams gluten-free. It gets mundane…even for me. I have a lot to offer this community and don’t want to be known for simply calling others out. I like bringing positive attention to our disease much more than this crap.

And two, I’m not sure how much fight is left in me. I’ve been advocating for over three years now and instead of the jokes at our expense getting better, they’re actually getting worse. And when I post something like this, I get a lot of shit from a lot of people, many who see the world through their eyes only and if it doesn’t affect them personally, why should they care. So the question becomes…is it even worth the fight?

But then I think about the hoards of emails I receive and the plethora of comments left on this blog. And yes, I just used the words hoards and plethora in the same sentence.

I think about all of the gluten-free children getting bullied for being “different”, when all they want to do is feel better and fit in. I think about all of the people who have gotten sick at restaurants because the kitchen and/or the staff do not take us seriously. I think about all of those walking around undiagnosed and suffering because they only listen to what is in the media. I think about all of the people in the past who have died prematurely when going gluten-free MAY have been their saving grace.

The fact is…I’m tired of being the butt of jokes from ignorant people. Yeah…I can handle it just fine. I’m a big boy. But it’s not just about me. It’s for all of those people I just mentioned in the above paragraph. It’s for those who don’t have a voice. Who are sick. And tired. And sick and tired of the lack of empathy for those silently suffering.

You see…I don’t think we’re soft or weak as the ad implies. I don’t think we’re part of the problem. I think we’re a pretty strong bunch who just wants the world to move on to something else and let us handle our disease as we wish. The PROBLEM, as I see it, is the utter and complete lack of empathy so many in our society feel. Not just about gluten, but about so many things. We’ve lost the ability to feel for others who are in a situation that you just may not understand. It’s become easier to laugh at people than to care about them.

Are there gluten-free fakers out there that are part of the problem? Absolutely. But they are in the minority. And we are getting lumped in with them because of these media attacks. And I want it to stop.

So here is what I’m going to do. No yelling and screaming. I’m simply going to lay out some facts and if you agree with me that NBC should change or remove their ad before this Sunday, I will have a call to action for you to follow.

Celiac Disease Facts

Fact: Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.

Fact: Celiac disease affects over 3 million Americans, making it the most common autoimmune disease in the world.

Fact: Celiac disease affects men and women across all ages and races.

Fact: 83% of those celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Fact: The longer a person is not properly diagnosed and continues to eat gluten, the greater their risk of developing other autoimmune disorders, neurological problems, osteoporosis and cancer.

Fact: Untreated celiac disease increases the risk of cancer 200-300%.

Fact: Untreated celiac disease increases the risk of miscarriage 800-900%.

Fact: There are NO pharmaceutical cures for celiac disease.

Fact: A 100% gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for celiac today.

Fact: The total US healthcare cost for all untreated celiacs: $14.5 – $34.8 billion annually.

Fact: An additional 3% – 6% suffer from non-celiac gluten sensitivity and suffer just as greatly.

Is it cancer? No. Does that mean it should be laughed at? I would like to think not.

Call to Action

I spoke to some of my fellow advocates today asking for the best approach. I did not want to be a single voice in this one. A few others will be writing blog posts today too and promoting the same call to action.

While I’m not a big fan of the petitions at change.org, the fact is they are effective. Go Daddy was going to run a Super Bowl ad this year that many felt promoted puppy mills. A petition was started and it received over 42,000 signatures and Go Daddy pulled the ad. And remember the Disney fiasco a few years back? We actually got Disney to remove an episode three days before it was going to air. So we have the power.

So I did indeed create a petition. I’d like everyone to share this link so we can get as many signatures as humanly possible. Whether you think it will work or not, I hope you consider signing it. It’s all about getting our voices heard and to knock off this nonsense that we’re weak because we’re gluten free. Thanks in advance. I need a vacation.

[button color=”orange2″ link=”https://www.change.org/p/nbc-remove-an-upcoming-super-bowl-ad-for-nascar” size=”big”]Sign the Petition Here[/button]

Dude note: My two good friends and fellow celiacs, Jennifer Esposito and InspiredRD, have written awesome blogs posts about this ad as well. You can read them here and here.

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251 thoughts on “A Call to NBC to Remove Their NASCAR Super Bowl Ad”

  1. Great job Dude. You’re a fine young man. I could say so very much more but I’ll simply leave you with the following:

    “Illegitimi non carborundum!”

    I hope you will keep educating the haphazardly uninformed and the willfully ignorant as long as you are physically and emotionally able. If for no other reason, but there are many, the children behind us do need and deserve our efforts in this unrelenting advocacy campaign. You and I, and others in our community, have thankfully managed to survive the worst ravages, including cancer, this disease has thrown at us so far. No one who knows us would describe us as “weak”. It’s unfortunate that the executives of NBC are so uniformed and ignorant that they would air such a divisive, insensitive and ignorantly misleading commercial, but as with most of NBC’s programming, I’m not surprised at their epic failures. For many, it may not be cancer YET. “Gluten” is simply not funny or a subject for comedy when human beings are needlessly suffering and dying because so many are uninformed.

    You will always have my unfailing respect, which is not easily earned or flippantly bestowed.

    Hap

        1. Right. It’s a joke.

          It’s a joke that affects millions of people.
          Including kids.
          Like me.
          It’s a joke that is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
          After you hear it from Disney Channel, various restaurants, and your camp counselor.
          So seriously, there’s no “It’s a joke” anymore. Either you agree with those who think this is stupid and unfair or you agree with those who publicly bully children JUST to get a few more viewers.

    1. Dude. U obviously havnt seen parks and rec and how he resembles Ron Swanson. A man all about meet. This whole article is a joke and its.people like the ones who read this article that think everyone is trying to poke fun at anyone.

  2. You are right, it is not cancer, but that shouldn’t matter. Could you imagine the outrage (rightfully so) if an ad mocked people with diabetes or lupus or any other autoimmune condition?

    Defenders will say that the ad is aimed at those who are giving up gluten as part of a fad. However, there are so many people that are completely unaware of celiac and its seriousness that they don’t understand the differences between fad dieters and Celiacs. That is where the danger comes in as people who don’t analyze the ad and/or don’t know about Celiac are just getting the surface message, not the underlying differentiation.

    1. It isn’t cancer… the hell it isn’t… my husband is dead because of his undiagnosed celiac disease. He took himself off the poison including all inflammatory grains but the damage was done and and I lost him from gastric cancer. ..which btw is a friken monster! This ad makes me sick to my stomach. I am grain free because I know too much…this is not a fad. As my darling 50 year old husband used to say…it’s not a competition…it’s just a different way.

      1. no it is not a fad that 20% of American consumers can be duped into believing anything.There is nothing wrong with Wheat for 99% of the people on the planet.

    2. I have celiacs disease and i think all the gluten free band waggoners and people upset over this ad are just looking to victimize themselves

  3. Thanks for starting that petition – I signed.
    I try to be a brave gal – but some days it’s difficult when I feel sick and so tired.
    Especially when I have those days where I so wish I had been diagnosed decades ago before so much damage was done.
    And it’s hard when friends and family don’t seem to care or understand.
    So having a Gluten Dude speak up for me and others really helps the sad moments.
    Thank you sincerely.

  4. Thank you for drawing attention to this and starting the petition, of course I signed. I agree with everything you’ve said here… For me, one of the biggest issues when the media does this is how the restaurant industry hears it and thinks when we go in and explain about our celiac, then they might disregard it as silly, and then being glutenized happens and we deal with the severe consequences. I just wish we would get the same respect that other autoimmune diseases do.

  5. Thank you thank you thank you … I just cannot say thank you enough. I also can personally take the hits, in fact, my comments about the JB fiasco pretty much said that, and we have to consider the source when comments are made. And that is why I felt this commercial just pushes it too far. The audience will be huge, and what the heck gives these people the right to call people with a freaking disease weak?? We are not weak, in fact we are the very opposite and, like you said, we just want to move on and try to live our best life. Thank you for the petition. I almost did it myself after John posted the commercial, but I needed to know that the community was going to get behind it. Glad you beat me to it. Signed and shared.

  6. Thank you GD! I appreciate all you do for us!
    I signed with the following reason for signing: “I have celiac disease. Not eating gluten is tough but absolutely necessary for my survival. Every day I work hard and make tough choices to make sure I stay healthy. Please don’t make my illness more of a challenge by belittling people who don’t eat gluten.”

  7. First time in my life I’ve ever signed an internet petition, but I did it. Done.

    I hate to get cynical about this, but I wonder if NBC and NASCAR had a bigger plan with this? Is it possible that they purposely planted this video in advance knowing full well that it would generate controversy, just for the added media run, knowing that there would be protests? Then when our protests inevitably unfold as they have, they pull out the already-prepared big act of contrition and promise to run a different ad (or just a slightly altered version of this one), which was the actual one that they had planned to run along but which otherwise wouldn’t have gotten near as much attention had they just proceeded directly with it in the first place?

    It would actually piss me off even MORE than the GF-bashing content of this ad if this was the master plan all along — to be used as pawns in a cheap publicity stunt to maximise the exposure of their message. One that would put us in a more-or-less no-win situation: either ignore it and allow our community to continue being used as a punching bag, or take the bait and give them the added attention they wanted.

    1. Sadly, this may be the case as that was the ploy behind the Go Daddy ad going viral and then getting pulled. See how much attention they got? Let’s hope we can get the ad pulled and at least show that people have as much empathy for people with celiac disease as they do for puppies. Full disclosure: I am a huge dog lover so please don’t think I have anything against puppies!

      1. I was initially a bit conflicted on whether to sign this. I agree with GD in the OP when he mentions not being a big fan of internet petitions. And I was also concerned about possibly playing into NBC’s hands as I stated.

        But it seems a petition from the same site is what got that puppy ad pulled, so it could be effective. And unless NBC owns up to it, there’s really no way to prove whether my theory on their tactics is correct, however plausible it might be. But even if it was, I think we still have to advocate for ourselves as it seems no else will! If we are indeed playing into NBC’s hands, then I guess that has to be the price of advocacy.

        So in the end, I did something I’ve never done in my life and decided to sign it.

  8. Facebook’d, sent a message to my local GF list, and sent to another friend who runs a FB Healthy Eating page. Thanks for getting this going Dude.

  9. “If the founding fathers saw us huddled in our little cocoons, texting each other smiley faces, they’d hang their powdered wigs in shame. When our idea of danger is eating gluten, there’s trouble afoot.”

    Complete and utter nonsense. More like:

    If the founding fathers saw how some people today interfere with the unalienable Rights of those who must live gluten-free to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, they’d be ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED.

  10. Even though I’m based in the UK, I signed because it’s important to us over here too! 🙂

    I’ve been reading your blog quietly for some time now. I’m one of the “3% – 6% non-celiac gluten sensitivity” lot you mention. (I had all the tests done last year after suspecting for a while that gluten was the trigger – the two week mandatory eating of gluten foods made me very very sick, literally.. awful!) The doctor basically said to me, “Right, so good news is that you’re not celiac, but you’re extremely gluten sensitive… Just avoid gluten”. Yep. No advice, no nothing. I went to the surgery nurse a couple months later to try and get advice from her (she’s celiac), but the appointment ended up being a waste of time and making me upset, as she made it perfectly clear that she didn’t think my sensitivity was worth her time, even though I made it very clear to her how serious it was (I get set off by things being cooked in the same oil, a tiny crumb etc. makes me have debilitating stomach aches, brain fog and IBS for several days afterwards). Since then I’ve muddled along on my own, thankfully guided by a lovely celiac friend, and a very supportive husband and family.

    So Gluten Dude, thanks for speaking up for us all – celiac and gluten sensitive – and not putting us tiny percent in the corner. Keep on doing what you’re doing, you’re doing great!

