Dear Ricky
I know it’s just for laughs. I know you like to be a little bit controversial and get a reaction from people. Usually I try to let these things go. Usually I try to roll my eyes at the ignorance and move on.
But this Father’s Day I want to ask you – what if it were your child?
Let’s say you take a flight together, first class of course. There might be free Champagne but it’s not enough to take away the knot in your stomach, the inherent fear of travelling with a nut allergy.
Let’ say you have researched the airlines carefully to find one that is happy to make an announcement about their nut allergy. Then you cross your fingers. Cross your fingers that people listen, that people have the respect to put away the nuts for a few hours.
But there’s always one. Always one that thinks it’s ‘their right’. Perhaps they saw a sketch on TV that perpetuated their self-serving beliefs.
So your child starts to react.
For the record, they wouldn’t ‘blow up like a big frog’. They would most likely struggle to breathe, gasp for air and stare at you with a look of terror. Their innocent eyes and lips might swell so you can barely recognise them. They may be violently sick as their body tries to purge the poison from their system.
Hopefully you have an adrenaline injector with you. Hopefully you can hold your child down and stab them in the leg with a sharp needle. Hopefully it works.
That night, in hospital, you feel lucky the plane was able to divert and make an emergency landing. You feel lucky that your child is sleeping next to you. Still alive.
You turn on the TV to find something funny to watch, to relax and try to forget the horrors of the day.
And you find a well known comedian making fun of the life-threatening condition that almost killed your child, just to get a quick laugh with some cheap comedy.
So you roll your eyes at the ignorance, hold your child closer and hope they never have to know what it really feels like.
Happy Father’s Day.
Emma
So so true, and scary, can’t stand people making light of it or fun of it. They have no idea what it is like in our shoes!
No they don’t and it makes me mad when someone so high profile perpetuates stereotypes.
I couldn’t have put it better myself. It’s a shame people don’t realise the possible consequences of their actions. Haveing a child with life threatening allergies is hard enough, without famous comedians using itto get a few laughs. Some things just aren’t funny, it doesn’t matter how you look at it.
You’re right Kelly, some things just aren’t funny. Allergies still seem to be cheap fodder when you couldn’t get away with saying the same thing about other conditions.
I guess that’s the thing about comedians isn’t it, they need a cheap laugh somewhere. I used to really like Ricky but he’s really gone up his own Arse
Well put Beth!
Cheap laughs. It’s so scary and so so infuriating when others seem to think it’s nothing but funny. Mind you ‘I’m so spoiled’ about sums it up.
It really is infuriating and makes life harder for anyone suffering with allergies.
It must be so scary when children have bad allergies its definitely not something to be making fun of or joking about.
It’s sad that people think it is funny.
My daughter had a severe egg allergy as a child, it scared the life out of me. Miraculously she grew out of it. Allergies are not to be joked at. I find his comments quite disgusting!
I’m glad your daughter grew out her allergy but it can be very scary and as you say, not to be joked at.
Oh how scary allergies are, it is terrible when people are flippant about it, especially those in the public eye. I can’t imagine how you feel x
Yes Sabrina, it’s particularly bad when people with a big reach or who others look up to make flippant comments
What an amazing post Emma. So so proud of you for making it crystal clear that this sort of comedy is not acceptable at any level. Well said. Well done. Let’s hope RJ gets to read it! xx
Thanks Kate, that means a lot.
I’d be an anxious mess if my child had an allergy, especially when it came to them going to friends houses or eating out, I can’t imagine what it’s like! xx
Ha, I’m an anxious mess most the time! No, you learn to deal with it but is is hard.
Aw it is such a shame when people don’t understand how severe a nut allergy can be, and even life threatening. I cant imagine what it must be like. But I think people need to be a lot more understanding of it. x
Yes, I think once people have seen a real reaction they understand but most have no idea.
I’ve always liked Ricky but you’re absolutely right, this is not about him or ‘laughs’ it’s bloody serious! A Well written and a very important message
Thanks Emily, it is an important message and can be very serious.
You are so right. You should find his managers contact and send this to him. It’s important.
Thanks Jodie. I tweeted him and posted on his Facebook page but you wonder if it ever gets to him!
Great open letter, these things shouldn’t be made light of. Popping over from the #BISS team