  11. I can not believe that this is being advertised . I feel like this ,the person who created this ad should know better . I bet if they felt the way we Celiac’s feel when we get gluten in our system I bet they would have never ridiculed this. This is a not a funny matter .I am an avid NASCAR fan .and I am really upset with NBC too . I would like to see this removed . All I can say don’t make assumptions until you walk in our shoes .

  12. DNW;TOTS (didn’t watch; tired of it)

    Hey Offerman, eat a power tool.

    The cynic in me is now expecting to receive a few emails from the Celiac Disease Foundation asking for more money. That’s what they did with the Behar ‘opportunity.’

  13. The ad is just plain awful on its own right. I wouldn’t air it for that reason. However, NBC should be ashamed for the misinformation implied about Celiac disease. And just for the record, whoever that actor or driver is in the ad, he is nowhere near as “tough” as my daughter who has Celiac disease. Not even close.

  14. OMG. You clearly have no sense of humor and if you watched Parks and Rec you would understand that Ron Swanson thinks any diet besides steak, bacon, and whiskey is for weak people. Relax.

    1. How, again, is adding to the misinformation and ridicule surrounding gluten and gluten-free diets funny? Making a young child who doesn’t fully understand his/her celiac diagnosis second-guess his diet, and cave to peer pressure (which this fuels) is, in fact, as the TV spot says, one of “the most dangerous thing (that child can) do.” HEY, let’s slip some peanuts into the sandwich of a kid with a severe peanut allergy!!!! THAT will be funny! Good comedy is more universal. Singling out a certain group–only to name-drop a hot term they know will generate a response–is bush league. It’d actually be nice to relax, if we could trust that everyone understood people’s unique health and wellness needs. The more people laugh at the gluten-free lifestyle, the harder it’ll be for anyone trying to live it–and down right dangerous for those people for whom it’s medically necessary.

    2. Relax? That’s really nice. It does not matter what the character on Parks and Rec feels about food. It matters that every single time this kind of careless comment is made about gluten free, people continue not to take this seriously and waitstaff, family, coworkers, friends, etc. everywhere think its a joke which puts our health at serious risk. Based on your comment it is clear you’ve never had to go to bat for your health before or had someone laugh at your illness. People have gone to the ER because of restaurants not taking their request for gluten free food seriously. Please reread what Gluten Dude wrote. You missed all of his points.

    3. 1) Do you have a source on these “facts”. Not that I’m questioning their validity, just encouraging proper sourcing and attribution.

      2) I didn’t find it offensive. The character who makes the statement is known to be a bit of an idiot, so isn’t he actually supporting the cause?

      1. I had absolutely no idea who that guy was, not everyone watches every show that comes out, in fact I’d bet that a large majority of people, especially children, have no clue ‘who’ that actor was portraying.

    4. Ha! My steak, bacon & WHISKY were all free of gluten last night…as were my collard greens & smashed sweet taters.

      “The difference between whiskey and whisky is simple but very important: whisky usually denotes Scotch whisky and Scotch-inspired liquors, and whiskey denotes the Irish an American liquors (except a wee dram of a Tennessee whisky bourbon).

      The word itself (both spellings) is of Celtic origin, and modern whisky/whiskey distillation practices originated in Ireland and Scotland. Using whiskey to refer to Scotch whisky can get you in trouble in Scotland.” Aye.

      I’ll go enjoy some steak, bacon & whiskEy for lunch now just to keep things even, stay out of danger, not offend anyone..and to RELAX.

    5. No, Marie. You need to sit down and relax. And then move away from the television. Don’t come here, telling me it’s alright to mock a disease which has changed my life and my choices by “OMG”ing me and telling me to relax. People like you with your flippant attitude towards others and their sufferings is what’s wrong with this world.

    6. I have a sense of humor, but the kids who will see this, and then bully my daughter and call her “soft” or “part of America’s problem” don’t understand that this is humor, and neither can my young daughter. Even if you don’t find it offensive, as the ad itself really isn’t, think of the bullying kids with the disease will get because of further imprinting negative impressions about gluten-free eating into American’s minds.

      If you don’t sign it for yourself, sign it for all the children so they don’t grow up ashamed and potentially stop following a gluten-free diet just to try to fit in.

  15. Seriously? It’s one line. People seem to think that their righteous indignation takes precedence over free speech and advertising. You don’t like it? Don’t watch it. Don’t patronize NASCAR. Making fun of people who don’t do gluten is aimed at the hipster douches who see it as a trendy diet fad, not the people who have legitimate Celiac disease. Ugh! Why do you think just because something offends you that everyone else shouldn’t be able to enjoy it.

      1. I blogged this, used tags, and instantly was beset by trolls. Clearly they’re running around finding all the posts about this, not reading anything, and posting the same stuff. It’s rather stunning, both to imagine that kind of free time and someone that passionate about gnawing on strangers with health issues because they want to…see an ad aired at the Superbowl?

        1. Jim Burke, do you consider it alright to make fun of anyone who disagrees with what you decide is “funny”? Or is the basis of your argument that it’s alright for you and those like you to have your say and no one else?

    1. KT, there is absolutely nothing within the 30 seconds of the advert that distinguishes between those who cannot eat gluten because of celiac or an intolerance—a medical necessity—and those who choose not to eat gluten for some, as you call it, “trendy diet fad.” The ad lumps all together, all those who are “weak” because they don’t eat gluten. There is no differentiation in the ad. And even if there was, how is it “weak” not to eat gluten whatever the reason? it isn’t. So the ad is neither funny, rational or original in anyway. It just chooses a trendy TOPIC to make a weak joke that doesn’t implicitly or explicitly state that it is aimed at “hipster douches” or “people who have legitimate Celeiac disease.”

      And that is the trouble with all of these stupid pot shots or “jokes.”

    2. Really, KT? That was that entertaining for you? Wow – You’ve set the bar so low that your concept of entertainment is making fun of medically necessary diets. Classy & Compassionate.

    3. KT- Why you mad though, bro? Why are you coming here and patronizing those who really do suffer? Why are you not taking your own advice – You don’t like it, don’t read it! Just because this offends YOU doesn’t mean we can’t speak out against it. You are everything you are complaining about here.

  16. Damn, this is the problem with America. Too many people whining about being offended. So what they made fun of gluten. There are much bigger things to concentrate on than whether or not someone is poking fun at you. Let them poke fun of tourettes and leave all the other cry babies alone, so you don’t hurt their feelings. I say tourettes because I have the disorder, so if I’m offending others with tourettes, suck it up and laugh at yourself. It’s health. If everyone would would stop being such babies, and realize that everyone gets poked fun of for one reason or another, we would all get along better and life would be less stressful and fun.

    1. I laugh at myself all the time. Believe me, it’s warranted. But saying that what’s wrong with America is that we can’t laugh at people with a health issue just speaks volumes to me. What’s wrong with America is that we now use others misfortune as the butt of jokes. Constantly.

      1. No we don’t. We USED to have that freedom. But the waahhboooo whiny butt crybabies have taken that freedom away from us, and classified everything as ‘bullying’.

        1. Dee, shut up, you’re an idiot. (Wow, you’re right, taking off the bullying filter is awesome.) (Ok, that was kind of a joke.)

          But seriously, there’s a big contingent of people on this thread that still think this about humor, or being offended, or being tough, or something like that. It’s none of that. It’s about health, and staying healthy. Making jokes about a Gluten Free diet makes it harder for people to accept it as a real need for someone’s health. And please stop with the “Oh, he’s not making fun of sick people, just gluten free hipsters.” From where I sit, most people, and I mean really good, smart people who care about my family, can’t tell the difference. You’re making fun of the diet, and the subtleties of the practitioners are completely lost on people. If you want to criticize hipsters or celebrities, go to one of those websites. That’s not this site.

          So again, there are two sides of this discussion. People who want to make life easier for people with a disease , and people who don’t.

    2. Jeff

      GD’s points, which were well stated, included combating miseducation and misinformation. NASCAR adding to the wrongful education (by making even a small percentage think gluten is not dangerous) of 100 million people + or – will be irresponsible if only for poor children suffering from this disease. Gluten is dangerous to me, and it’s not funny, because gluten makes me cough up blood…not funny. I don’t want employees in restaurants I trust not taking my disease seriously again and slip a little contamination in my food for fun because they think it’s funny. You don’t get out enough if you don’t think that happens. I’m a lawyer who has represented restaurants for 20 years. It’s not wise to piss off your servers even if the restaurant fires them later. You can sue the waiter but you probably won’t get much and the restaurant is not liable for the waiters’ unforeseeable intentional unreasonable acts.

      I’d like to see NASCAR just use some funny word, not gluten. One of my clients even sponsored a car for a few years. Nothing against NASCAR. Puppies are not dangerous. Neither are watermelons. They could team up with the “mayhem guy” he’s funny and dangerous. Gluten is dangerous, even deadly, for some people including me.

      We’re certainly not against having fun & laughing. Let’s just not laugh at the expense of sick people. Once everyone understands the seriousness of the problem then everyone can “knowingly” laugh at every joke.

      Come join me for a whisky or a whiskey, your choice, & we can fish, eat good food, and laugh plenty but just not at sick people. I’m sure Dude will join us – the Dude can RELAX with the best of us.

      Hap

    3. Jeff, I have a pretty thick skin, but this does bother me. This commercial is equating being gluten-free with being un-American, weak, and a making a choice that would shame our Founding Fathers. For millions being gluten-free is a medical necessity, but it feeds the public perception that it is a choice (and a laughable one). I’m sure they are intending to target the fad dieters, but most of those who don’t need to be gluten-free have already jumped off that train (or will) if they see no health benefit because it is a pain in the ass to maintain. I don’t even think it is “trendy” anymore. How many of us would give anything to eat a real biscuit, a flaky croissant, or even be able to walk into a store without reading every single label ingredient? How many of us would love to walk into a any restaurant without having to quiz about separate fryers or shared equipment? It doesn’t make us weak. It is something that millions of Americans are forced to do, but would certainly not choose if the choice were ours. Of all the “dangers” out there that NASCAR could have poked fun at, why choose one that is a true health danger for millions AND feed into the public perception that it is a life-style choice?

      1. Oh Miss Dee

        Amen & again I say Amen!!!

        A real hot flaky biscuit, what wouldn’t I give… the more I “Miss Dee Meanor” I get!!!

    4. Jeff, you mean to say that you’re offended that people are offended? And in response, you’re going to be offensive because you suffer. No one is being a ‘baby’ here. People are speaking up in regards to a topic which means something to them. And no one is forcing anyone who doesn’t care to come here and read and leave a comment OR support the cause.

  17. I saw this ad last night. I was not expecting to hear this and literally choked on my gluten free pizza. The ad seemed kind of funny at first, but as soon as he said “gluten free people are soft” I had to turn the TV off. I’m so sick of hearing this, we all are. It is so old and it is beyond time that Celiac disease was taken seriously. GD, you are definitely doing the right thing by speaking up. And we cannot stop speaking up either. Don’t stop saying what needs to be said and calling these people out.

    1. Thanks for the link. I wrote to voice my concern about the gluten issue. I also added that I thought the commercial itself was just an awful piece of work from a production standpoint.

  18. Congrats from Nova Scotia, Canada. When our local radio station changed hands they came up with a bunch of “one-liners” to promote the new management. They were supposed to be funny. One of them used the trend of “gluten-free” in their copy. It just ticked me off. So I wrote a strongly-worded, rather dramatic and irate letter, detailing my concerns and what I thought of them and their responsibilities to their community. I don’t know if the programming manager ever got the letter since he did not reply to me but I have not heard the ad since. I’d like to think I had an influence and perhaps did some local education, but who knows. My city and media market is small and certainly not the Super Bowl but we have as much right to voice our opinions as they do so keep talking GlutenDude – I love your website and follow you on FB and I think you’re great! I am constantly surprised and disheartened at the difficulties you and your followers encounter. I have had Celiac Disease for 22 years, my daughter has it and coincidentally my husband has it as well and our experiences are very different. However, there is strength in numbers and this forum is a place of wonderful support, top-notch education and humour – which everyone needs.

  19. For the first timte EVER, I contributed $10 to promote a change.org petition.

    Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention – I have shared the ever loving CRAP out of it on Facebook and I’ve emailed it to a ton of people as well. I really hope you/we can get this ad PULLED.

    Thanks GlutenDude.

  20. I find the level of ignorance about Celiac Disease in the US mind boggling. With a concerted community push back, awareness will change, good on you GD for taking the stand and encouraging others around you to do the same. I am based in Europe but I will be supporting the campaign to have the ad removed, ignorance affects us all. Rob

  21. I signed the petition for my Celiac self and my Celiac 7-year old son. Is this a little bit over reacting? Yes, I think that when you are familiar with the Ron Swanson character played by Nick Offerman, this statement is consistent with that act. However, if the Celiac community ignores this and/or doesn’t protest this, when will it stop?

  22. Thank you for continuing this fight and for creating the petition. I signed it in support of my 9 year old son and included this comment: “My 9 year old son suffers from gluten intolerance and it doesn’t make him “soft” or weak. He already is different from the other kids at school because of his allergy…it would be awful for him to see something this ignorant and insensitive ad and feel even worse about himself. Shame on Nascar and NBC.”

  23. Betsy in Michigan

    Singed at shared. No one should assume that the audience knows that the actor plays a specific character. I don’t watch network TV or read People magazine (except when stuck at a doctor’s office), so the reference alludes me. I can’t be the only one. Kids especially may not know the background, and they’re partly who we need to reach to prevent bullying.

  24. Let’s think about the audience here that they’re trying to reach. Call me ignorant for calling NASCAR fans ignorant but I’d assume (I say “assume” making me ignorant to knowledge of NASCAR fans, I get that) that these folks don’t give a shit about much else besides car racing and they’ll laugh but they won’t even comprehend or care about it 3 seconds after seeing it. And those who aren’t in to car racing don’t give a shit about a NASCAR ad. So let’s all just take deep breaths here. This ad isn’t going to hurt overall Celiac disease perception. I have Celiac and I just feel like it’s not that big of a deal because of the audience they’re going for. It’s teasing and all good ads are doing what they’re doing here, riling you up. So kudos to this advertising team who convinced their client to push the envelope and make people react. They clearly succeeded. Simmmmmmahhhhh.

    1. Bea, I totally get what you’re saying about when you make a big deal of something it tends to reach a larger audience than what has been targeted. I also agree that if this were played during a televised NASCAR race it would probably only be seen by NASCAR fans. (…and mostly they aren’t the uneducated rednecks that is the common stereotype). However, this is the Super Bowl. I only watch it FOR the commercials and could care less about the football. If I don’t watch it, then I watch all the commercials later. They are replayed year after year (just search Super Bowl commercials on YouTube). It will reach an enormous audience whether or not they are fans of NASCAR or fans of football. I think people do have a better awareness of Celiac. I sincerely hope you are correct and this just becomes something that is forgotten in 3 second. I, like many, will be sitting at a party with my gluten-free food. Can we say “awkward moment” when this commercial airs? 🙂

    2. My fiancee is a HUGE Nascar fan… watches all the races. I showed him the ad… He was livid… got it in 2 seconds. He says it is an NBC ad for the Nascar Race. He has become irate with a lot of peoples attitudes about this being a non issue etc… he kissed me once after eating gluten and i got sick for over a week. He still eats gluten occasionally but never forgets to protect me…. not all Nascar fans are ignorant….. not even most… in every group there are some who are … look at the Celiac group… we have members who think it is okay to go to a restaurant and have the big fat yeast roll just this once because it is so irresistible… or members who think we should just get over it and be okay with other people making our already difficult lives more difficult in the name of so called fun. My point is that there are no absolutes in any group…. I found the ad to be offensive somewhat… I found the ad to be truly a danger to all of us. The ad needs to be addressed on both counts. I am not soft. not now… not ever… and i would not want any child to see this ad and feel judged by it. The concept of that makes me furious. And again… to go into a restaurant after this ad airs just puts all of our lives in danger from the servers, the cooks and the chefs…. again… so we are attacked emotionally and physically by the playing of this ad… I know that sounds strongly put but it is just simply the truth of it. It is an attack when our children and the vulnerable among us are emotionally harmed by this claptrap and it is a physical attack when we are served something purported to be gluten free but that has a hidden gluten because someone who is supposed to be making sure it has no gluten in it makes sure it does instead… for fun… Thank you Gluten Dude for advocating for us. I appreciate it every day. I have a daughter and a grandson who are Celiac as am I. Thank you for caring enough about all people to take time to do the hard job…

    3. so according to your twisted logic, I should laugh and joke the next time I accidentally ingest gluten, push that envelope wtsds

  25. Oh geez. This is a perfect example of someone getting angry over something that’s not really worth it. They aren’t making fun of gluten, or people who don’t eat it. They are saying that we are soft because eating gluten is the biggest worry some of us have, when there’s much bigger problems out there. At least that’s what I took away from the ad. I know several people with celiacs and I understand what a hardship it is and the problems it can cause long term.

    1. But people will hear the wrong message no matter what the intention is. And as someone else said on this blog…for someone with Celiac it is a very important issue. It is about being healthy and living a long life.

  26. Grr, I’m so tired of this, just like you. But we have to look out for the others, those who don’t have the voices. Both my kids have Celiac, most of the kids at their school are great, most simply don’t care that they eat differently, but there are a few who shout things like “EW GROSS” and “That’s not bread!” etc at them; these kinds of ‘ads’ ‘jokes’ whatever you want to call them make those few kids feel justified; and possibly may get some of the others to ‘go along’ with the few. It hurts, it hurts my heart, it hurts my kids, and it hurts our whole community.
    Restaurants that I used to be able to go to, explain what I needed, and be safe eating at, are no longer safe, they don’t want to hear what is needed, and just pretend they know and will be careful.
    Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and thank you for creating the petition, I pray it gets through and creates a whole ripple of thinking and stopping more of this in the future.

  27. blah, blah, blah, I get it and like you said it does not pertain to me, I quit ready half way through, BUT raising my voice I totally Agree with you!!!! 🙂 my niece has the disease and I would love you to use your voice! You know what you are talking about! and I agree the add is Not ok!

  28. Thanks for being the voice out front “leading us into battle”. I have only been a member of this community for two months after living in the dark for far too long. Working my way through your archives has given me great insight on how to be strong in this new journey. I share your posts and rants and sing your praises to all those around me. Your words have done wonders getting them to understand what I’m going through. No words can express how appreciative I am of having this community that helps you feel that you are not alone.

  29. When a TV character (ie. it’s writers) suggests that people are becoming soft and need a gut check because their idea of danger is eating gluten, it begs a made-for-TV like question. Which is more dangerous: gluten ingestion for those with celiac, or, a NASCAR race for a driver? Or…do NASCAR drivers, like celiacs do, actually have to have their guts checked regularly due to the inherent dangers of NASCAR racing?

    At least one of them probably does. Patrick Staropoli is both a med student and a up & coming NASCAR driver, who happens to have celiac disease and has been active in promoting awareness. Does insensitive ad-type on a grand stage like this undo what others have done? Not directly I suppose, as people don’t tend to become uneducated. But why must there be someone somewhere that receives negative awareness (so to speak), while someone else gets the right message? It’s a (tug of) war, and NBC seems like one of the opposition’s strongest anchors.

  30. OK I don’t want to be a pain…I know this video is meant to be a joke but my problem with gluten is not a joke.. I was severely underweight not able to put on weight .. I was eating 3000 calories a day dizzy and ill all the time…it was really scary. when I was diagnosed celiac it took me 6 years to get to a healthy weight and be strong so you cant say gluten free makes people weak. please adjust your commercial. If you haven’t been through this disorder which ruin your life at first you cant make a joke of it. I have been gluten free 11 years now so I can laugh but not over a commercial that is so widespread. I want celiac to be understood and you are not helping. sorry for being harsh but this is really important to me and other gluten free celiacs out there. I almost died why make a joke about this?

  31. Thanks GD for all you do. I signed the petition. I would like people like Joy Behar and all those that make fun of us to have my symptoms of this disease for just a few days. Then tell me I am “soft.” I have more pain tolerance than most b/c of what I have endured for years. (having undiagnosed celiac.)

  32. You are a true idiot. This commercial is not poking fun at people with celiac disease and those who literally cannot eat gluten. Its poking fun at all those idiots who have jumped on the gluten free craze for absolutely no reason other than its what is the popular diet craze right now. If you can’t interpret that, you have no business voicing your opinion anywhere because you are among the dumbest people alive. Right up there with the gluten free idiots who have no reason to be. I’m sorry you have celiac. That sucks. Big time. But last I checked, celiac doesn’t make you stupid. So you thinking this commercial is poking fun at you… Well that’s just all on you.

    1. Thanks tons for the constructive feedback Bryce. I’m not sorry I have celiac. Not looking for sympathy or pity. But the general population does not discern between the fad dieters and the millions who NEED to be gluten free. And if you read my post, that is exactly what I stated.

    2. Bryce. I disagree with your observation (and your lack of civility). That actor from parks and recs says “when our idea of danger is eating gluten” it will be interpreted by many as “eating gluten is not dangerous”. That’s the reality of airing this ad at the Super Bowl. That’s misinformation. That’s like yelling “fire” in a crowded movie theater and endangering innocent people that you don’t even know. I could go into more specifics of this analogy, but I think all of that has been said in the rest of the comments.

    3. Myopia much? I get it there is a giant bandwagon full of non celiac or gluten intolerant people out there making a bunch of irritating noise. But due to jokes by Jimmy Kimmel and others people with gluten related illness are not being taken seriously, so a stand must be taken. I am like dude not sorry I also have celiac disease, I also try to be reasonable about my life and interacting with other people, but will not sacrifice my health by eating foods that harm me. I feel sorry for people who have lives so empty they have to bash and troll people to have their 30 seconds of Internet fame by posting meaness. I hope you are not really one of those types, but someone wanting understanding to clear any confusion.

      Namaste,

      Silmeria

    4. Explain this to all the Celiacs who try to eat safely in this world and people do not take them seriously because of all the jokes about eating gluten-free. Yes, the hypocrites and fad dieters hurt our message but MOST people are not educated enough on the subject of gluten and its devastating effects on some people to know the difference between a shot at the fad dieters or at all people who avoid gluten. Many will only hear the message that gluten is just something to make fun of.

  33. Dang – we can’t even be kind to each other so why should we expect understanding from Nascar? Sad.
    Anyway, the thing is – the celiac community may know that the commercial is really just poking fun at the gluten-free fad, but those who aren’t knowledgeable about celiac disease certainly don’t know the difference between “gluten can kill celiac patients” but not celebrities who think gluten-free is cool and trendy. And that non-awareness just puts us at further risk in so many ways. I think this commercial is such a major venue, that it is obligatory that we speak up for truth. If not us, who?

  34. Just to be clear – Gluten Dude is (almost) always KIND to those folks who post the most idiotic and stupid things….we could probably all take lessons from him in that…

  35. Dear Gluten Dude,

    Thank you for the petition, which I signed and forwarded on FaceBook. Wow, I did not expect the sh^+storm that followed. So far today I’ve been told I need to develop a thicker skin and “that it is interesting that an English teacher would support censorship.” Although I responded with, “freedom of speech requires us to use it responsibly. Making fun of people with a disease is not responsible. I see it as being cold and heartless. What if the spot made fun of people with breast cancer, HIV, or any other disease? It’s not right, plain and simple,” currently I am being made out to be as un-American as Stalin or Hitler. I don’t have a thick skin and never will.

    Debbie Ann

  36. Thank you for bringing this out to the open and creating the petition. Dude your countless hours you put in on your site has been a great help for me. I did indeed sign the petition as I can not stand yet another har har gluten joke that enables ignorance and bullying. Outside of signing the petition I vow to not watch nbc programming.

  37. Hahaha what a great ad. Celiac Disease is a total joke and should be mocked. Sure it exists, sure it’s bad, but give me a break. This is a joke. Get over it. I mean a disease where you just have to eat healthy? Oh you poor thing. I’m lactose intolerant should I cry when they show a dairy commercial?

    Grow a pair and quit being so sensitive.

    1. The point is that a Celiac person has to eat defensively including trusting strangers to do the right thing. And by trusting, I mean it in the Reagan sense, “trust but verify”.

    2. Wow, the level of intolerance should stagger me yet I am not surprised. Look we get, you get it that there is a large bandwagon of people eating gluten free, and are quite annoying about it. But why do you care, do you work for some wheat farm are you a stock holder in that sort a thing, because there is no good reason for anyone to be trolling over this at all. The problem since it needs spelled out , even though Gluten Dude spelled it out crystal clear is there is a lot of comedians and actors out there who are blasting all gluten free eating just like the other day on “Morning Joe”, where that lady stated that it was baloney. I have Celiac disease and I will not ever apologize for having to eat and order food differently. I am never taken seriously by waitstaff so I eat at home, due to these morons who do not take it serious because they was joking about it on Jimmy Kimmel or who ever’s D list show of the night. Just because a restaurant states they have a gluten free menu doesn’t mean it really is because you get staff cooking who does not care and cross contaminates the living crap out of things. Enough on that, the issue goes deeper then that today they are bashing on Gluten free, but what would it be next year? We are told be tolerant of everyone, oh… wait as long as you are not ill or disabled. I would no more tolerate this Nascar ad on gluten anymore than I would them bash on children born with Down Syndrome or any other issue. I find it sad to watch the cruelty extolled by others. All I can say is Myopia much?

    3. Grow a soul Joshua – this might help you give a shit about others. I dare you to go into a hospital and make fun of a sick child with Celiac Disease.

    1. He’s not soft, and neither is my 2-year-old daughter with Celiac. I can’t explain to her why people roll their eyes or think she’s “soft” or un-American just because she has to be gluten free for life. And I can’t explain to the millions of people who are going to watch this ad why they shouldn’t judge me or my daughter. Sure, there is a bit of humor in the line… but there is a lot more residual hurt and bullying that will come out of it.

  38. I understand that diseases affect a lot of people, in many different ways, but this is a joke. And should be taken only, as a joke. So why be so sensitive about the whole matter? It’s absurd to take something that was intended to be comical and turn it into a mini war. Live and let live.

    1. Explain why this is funny Taylor – in detail. Please explain to a child who is bullied for this disease – why this is funny.

  39. Let me explain this to everyone, but there is no time, so let me sum up. You are either on the side that wants to make life easier for kids with a disease, or you are on the other side.

    Who has a thin or thick skin, what celebrity is eating or not eating what, who has a sense of humor, who needs to grow a pair or grow a brain, none of that matters. You either want things to get better for sick kids, or you don’t. Pretty easy decision.

    1. Succinct Chris!

      I don’t know what “pair” to which Bill refers since he wasn’t specific; however, I wish I could grow a new pair of teeth to replace the one lost to gluten (the dentist is close to replacing them at $3,000 per…growing ’em seems less expensive and less painful). I also wish I could grow a new pair of eyes to replace these I’m still having to use…they’re better than the blindness last year but I would grow two new ones if I could so I could see a bit better. I could go on….

      Gluten has beat me up pretty bad and I’m missing some parts but I’m still standing. I’m sure not soft or weak or I’d have died 2 years ago. These trolls are completely missing the educational purposes to which we refer most likely because they are, shall we be polite and say, uneducated.

      Sure was an interesting day…

  40. If the founding fathers were alive today, they would be way too busy doing something worthwhile to sit around watching a “sport” as dumb as nascar

  41. Thank you SO much for this article. I’ve share it on my Facebook and have gotten a bunch of friends and family rallying behind this petition. This is what I shared on my facebook wall:

    —-

    Ok first – I love Nick Offerman and I’m not into NASCAR, and for what Nick represents in Hollywood I know that this whole thing is supposed to be one big joke.

    But the thing is, I have gotten my share of shit for being gluten-free over the past 6 years (no pun intended – ha ). I let it slide when people poke fun of celiac disease or a wheat allergy to my face even though I know it affects millions of people in this country. I’ve learned that people can be mean and insensitive to health issues that they don’t understand and that’s ok because it’s mostly based in ignorance. I get it. But a super bowl ad poking fun at a health issue that is REAL for some people? I have never seen a commercial poking fun at AIDS or cancer or Alzheimer’s or MS or Lupus or Arthritis like they are some fluffy imaginary diseases. Celiac is literally an autoimmune disease. What’s up with the insensitivity to a real health issue?

    And look, I also deal with people daily who I don’t think are Celiac at my restaurant, but claim the gluten free card. I know there are “fakers” out there. But who am I to judge someone’s personal health choices? If you are trying out a new health regime, good for you. I’m not going to judge you for it. I was terrified to hear once that a fellow server of mine wouldn’t remove certain gluten ingredients if asked by the customer because he was convinced that being gluten free was bullshit. I spoke to him about how dangerous that can be – especially for someone with celiac disease – and I hope it gave him some perspective on it. Days and sometimes weeks of health issues arise after consuming gluten.

    And I understand that it’s a topic that’s easy to laugh at – I personally thought the South Park episode was hilarious. But it’s South Park. And they know how to make fun of things. But a commercial like this – that will be shown to millions – reinforces the idea that avoiding gluten is some silly choice and people who are gluten-free are “soft” (when they are probably stronger than you know after dealing with an autoimmune disease and all.)

    I know that the godaddy puppy commercial was pulled because people were like “OMG poor puppies” – and dude I love puppies so much and it’s great that people who love puppies rallied to get rid of said puppy commercial. But… there are PEOPLE who have a DISEASE who want this commercial gone.

    I’m just picturing some nine year old kid with celiac right now who is dealing with feeling out of place for having a food allergy or disease at school, and then sees this commercial making fun of him. Sure, you could tell that kid to “toughen up” and not be so sensitive and “soft” – but would you say that to him when he’s lying in his hospital bed, malnourished and dehydrated – hooked up to an IV?

    Anyway, I like what this guy says in his article. He includes health information about the disease as well so it’s not just a rant like this. 🙂

    Thank you again for starting this petition. I hope it continues to get traction!

  42. I just signed the petition. Thank you for all your efforts. It is deeply appreciated by all of us with Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance.

    1. Eric, perhaps you’d care to disclose your full medical file online and let the world have a go at judging you?

      No? Then STFU.

  43. Thanks for addressing this. I signed the petition. It’s so frustrating to have been ignored and misdiagnosed for my whole life, only to finally find out at age 57 what the problem is (celiac disease) and have to change my entire diet. It’s HARD to stop eating gluten even when you really want to, not soft or easy. I thought our society was rising above this kind of ridicule, but apparently people must have someone at whom to direct their derision. I’d love to see a NASCAR driver trying to compete while having the symptoms of untreated celiac disease.

  44. Please do not give up the fight! We appreciate you. You give us a way to come together and try to be heard. And yes, I did sign your (our) petition. Thanks Gluten Dude for bringing it to my attention.

  45. Thank you for standing up for Celiacs. My 8 year old is already feeling the pressure of being different. It is SO hard for her. She can’t have the cake/cupcakes at school when kids have birthdays and has to have her own special snack brought in for all the parties. It make me sad to see her feel left out. She already feels inferior without some guy making fun of her on TV. If it still airs we will have the TV off by the end of the game.

    1. wow – that national review article has me in tears – but then I’m having a bad week.
      A guess I’m just a soft celiac (who needs to grow two of something) who does have a cold on top of a slight glutening while desperately trying to conquer malnutrition over the last year (you know, that condition that celebs get passionate about with the kids in Africa who are dying from it, they just don’t care about celiacs ) tends to do that I guess. But geez NR lady, I’m really trying not to die from this dang “food allergy” (can’t they even get informed before opening their mouth?) you think is so unimportant.

    1. Cromulent, my daughter was diagnosed when she was 9. Lots of other kids are diagnosed even younger, which might be a little young for big boy pants. They just want to be normal kids, and this ad makes it harder. You’re either on the side that wants to make it easier for kids with a disease, or you’re on the other side.

      1. I’m on the side that likes fun commercials. I’m on the side that realizes this is a joke and that NASCAR intends it that way. I’m on the side that teaches my 12-yo not to look for offense in everything someone says.

        I’m going to wager that watching that commercial live will not trigger a single symptom in your child or you.

        1. Cromulent

          Please look a little farther over the horizon because you’re almost here with us.

          Try to understand from our comments that we enjoy fun commercials and jokes too. However, what we are trying to get NASCAR (and you now) to understand is that many uninformed people (think % of 100 million) do not appreciate the distinction with a difference we are expressing.

          Watching the commercial will not cause a symptom in Chris’ daughter; however, the ACTIONS of those %s of 100 million people who are mean, ignorant, and/or simply less informed etc etc will most certainly cause symptoms in Chris’ daughter and the many other sick human beings like her.

          We are simply trying to educate others that there are other ways to be funny without endangering the lives of fellow humans by making light of topics that can kill. It wouldn’t hurt Advertisers and comedians to try a little harder for more intelligent humor and not be so lazy.

          Cromulent, if you would not worry as much about how offended you think we are (when we’re really not offended) then you may could muster up a little more compassion for those of us who are not as healthy as the rest of us.

          Keep walking and looking and you’ll be able to see us and then join us over here on the funny and more compassionate side of the horizon.

  46. Fact: Celiac disease affects over 3 million Americans, making it the most common autoimmune disease in the world.

    Fact: 83% of those celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

    So only half a million people (17% of 3 million) actually have celiac disease and know it?

    1. Thanks to the efforts of many advocates like our very own Gluten Dude that number of informed patients is ever increasing as a result of the education of the general public and medical professionals everywhere!

      I’m very grateful that I am now one of the informed healthier ones instead of the still sick and/or uninformed deceased. Just wish there was more awareness and appreciation of the dangers of gluten for some years earlier.

  47. Thank you for posting this. I signed and also added a note. Ads shown during the Super Bowl are like no other. This is a big deal. It’s incredibly depressing that NBC thought mocking gluten-free was the best thing they could do for the biggest audience of the year. The people like that woman at the National Review just don’t get it. Most people don’t make a distinction between celiac and what’s trendy. This includes the people responsible for our safety when we eat out… among many other bad situations. They think that celiac itself is the trendy made-up thing. Every time something like this runs, it just reinforces this horrible perception and makes our lives more difficult.

  48. I was showing my Mom some videos on Youtube earlier today and every video started with this commercial, the whole 3ish minutes, of course you can’t skip the ad till after the gluten comment.

  49. Thank you THANK you – a thousand times!! Petition signed… and a couple of comments left on the damn Youtube video, too (Funny enough, after I left one, I read the rest of your post and it was almost verbatim to your statement about being sick of being the butt of SO MANY jokes, and that as an adult I can handle it, but there are so many kids who don’t need to have insult added to the injury. Great minds! 🙂
    I am SO EXHAUSTED with the BS we are slung, and I am so glad I found your blog. Makes me feel like I’m not just shouting into the vasty darkness.
    Did I mention, “Thank you”?

  50. It is not a joke to those of us who have it and it is hard to follow but I am better for it. It is not a diet for people who want to lose weight. It is just their ignorance of what they do not understand and it is a matter of life and health to celiacs and gluten intolerant people. We are not soft because it takes tough people to stick to this and I just got thru reading “Wheat Belly” and people who keep eating wheat will ruin their health. If they air this it is putting a certain group in a negative light but that seems thats all people know how to do anymore is make fun of people.

  51. So my wife suffers from celiacs. I get that this ad hits way too close to home for her. I have seen her struggle on a day to day basis with her disease. I was there for her when she was diagnosed, and I have held her when she is reduced to tears because of her condition. I have tried to adjust my habits to meet her needs. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fall flat on my face.

    Since I don’t suffer from this disease, I cannot ever fully share in my wife’s struggles. But, through my wife, I feel I have become more knowledgeable about the day to day challanges of celiacas sufferers, than your average American.

    With this experiance I have to believe that this ad may not have been intentionally targeted to individuals with a medical condition. Instead, this ad was intended to mock the “trendy gluten free” crowd. Does the add distinguish between the two groups? No. Is the ad in bad taste? Yes. Is it insensitive? Yes. Was it put together with malice?No.
    Furthermore, while an American who lives with the challanges of celiacas disease can tell the difference, I’m not sure those less informed or educated (the average American) can tell the differernce. And that is what makes America weak. It’s not that some of us can eat what we want, and others can’t. It’s that some of us choose not to put in the effort to tell the difference.

    If the founding fathers were here, I would ask them how to apologize to my wife for not being 100% behind her when she showed me this. Maybe I’m not as smart as I think I am.

    1. I did get that impression with fad diet in the commercial, I would be lost without my husband who does not suffer from it, daughter and I do however and while they are good cooks I lack skill there. I will ask hubby what he thinks of the commercial and thank him

    2. Aaron

      Very well analyzed and stated.

      You may be smarter than you think you are, which is a rare, highly admirable quality these days.

      My non-celiac wife is as supportive of me as you are of your wife and I expect your wife loves you for it as much as I love mine.

  52. I’ve shared on my social media channels and have signed. My husband and boys will also be signing.

    Thank you for starting the petition. Perhaps it was done to make fun of the GF fad crowd. Even so, that is making fun of a group.

    I am so tired of educating people on gluten free for life (due to medical reasons) and those that just give it up for a fad. My husband has been GF since 2001. It is amazing that some people still ask him when he will go back on the gluten. Are you kidding? There is no way he would eat gluten again – at least willingly. The few times he has been glutened accidentally was horrible. Eat gluten just to eat it? He says, “No, thanks!”

    I hope they pull the ad and realize that making fun of gluten (no matter the true intent of the ad) is not a way to go…

  53. Let me drop a clue bomb on you people. They’re not making fun of people with an actual disease, they’re making fun of the people who have suddenly decided that ‘gluten free’ is somehow healthier for people with no digestive problems whatsoever.

    I feel pity for people who live their lives constantly on alert for the next grievance.

    1. Buddy

      Let me “drop a clue bomb” on you & your people…

      Read Aaron’s comment above and see if you can figure out what he figured out on his own.

      As we’ve said here in black & white, we’re concerned about educating the general public, obviously you included, for the benefit of those children with this disease who cannot protect themselves.

      It is absolutely insane to me that trolls like you come on this site and feign fake “pity for people looking for the next grievance” when you are obviously the exact person looking for the next grievance.

      Gluten Dude is simply a great advocate for education of the less informed, you included. I as well as everyone else here is very Thankful that Gluten Dude freely offers his time and energy to do so. Buddy, why don’t you study what Gluten Dude has accomplished and try to be more like him and this broken world would be a better place.

    2. I feel pity for anyone like yourself, who feels the need to come onto someone else’s webpage, someone who is actually trying to do something good for those who suffer, and you feel the need to be derogatory. It doesn’t matter WHY Nascar made the commercial, it matters that in this day and age, people are still being made fun of. Even if someone (for whatever asinine reason) decides to be GF, that it their choice and it shouldn’t be mocked. Perhaps if we stopped mocking people for comedic effect, the world would be a better place. Let me drop a clue bomb on you, sugarlips, take your angry tirade towards gluten eleswhere.

      1. Every fad diet should be mocked, because it’s started by someone who runs with a hackjob non-scientific premise and makes it go viral for their own profit. Fad diets no better on the totem pole than anti-vaxxers.

        1. Are you upset that the redneck game called NASCAR (NASCAR is not a sport all they do is drive in a circle. )is receiving a backlash for their poor choice in humor? Or did you have to wait for your food a little longer in a restaurant because of a safe serving protocol for gluten free. You do understand a pendulum swings two ways right? So do not judge me on my illness and I will not judge you for ignorant remarks born of plain stupidity(clearly is not a case of ignorance for you). Eating gluten free is not junk science for those who’s bodies can not stand it. Bullying is real and it is attitudes like yours that teaches kids it’s ok to bully others, and I do not stand for that. Get over it, celiac disease is real and it is not trendy to deal with trust me. Stop acting so ‘murrican and act like an informed good hearted American.

  54. Gluten Dude, thanks for bringing this to national attention. I love that you highlight that this isn’t about you- that this is about those who are made to marginalized- it’s about sticking up for them.
    My husband is my biggest Celiac supporter. Your article and petition are being discussed on National Review, and my husband is a frequent commenter there. He’s always level headed, never swears, and tries to be the voice of reason. In the process of sticking up for those with Celiac Disease, other commenters actually got his account SHUT DOWN. He was able to get it reinstated, with an apology from those that actually run the site.
    This astounds me. Those who hate and are ignorant are always trying to silence the voice of truth.
    And it reinforces the fact that my husband is my hero.
    Hope Mrs. Gluten Dude is feeling better. Prayer for her and your family. 🙂

  55. Your issues aren’t soft. It is the same way with others living with the disease daily.

    When I saw the ad, I laughed. Not at you (a general all of those who deal with this), but at every other mom at the yoga studio who is going gluten free because she thinks she can lose weight or it’s the new thing this month. (<—they exist and make me roll my eyes.)

    Let it run and jump on it! Jump on how it is not a trend after it airs. It isn't just another wife trying to torture her husband because his middle is thickening and she does 100 sit ups a day. It's not a trend. Focus on using it to educate and bring attention to it. Laugh at the people that think it is a trend and say we see the misinformation this wave of "new way to think about the food pyramid" has brought. Let me educate you on what it really is.

    Ex. My Goddaughter has ADHD. When teachers/neighbors/etc. are told they say, "but she's so quiet". I just give a laugh and respond with "I can see why you think that, but ADHD is not an active little boys disorder of the mouth. It is a neurobiological disease that presents differently in a lot of children, but results in a struggle that is also different with each unique child. I'm happy to sit down with you to fill you in so you can help us break the stereotype."
    I have no intention of doing that, nor do I think they will either. The point is, getting mad about it doesn't spread the real message that there are people with different issues all over that don't fit into the box we try to place them in. Use this. Jump on it!

  56. Maybe if they wanted to talk about our societies “softness” they could have chosen to make fun of Viagra. Oh wait, they are a sponsor for Nascar! Thank you for your effort. It is appreciated.

  57. If you were really strong, this stupid thing wouldn’t bother you. Get over it and move on. This entire blog entry is exactly the point being made about Americans getting soft. “Oh, you hurt my feelings!” So what. Turn the channel, turn off the TV. You do NOT have a right to not be offended. If everyone had a right to not be offended we would have to shut down the internet and never watch TV or listen to radio ever again.

    Besides, anyone with even half a brain understands that the commercial is aimed at people who are “gluten free” because it’s a fad, not because they have a problem with eating gluten. Get over yourself.

    1. Bill

      You should probably turn off and step away from YOUR internet device because your lack of reading comprehension and inferior IQ is really starting to show.

      If I stood in your shoes, which thankfully I don’t, I would follow your own advice, elect not to be offended by our comments here, never come back to this blog as a troll and get over yourself.

      That’s just my personal opinion after reading your immature comments, which of course I respect your right to express your opinions and by which I am personally not offended but rather amused as to why you would waste your time to come berate people with whom you obviously disagree.

      Happy Friday.

      Hap

      1. Appreciate the support Hap. You done good. I’d say let the haters hate. No need to respond to each one as a closed view point will never see the other side.

        1. Thanks Dude for all you do!

          I’ll put my spiked collar and Internet chain back on and head out to my tee time now. My buddies won’t stop calling me. I think they enjoy driving past me, which they rarely did before the cancer, and watching me trying not to fall down during my swing now.

          It was fun responding to the haters for awhile I was waiting for a little warmer temp.

          Hope you and the family have a great weekend.

          Hap

    2. So, Bill – you’re all offended because people are offended? So, you’re going to be offensive? You should “get over yourself”. Maybe eat some fiber. Anyone with “half a brain”, would know it’s best to be regular! Sorry your feelings are hurt by people standing up for themselves, Billy boy!

  58. Seriously, you start a petition to shut down people that you don’t agree with, while at the same time whining about about people that don’t take you seriously? Here is a novel idea… change. the. channel. Another option would be to hit mute…or how about record it, go to the kitchen and get a gluten free whatever you choose then eat it while watching the commercial. For you to be so arrogant and thin skinned that you think it is okay to tell anybody and everybody else what THEY can produce, pay for, or watch because you got a case of the butthurts?

    Here’s a question: What would you do if someone started a petition to shut YOU up? What would you feel like if pro-gluten people worldwide got together and started a petition to shut YOU down and make you remove your blog because you hurt the glutenites feelings? What would it feel like if their petition shut you down, and then read had to read about how they proud they were for silencing you?

    You want to educate? Good for you. You want to teach others? Outstanding. You want to censor others because you got your feels hurt? Now I don’t listen to you anymore, you don’t have the right to do that.

    BTW, I wrote all that in my “quiet voice” so I wouldn’t hurt your feelings.

    1. Bohica

      Your anger is created solely by your lack of reading comprehension which is a disturbing indictment on either whatever educational system attempted to educate you or your own lack of diligence.

      We are not complaining about hurt feelings. If only my feelings were hurt by gluten I would never have needed to or have found this life saving blog. Gluten damages, hurts and KILLS people. Mostly what we’re saying is the advertiser should choose a different less lazy word that doesn’t kill people. We don’t want NBC or NASCAR censored but only to intelligently use a more responsible word than “gluten” in this ad.

      Think clearly Bohica and then you won’t have to worry about using your quiet voice or hurting our feelings which are neither the issue nor actually being hurt by this ad.

      Even as a gentlemen, I laughed out loud after reading Christy’s Viagra comment above, which would have been hilarious; however very costly to NBC as an collector of advertising dollars. That’s why NBC and NASCAR pick on the anonymous gluten people, including defenseless children, with no regard to who and how much they are hurt by this ad. Now the advertisers may be the appropriate bunch of soft lazy cowards. Bohica, if you want to express your misplaced righteous indignation, at least shoot at the correct target.

      Hap

      PS Dude, I’ll stop now. I’ve said enough and my NASCAR is here to pick me up for my next appointment. Cheers y’all.

      1. Hap:

        How very pretentious of you to assume my lack of education. You are incorrect however, but it is not really important to the conversation. I seem to have struck a nerve and you somehow need to make yourself look and feel superior which only reinforces by theory of your butthurt. Your petty attempts at insults failed I’m afraid. So sorry. I am also not angry. Nothing I wrote above was angry. You would like me even less if I were to write an angry response. I am quite good at angry, however this is not an occasion that would bring me to angry. As to your next accusation, I do not have comprehension issues, either.

        Phrases like “You’d think I’d get used to these things, but each time hits me to the core.” and “I’ve been advocating for over three years now and instead of the jokes at our expense getting better, they’re actually getting worse.” and let’s not forget “The PROBLEM, as I see it, is the utter and complete lack of empathy so many in our society feel.” are perceived by many readers as “the mean gluten people are insensitive and making fun of us again.” You can also read that as “Butthurt”…

        The short version of this is you desire to stop an entity from showing something they spent their time and money making. A commercial, that because a small minority of people find it offensive, must be stopped. Make NO mistake, that is what this is all about, you and yours are offended by that commercial, your feelings are hurt, and you are attempting to dictate what they can and cannot air at their own expense. Period.

        Either way you wish to describe it, it really does not matter. You do not have the right to NOT be offended or insulted. And you do not have the right to force others, be they individuals or corporations, to bow to YOUR whims or wants any more than they have the right to force you to stop writing on this blog or to have and share your opinions. You DO have the right to not like it, not watch it, write about it all you desire. But a petition to stop a commercial because it does not fall in line with your beliefs, or offends you/hurts your feelings/makes you butthurt is no longer advocating or educating, it is dictating, it is censorship, and it is wrong. And it is because you are offended by something, or to be more precise, your interpretation of something. You don’t like it so NOBODY should see it.

        My original questions stand unanswered. How would you like it if NASCAR petitioned to censor this blog and others like it? If you can answer that without pretentious, arrogant insults, have at. If all you wish to do is insult further, don’t bother.

        1. Bohica

          I will answer your very fair question as to how I would feel if NASCAR petitioned to censor this blog.

          My immediate thought (“feelings”) to your question can be simply stated in the words and sentiment of Mr Darling of the Andy Griffith Show, as follows:

          “More power to ’em”

          Bohica, my point is that I am in no way intimated by NASCAR (not that they’re trying) and I am not trying to intimidate them or anyone else. I am all for freedom of speech in responsible advertising. You are the one trying to censor my right to express my opinion that NASCAR’s use of gluten in their ad is irresponsible in the present circumstances and creates a harmful environment for defenseless children and people’s good health and very lives which depend on their fellow human beings’ correct understanding of how “dangerous” gluten is to some. This present danger outweighs the right to be funny or freely express oneself. Gluten is not a currently appropriate topic for comedy regardless of “fad dieters and hipsters” when someone’s health, especially children, is involved.

          I fully support your right to express your opinions but how about you showing a little compassion and understanding and freely letting me express my opinion? No one here is trying to “shutdown” anyone. NASCAR could change one word & I would have no further comment. I only wish NASCAR and NBC (and you) could understand why their use of gluten is harmful to people’s health as opposed to their feelings.

          My feelings are not hurt and I’m not the least bit offended by NBC, NASCAR or YOU. Even during my worst CD and cancer days, my butt never really hurt, so I’m not sure what you mean by “butthurt” – never heard that colloquialism before.

          I’m simply expressing my opinion and fully support your right to express yours. “More power to you.”

          Further, if I hurt your feelings or offended you in anyway, please forgive me because that was never my intent. I am probably one of the least pretentious and least arrogant people you will ever meet. I am also one of the first to say I am sincerely sorry if I am ever mistakenly overbearing. However, my prior comments were made because your “being good at angry” was peeping through your comments. Further some are your comments are simply not true (thus my comments regarding reading comprehension) so that you need to read more carefully before responding. That is truth and not pretentiousness or arrogance. I will respond to each of your comments one by one if you so desire and the Dude will allow. I never say anything for which I will either fully explain if I’m correct or promptly apologize if I’m wrong.

          Respectfully,

          Hap

    2. Bohica, I totally hear you. I’m one that has also grown weary of having every single thing one says and does these days offending someone. Sometimes I think the new marketing strategies ARE to piss off as many people as they can because they get more free advertising than they could ever pay for. I can only speak for myself, but my first thought on the NASCAR commercial was why oh why did they choose gluten to illustrate Americans gone soft? With all the “soft” crap people do these days why choose something that for millions avoiding it is the only way we can stay alive? My second thought was, “Oh crap. Now when I have to eat out it is going to be a joke again.”

      I just wish they had chosen something we do that is really soft… like those who can’t start their day without a Grande Non-Fat Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and chocolate sauce. I will admit that we “gluten-free people” are a bit touchy these days. I will also admit that I get your point. I hope you can get ours. (…and I’m also using my quite voice.)

      1. Dude, can you please put a comment “edit” button for those of us who type “quite” when we really meant to say “quiet”?

      2. I understand it bothers you. I understand your point, and believe it or not I don’t disagree with your point of “why gluten”, of all things . I do NOT understand the willingness by so many to force the removal of something because they don’t like it.

        I am curious though. Did anybody get offended about the huddled in our cocoons texting smiley faces? or the “all the likes in the world can’t save us now”? Cellphone users and Facebook users didn’t start a petition to remove the commercial…well, not yet anyway.

        It was humor. What happened to they days when if you didn’t find something funny, you just didn’t laugh and moved on?

        1. Bohica, This is not a censorship, freedom of speech, humor, thick v. thin skin issue. This is not an issue of understanding the fine nuances of comedy presented by a 30 second Superbowl ad.

          This is a health issue. I’m not “offended” by this ad, my daughter’s health is put at risk by this ad. Because people will think eating gluten is something to joke about. So when we go to a restaurant, we’ll be met with eyerolls or indifference, and a lack of food safety. This doesn’t cause people’s butt to hurt, it causes people to get really sick and die. On one side there are people who are trying to make it easier for sick kids. Then there is the other side. That is the only issue here.

          I move on from things that aren’t funny all the time. This isn’t that issue.

    3. So you decide to reply in a condescending manner because you’re above everyone else? Here’s a tip, if you want people to take you seriously, instead of getting angry at Hap, try not to be so arrogant. You coming here to berate people is no different than a petition. Try not to be so angry, it’s not good for your health. The synopsis of your posts indicate that it is you who wishes to censor people because you’re upset they have a differing opinion on ‘funny’.

      1. It should have indicated that it is not okay for you to force the removal of a commercial because you got offended. I wrote that enough times it should have been pretty easy to pick out..

        Thank you for your helpful tips and concern for my health, though….

  59. The ad isn’t making fun of people with Celiac disease. It is, however, making fun of the self-righteous urban hipsters who eat gluten-free for no other reason than their belief that it’s trendy and edgy (and expect restaurants and those they dine with to bend over backwards to accommodate their latest fad).

    And remember, you do not have the right to not be offended. Did the thought of simply changing the channel when this commercial comes on ever come to mind?

    1. Alex

      Alex

      Again, reading comprehension! See above, my NASCAR is not here yet.

      Loud voice: I AM NOT OFFENDED!

      Did you ever think of not coming on this Blog and wrongfully accusing us of being offended when we never claimed we were in the first place. Being offended and censorship was never the goal!

      Reading comprehension is the key here. No wonder the SAT reading comprehension stats are so appallingly low.

  60. All of this sniping is sapping what little energy I have left, so I am going to try to change the conversation to the positive and let the haters hate and the ignorant be ignorant. Gluten Dude, have you and the other advocates discussed a post-Super Bowl strategy to counteract the message in the ad that gluten is not REALLY dangerous if the petition is ignored? If so, what can the community do to help? My efforts all day yesterday to get some response and support for the petition fell on mostly deaf ears. What is really wrong with this country is that people have become apathetic and are losing the ability to feel empathy for their fellow man. So, if the only way people pay attention these days is to (so-called) humor, how do we education the ignorant using real humor? Based on the comments I’ve been reading there are some very smart and witty minds in this celiac community. Maybe we can use this as an opportunity to brainstorm (ooh, I guess the “in” word is crowdsource!) a way for us to educate the masses on the real dangers of gluten? Just food for thought as they say. Gluten-free, of course!

    1. Yes…I’m all about the positive. I don’t have a plan of attack for Monday to be honest with you. Not yet anyway. I’ve reached out to NBC in every manner possible and have heard nothing in response….as expected. Let’s see what happens over the next few days. Thanks!

  61. Christian Washington

    I have a kid who is Celiac. She’s a trooper who doesn’t let anything other than who she is define her.
    Who she is is compassionate, hard working, and funny.

    She doesn’t take herself too seriously. And she’s quick to laugh at other’s jokes so long as the intent isn’t hurtful or harmful.

    In this case, she’s laughing at both the commercial and this overblown response.
    (She called the response: “gross.”) It’s a commercial. That’s it.
    At only 14 she gets what most of you don’t. The intent was to be funny and that matters.

    I hope more of her generation is like her than like us.
    This “us” of perpetually offended crybabies who ignore reason and common sense in order to live in anger/hurt is ruinous behavior. You steal people’s ability to speak freely and think freely out of fear of retribution. (“Say what you want – but only if I like it.”) You rob people of their ability to lighten the mood with a well-intended ribbing. (“I like funny but only if it doesn’t hurt my feelings.”)

    You people make the world a humorless, freedom-less hole of righteous indignation.

    Yes, lighten up. Yes, grow a pair. But more than that, learn to take yourselves a little less seriously.
    You’ll be happier and so will the people who have to put up with you.

  62. I’m a little late to the game (no pun intended, but it works anyway 🙂 ) but I did sign it. Mocking anyone with a disease of any kind is never funny.

  63. For god’s sake, the ad is not making fun of Celiac disease. They’re making fun of the people who are USING YOU for leverage to push an agenda that has nothing to do with anyone else.

    Sure you get benefits out of it, like more prevalent gluten-free sections in the grocery store (albeit at continually upcharged prices that will never drop while the fad exists because why would they? See organic food). But the anti-gluten faddists are absolutely taking advantage of your disease. I know plenty of sufferers of Celiac. You’re better than that. You go about your lives, understand your limits, and don’t make excuses or expect others to cave to your requirements 24/7. The people that do abuse your disease and insult your intelligence.

  64. Folks…please…some respect for each other. And no foul language. There are children with celiac who read this blog.

    I just replied to a hateful email I received with the following:

    I’m all for open discussion without the need for such anger and profanity against those like me who honestly are just trying to help the community. I’m not looking for fights, arguments and any of that nonsense. I seriously can appreciate both sides.

    I assure you…I’m not humorless. I’m just passionate about my disease and how it is portrayed in the public eye. People will continue to get sick and kids will continue to get bullied as long as gluten free remains a punchline. I’m not an idiot. I know the ad was not geared toward those with a disease. But much of the public without the knowledge of our disease won’t discern between the two.

    Seriously…I’m getting so much hate from people who tell me to lighten up. When it seems it’s the haters who need to lighten up.

    GD

  65. 50% of the world lives on $1 dollar per day. A loaf of bread is a feast for millions upon millions. If Gluten is a health issue, cool. We get it. It’s just a stigma of “there’s bigger priorities in the world” or even locally when it comes to this topic. And until gluten free products become A LOT more affordable, it will be labeled a “class” issue vs. a health issue.

    1. Oh Boy…

      You have a very perceptive view of this issue and I agree with you.

      Precisely why we have to relentlessly attempt to educate others.

      For me and many others like me right now with this disease and others like me most likely in the future if they don’t follow the no gluten prescription for living, this is not just a “health issue”, it’s a life or death issue.

      It’s easy for us to be passionate, but also respectful, because our very lives and/or the lives of our parents and/or children depend upon our diligence. One’s entire perspective changes when your life literally depends on what you eat. For us there are no “bigger daily priorities”, additional mutually important priorities, but no more urgent priorities, than what we daily put in our mouths. If all I had to eat was wheat bread then I could either die soon by starvation or die sooner or later by a death so difficult & painful that I do not want to describe here. I would choose starvation if I was forced to choose. When I was my sickest, suicide was my next choice if I had not gotten some relief. Thankfully I received some answers through the advocacy of Jennifer Esposito and I will always be eternally grateful!

      I hope that helps you understand my (and many like me) perspective. After 5 very difficult years, I am very close to being healthy again solely by not ingesting gluten. I finally have the strength to exercise again, which I greatly enjoy. If our advocacy and appearing difficult to those who do not understand our plight helps even one person out of the deep dark seemingly hopeless hole in which I found myself in 2012 then all of our discussions about gluten are worth all of the effort.

      Respectfully

      Hap

  66. Every disease has a spot on the “its a terrible disease spot.” I mean there are still several countries where the primary disease kills masses is diarrhea.
    I personally have sensitivity to sunlight over a prolonged (15 mins and above) exposure. Is it life-threatening? No. Should other people completely avoid sun? DEFINITELY NO.
    There are more people going gluten-free diet than celiac patients. Gluten is actually useful in our diet. Furthermore those groups of people are vegetarians (more commonly known as vegans). They severely lack source of protein. I assume this ad is aimed at those group of people and not the patients with celiacs disease or gluten sensitivity.
    As a biochemist, I can verify that all kinds of food (natural source not artificially modified) have a use in your body. Some cases do come up where you HAVE to avoid certain type of food but that’s not the majority of consumers. Its nice that the companies are making gluten free diet easily accessible but advertising them as “healthier diet” is a false statement for a vast majority. This ad is a sarcasm to those companies that promote bogus “research” for a profit.
    If you think your food habits are affecting your health, please get yourself checked and avoid ONLY the foods causing you the problems. Also, remember not to over eat, over consumption of water can kill you as well.

    1. Nischal, is anyone asking anyone to not eat gluten here??? No. We are not. You missed the whole point. You are obviously educated, but not when it comes to gluten. As a biochemist, you should be aware that not all people have the exact same chemistry in their bodies. Just because gluten won’t kill most people doesn’t mean it can’t kill others. Those with Celiac can and DO die from gluten exposure, and no one, let me repeat, NO ONE has made it “easy” for us to have a “gluten free” diet. Do you know what cross contamination is? Do you know how large 5 parts per million are when you are talking about a microscopic protein? It would be so nice if people like you would become educated on what they are making comments about before such comments are made. While this commercial was obviously aimed at the many fad dieters, and any one else who adopts a gluten free lifestyle because they have been duped into thinking it is the next best thing to no calorie beer, the problem is there are a lot of people, including yourself, apparently, who haven’t a clue what it is like to live with a disease that can kill you while the world thinks your disease is funny because, I can assure you, most of the people who will see this commercial haven’t even heard of Celiac and, if they have, they believe it is just a bogus excuse to join a new diet bandwagon. And that is thanks to the many different avenues people have found to make jokes about eating gluten free. We who are affected severely enough by gluten that we could die if we consume it are becoming collateral damage in this gluten eater witch hunt that the media (and, obviously, lots of NASCAR fans) has determined is so important to pursue.

  67. My wife has a gluten allergy. It sucks, I feel so bad for her. Many nights before we found out what was going on I sat with her while she had stomach pains that she could only describe as “feels like I have a bowling ball in my stomach.” I feel for everyone that has to go through what she went through. That being said, after I made her watch the commercial twice (as a die hard NASCAR fan) not only was she not offended but she snickered a little bit too. Knowing NASCAR better than most I think it would be awesome if you all that are petitioning the commercial would go about this a different way. Knowing that NASCAR is a heavily sponsored sporting event with charities often involved maybe it would be cool to see a car that helped bring awareness to the issue. With the number of people involved in NASCAR, from owners to drivers to sponsors I’m sure there is someone who suffers from this or has someone close to them who does and would love to help bring awareness to the issue. Just a thought.

  68. It’s a comedian doing a character. On Parks and Recreation, his meals consist soley of bacon.

    I am EXTREMELY allergic to cats. If they change the soft line to something regarding cat allergies, I would not be offended.

    This is a completely ridiculous petition, and a waste of time, including the minute it took me to type this. I feel ridiculous spending even this much time bothering to respond to it, but for some reason I am doing it anyway.

    Get over it. Seriously. This is dumb. Nothing anyone says will ever appeal to anyone.

    Now I must go hug a cat.

  69. Well done!
    The most dangerous thing a person can do is give me gluten.
    I’ll turn from a pussycat into a lion in two minutes.
    Soft? No.
    Scary? Yes.
    My husband witnessed it in a hospital that gave me 3 gluten foods right after abdominal surgery.
    I asked him, “Do you think the dietary supervisor knows how upset I am?”
    He said, “I’m pretty sure everyone on this floor of the hospital knows how upset you are.”

  70. I am shocked at the amount of negativity that surrounds a gluten free diet, whether as a result of being a coeliac or through choice. I live in the UK and the gluten free diet is taken seriously, change is slowly happening in restaurants and shops. I suppose vegetarians were mocked years ago, and it is now the turn of the coeliac. My daughter was diagnosed at a very young age, and while we would love to ditch the “faddy diet”, until the disease can be treated by medication, we have no choice but to stick to it or suffer the consequences. We live in a world where, thank goodness, it is no longer okay to discriminate against black people, gay people or the handicapped. Lets now give people a break if they suffer from an horrible disease, which if left untreated can kill. We don’t want to preach, or moan, or go on about it all the time. Just a degree of respect and understanding that’s all. Educate yourselves.

      1. I am joking. But I don’t think GD was. It amazes me how defensive people are of a stupid commercial. To go so far as to call someone a terrorist over this is, as mentioned, insanity. If the commercial not airing won’t personally hurt them, what the heck are they fighting us for? Freedom of speech? Guess they haven’t heard … just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

  71. Thank you Gluten Dude for initiating the petition. It is an important issue to tackle because the commercial misinforms so many people. Don’t give up. Please keep up the good work!

    1. Fact: I can, but my 2-year-old who will be treated poorly by some of the misinformed will can’t, because she’ll grow up in a world of ignorant people telling her to suck it up and stop complaining… she shouldn’t have to be bullied, and this ad will just further the ignorance and bad feelings towards those who eat gluten free, even those with Celiac disease!

  72. As the mother of a daughter with Celiac Disease I hope you continue the fight. She and I neither have an audience or a way to influence anyone. The ignorance to this issue in this day and age makes me sick. Before she was diagnosed she was always very thin, constantly sick and could barely shake a cold. Now she has been able to gain weight and is healthier than she has been in years. Please continue to help us get the word out and fight the ignorant and stupid people out there.

  73. I have been reading the many comments from the members of my Gluten Free Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/community.glutenfree/ about the ad that was supposed to be run after the Super Bowl. Many of them (we have a membership of nearly 30,000) were outraged about the ad and many of them felt that it was not as big a deal as the media was making it out to be. In the end it did not get aired and in my opinion there was more exposure to the ad because of social media than if it had just been aired after the game. Many people missed it because it was not aired until after the show. I personally do not agree with anyone making fun of any disease…let it be one caused by gluten or any other disease. We all have to be advocates for our own health and it is wonderful that we have the means to make people in charge of this type of advertising sit up and take notice of the people who are actually living a life with Celiac or Gluten Intolerance. There is still ignorance on the part of many people but there is also many more people who understand what it means when you tell them you are living a GF lifestyle. I went to dinner twice in the past two weeks and when I told my server I was Gluten Free she immediately recognized what I needed and made certain that my meal was served the way I needed it to be served. Six years ago when I went GF I could not find any restaurants who even knew what it meant to be GF. So despite the ignorance of some there is a more widespread understanding because of social media and word of mouth. Plus more and more people are being dx with Gluten related diseases. In March of 2014 my GF Facebook group had 8000 members…today we have 29,190. This tells me that many more people are becoming aware of problems with gluten and are advocating for their health and making the necessary changes to ensure they live a healthier life.

  74. There is clearly a difference between people who have celiac and people who choose not to eat gluten because they are under the impression that is a deadly neurotoxin or something equally bad for human health. The ad was making fun of the ladder. No one is making fun of your allergy. I do not even know what is wrong with you.

      1. Lynn, i think that you understood what i was trying to say. Gluten is not posionous or dangerous to consume. Humans have been eating bread for at least 10,000 years based on the rise of agricultural. Some people are allergic to gluten, most people are not, just like some people are lactose intolerant or some people are allergic to peanuts. Most people can eat these things and they do not effect ones heath adversely . The superbowl ad was gently poking fun at the people that think gluten is unnatural and bad to eat and how trend it has become.

        1. Eli

          Of course Lynn knew of what you were referring; however, she was obviously “gently poking fun” at you. No need to get all defensive and junk.

          You stated before rather accusingly that you “don’t even know what is wrong” with us. Others accuse us of having no sense of humor and then when we exhibit a gentle sense of humor we’re chastised for that.

          We have a sense of humor and we hope you join us in having a sense of humor and showing compassion for our fellow human beings.

          We fully understand what the advertiser “most likely intended” but many do not understand the issues enough to understand with us. Therefore the baby gets thrown out with the bath water every time a child is bullied or we have to explain to a restaurant that gluten will kill us to restaurant personnel rolling their eyes while we explain what we don’t enjoy having to explain for the millionth time. G Dude’s goal was education – how many times have we said that – I’ve lost count. It’s working fortunately.

          Hope you have a great more compassionate week.

          Your pal

          Hap

  75. Dude! You are referenced at People.com. If nothing else comes of this, it’s getting people talking about it. It’s an awful ad but here is an opportunity to educate the general public.

  76. I am a mom of FIVE affected by celiac disease and gluten intolerance. In 2004, four were confirmed celiac in ONE appointment. Since then, my last child has been confirmed gluten intolerant and must be tested annually as he has the gene and lives the risk of cd kicking in unexpectedly. In 2006 I went back to school to earn my Masters in Ed. I made it a point to learn how celiac disease affects students in the school. I shared my learning with colleagues, several who fought me on it, others who contemplated this in their own lives, and a few who had their own children checked and confirmed. In 2008 I shared (did not publish) my action research project on Celiac Disease in the Classroom–Beyond the Cafeteria. In 2010 my youngest daughter and I, with the sponsorship of GIG/NA, started up a children’s magazine (Celiac Kids Club, 2010-2012) to offer something for our youngest victims. In 2008 I knew the full impact of the disease–increased death rate regardless of the diet. It is NOT a joke. To those who slam the condition: walk in our shoes, not for a day but for a lifetime: as a parent, as a patient, as a partner, a survivor, or the one that was left behind when a loved one affected by cd has passed away. I, along with my young daughter, stepped away from our fight to raise awareness in 2012.

    As for the SuperBowl ad? I wasn’t much of a sports-couch fan until recently, but after watching several ads this past year, I’ve felt the commercials are degrading, demeaning, and many bigoted. I don’t find humor in laughing at the struggling situations of others or intentional injury. Commercials condoning the injury/insult of others is shameful. We are now a country of bullies. Media feeds it. Football encourages it. The law slams those who stand up against it.

    Those who slam others’ differences are afraid of and mock that which they do not understand. Who is the weak one there?

    1. Hi Victoria,

      I read with interest about your academic forays into celiac and having come across this journal article (link below) recently, I thought it might be of interest/relevance to you if you haven’t already seen it. It was published about a year ago by a sociology prof at Univ of Louisville in KY. I haven’t been able to read it myself as I don’t have access (usually with research journals you can only access them from a university with an institutional subscription) but here it is anyway:

      “You Can’t Eat WHAT?”: Managing the Stigma of Celiac Disease

      http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01639625.2014.855105#.VNCHFSyCxf9

  77. If you have the time to write an article about how butthurt you are about a commercial that happens to mention gluten your life must be pretty boring

  78. All these PC junkies are going to be some of the healthiest people in the funeral home! Get a JOB, Get off your ASS, & GET A LIFE!!! The reason kids are obese today is their parents let them set @ the computer or some other electronic device instead of spending time with them outside & make them do chores! We all have it easier than when we were growing up & gluten did not matter as we burned off what we ate. We WORKED!!! This is a funny commercial & if you don’t like it don’t watch it. If you had a LIFE you would laugh @ how funny this commercial is. I HATE THIS PC MESS!!!

    1. You’re right Robert. If I would just work for a living and keep my kids off the computer, this world would be a perfect place for you.

      PC to you and your peeps means seeing things your way and no other way.

      Oh and let me guess…Gods, Guns and Country, right?

      So sick of the hate.

  79. Guys- really?

    The ad is funny. Anybody with half a brain would see it is intended to be funny.

    You should just let it go and smile.

    1. So my 2 year old daughter with Celiac should understand why people roll their eyes at us when we say we eat gluten free? And unfortunately, many Americans doesn’t have half a brain… so they will take this and continue to judge people because they aren’t aware that Celiac disease is a thing… and not everyone is on a fad diet…

      Please, explain to a 2 year old who hears this that she is not “soft” or “part of America’s problem”… and explain it to the other kids who will then start teasing her and bullying her for being different.

      Yes, it could have been funny, if people weren’t so ignorant about Celiac disease. Teasing is bullying, and that is what this is…

    2. “I” should let it go? With all due respect, it’s the haters and the trolls who are having a hard time letting it go. And they are not affected one iota by the ad. Says a lot about that crowd.

    3. John

      I smiled at the naïveté of your entry and then I read Robert’s entry right above you.

      Robert (and many people like him) is just one more example of why we can’t simply smile & let it go. Robert obviously did not read the 200 + comments above & he has no idea about what he’s saying. This is not at all about working, getting off our a**, getting exercise or being politically correct. If the whole situation wasn’t so dangerous to children like Nikk’s daughter then I’d just shake my head and go to the golf course. However, the lack of compassion, meanness, misinformation and/or just plain ignorance on this issue and surrounding Dude’s original goal keeps us trying to make a difference.

      John, please take some of your time, read some of the comments above and try to put yourself in Grace’s, Nikk’s, Chris’ and many others shoes and you’ll see that lack of a sense of humor has absolutely nothing to do with GDude’s reasons for asking NASCAR to simply change 1 word (gluten) in their commercial.

      I’ve got to go to 3 funerals in the next 2 days (and I’m not even a funeral director) so I’ll “see” y’all again in the next few weeks or so.

      Good luck & please try not to hurt each other in the meantime. I’m still shaking my head over GDude being called a jihadist …

      Hap

    1. Jerry

      I’m all for planting trees and you’re even planting in the correct month; however, you’re way off on the “useless comments either way”. There are many worthwhile comments to read here and throughout Dude’s website & blog. I would encourage everyone to read & learn as much as you can. You’ll be a better person for it!

      “Just because something doesn’t do what YOU planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.”
      –Thomas A. Edison

      “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of anyone else.”
      –Charles Dickens

      Keep on going Dude…its a long journey ahead with lots of nuts and knuckleheads (family version) blocking the road but you’re helping many many people who are very grateful for your concern and good will.

      1. Thank you for another useless comment. Nothing posted here is going to change a thing. Spend more time at your local food bank or doing something for the planet. The Dude’s comment are his position but the useless energy of trolls and haters on either side of an issue is a waste of heart beats. Stop wasting your time answering useless comments and donate to your local Red Cross. Have a nice day! Peace!

        1. Jerry

          Sorry you are dead wrong. I’ve made a good living for many decades with words, planting & harvesting trees, and using words & relationships to convince others there’s a better way. You can choose not to listen or come back but you’ll never convince me to stop.

          Oh, and I do the other volunteering and donating too.

          You should think through those quotes above while you’re planting and/or volunteering. Multitasking won’t hurt you. Peace to you as well, my friend!

  80. I can understand the automatic knee-jerk reaction we all have when something is personal to us; that we can naturally get offended when we think we or people we care about are being belittled or attached. But I would like to offer the point of view that the ad/video does not say anything about Celiac disease anywhere. Maybe we should consider that it’s having a go at those people who are fad dieters; because I’ve heard quite a few people lately talk about going on the gluten-free diet but they don’t have any kind of serious illness like Celiac disease.

    Sometimes it’s easier to laugh something like this off. Since from the look of it, it is mean to be very silly/goofy and not meant to be taken serious. I really don’t think Nascar or NBC was going out of they’re way to make fun of people with serious illnesses. In fact if you know anything about Nascar, they’re literally making fun of themselves in that commercial; but some folks who are not into the sport might not get a lot of the jokes in the video.

  81. Let’s put an end to this insanity folks. There are two very distinct sides on this issue. We will NEVER see eye to eye.

    If you don’t agree with what we did, there is no reason to waste any time here. It doesn’t affect you one way or another so not sure why you would take the time to comment.

    If you do agree with what we did, there is no need to defend ourselves anymore.

    Let’s move on…

    1. Amen!!! That was my point all along about the useless comments. Nobody is going to change their minds either way. Dude I respect your views but trying to piggyback off a Super Bowl ad to get attention for you position is the oldest play in the play book. Peace!

      1. Jerry

        Again with the “useless comments” – you must not have had time to read my useful comments above yet. You should try multitasking and thinking a little deeper & you may actually change your mind every now & then.

        The main problem with so many trying to change our minds is that they’re using false logic, shallow thinking & wrongfully accusing us of emotions, thoughts and motives we don’t have which only makes your arguments a waste of your time. GDude obviously was not piggybacking on #SB49 because he was trying to prevent “gluten” being used. You can do better than that. I can go back and forth to further the Dude’s goals as long as I have a breath in my body and I enjoy doing so since I can’t exercise as much as I used to exercise yet while recovering from the ravages of CD, which is one reason I’m so persistent & passionate about the message. Plus, GDude has helped educate me so much that it’s the least I can do to help him until he asks me not to anymore.

        Peace my friend.

        Hap

        1. I love your comments above. I was talking about all the people and their useless comments after your comments. Your comments are useful, their comments are not because of their troll and hateful comments. You sir are wonderful. Peace.

  82. I don’t think it’s realistic to say that those without celiac disease or allergy, but who have nevertheless jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon, are “a minority.” Of the large number of people I know who have given up gluten, none of them have been diagnosed with any kind of allergy or disease. Remember the line from Best in Show: “Now he’s lactose intolerant, too!” A self-professed allergy to gluten is now a required statement for all would-be yuppies, and the commercial, I think, is directed squarely at those people — not at the many people like you who have legitimate concerns, and who are coping with conditions not of your choice.

  83. Just saw an article about Glutendude petition in Breitbart News (ALL REPUBLICAN ONLINE NEWS) http://www.breitbart.com/news/nbc-alters-nick-offerman-nascar-ad-after-gluten-joke-offends-celiac-community/ apparently Breitbart thinks Celiacs should not be offended by this Anti Gluten Free NASCAR ad. Same with another Republican Online news source The daily Caller http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/02/gluten-free-super-bowl-ad-video/ Why does these Republicans who claim they believe in FREE CHOICE feel the need to poke fun at people who have serious issues with Gluten and want to make sure the media doesn’t turn people who feel better eating Gluten Free into a JOKE!!! These Republicans also favor NO GMO labeling as if people shouldn’t know what is in there food supply. Republicans are HEARTLESS…

    1. So 18,000 Democrats signed the petition and none of them were Republicans? Do only Democrats get Celiac? What about Joy Behar’s stupid comment? She’s as anti-Republican as you get so according to your logic Democrats are all pretty much “Duschbags”, too. My point is that the “NASCAR pot” has been stirred enough without bringing politics into the mix and insult those who may not think the same way you do politically, but support us. It serves no purpose.

  84. i blame the food industry. Major corporations have turned gluten free into a punchline by slapping gluten free on everything they can get their hands on in a senseless money grab. Made all the worse by the mindless drones who swallow it lock stock and barrel.

  85. Interesting developments going on within NASCAR with one of their drivers who happens to be celiac.

    http://www.gfco.org/parker-kligerman-and-his-quest-to-introduce-the-racing-world-to-the-gluten-free-car/

    *-*-*-*-*-*QUOTE*-*-*-*-*-*

    Parker Kligerman and His Quest to Introduce the Racing World to the Gluten-Free Car

    March 18, 2015 by Nichol Creach

    Parker Kligerman has raced on several different NASCAR circuits, including the highest level Sprint Cup Series. He is also a television personality, having done work for NBC Sports’ NASCAR America. When Parker was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2010, his life changed for the better. Until that point, he was living in a fog and constantly feeling sick. A fellow driver recommended that he get tested for celiac, which ultimately allowed Parker to get back to his energetic and healthy lifestyle. Now, Parker has made it his mission to spread the word about celiac disease and to show people that a gluten-free lifestyle can include delicious food choices and a variety of options at their favorite restaurants.

    GIG is happy to announce that we will be backing Parker in his efforts to raise awareness and we are proud to be a sponsor of the Gluten-Free Car. We see the Gluten-Free Car as becoming a symbol for the gluten-free community; turning the spotlight on delicious foods, promoting safe dining experiences, and bringing recognition to those manufacturer sponsors that the everyday consumer may know but may not associate with the special-diet market. We are hoping that you will join Parker and GIG on this quest.

    To learn more about Parker’s vision and how you can help him in bringing awareness of gluten-free to a global audience, please fill out a Request Information form or inquire by e-mail to Chris.Rich@gluten.org. You can also follow Parker’s season using #PKrace4GF.

    *-*-*-*-*-*END QUOTE*-*-*-*-*-*

    I’d like to see the looks on the faces of all those sneering trolls who are following NASCAR now because of that Super Bowl ad, and then they discover THIS. Yep, that’s right. The auto racing circuit that ridiculed the notion of gluten as danger now has… a gluten-free car.

    I wonder if Parker himself ever had anything to say publicly about that ad? He probably has a “conduct detrimental to NASCAR” contract clause that might have discouraged this. Whether or not this initiative was intended as somewhat of a pro-active statement on the matter, it’s fair to wonder if some might interpret it as such.

  86. Hi, I have celiac disease, was not diagnosed until age 48, now age 54, likely had it all my life. My comment is I don’t care who wants to eat gluten free, the more the merrier I say, it makes me happy when people want to eat what I’m eating. The point is if someone wants gluten free, give them gluten free, don’t be sprinkling some flour or bread crumbs on it because they do or don’t have a disease, and you’ve decided you don’t think it matters. That’s as funny as me putting sugar in your diet free coke behind your back because you’re on a crazy sugar free diet, or you are diabetic. If people want gluten free, then give them gluten free, and have it properly marked. Until they properly do, I am saving a ton of money not eating out, or buying junk food. Now some people might think gluten free is a huge joke, and then maybe sugar free soda makes them laugh too.

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Who I am. And who I'm not.

Who I am. And who I'm not.

I AM someone who's been gluten-free since 2007 due to a diagnosis of severe celiac disease. I'm someone who can steer you in the right direction when it comes to going gluten-free. And I'm someone who will always give you the naked truth about going gluten free.

I AM NOT someone who embraces this gluten-free craziness. I didn’t find freedom, a better life or any of that other crap when I got diagnosed. With all due respect to Hunter S. Thompson, I found fear and loathing of an unknown world. But if I can share my wisdom, tell my stories and make the transition easier on you, I’ve done my job.

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