How the Media Portrays Food Allergies

It’s unlikely that media creators are actively attempting to antagonize the food allergy population. The most likely answer stems from a general public ignorance as well as an established history of using food allergies for comedic potential. Many people, including those in the media, are unaware of the severity of food allergies. 45.9% of the population believed that a cure for food allergies exist, and 68.4% of the population believes that food allergies can be prevented with daily medications (Gupta). Similarly, there is a lack of public awareness regarding the symptoms and treatment of food allergies. Many people, including those in the media and those in the audience, are unaware of the actual symptoms of an allergic reaction. They may think that a food allergy reaction only involves sneezing, swelling, and hives, they may think that food allergy reactions are not life-threatening, and they may think that antihistamines such as Benadryl are a solution to all food allergy reactions. The lack of public awareness, both in the media and in the audience, allows and even facilitates the harmful portrayals of food allergies in the media. In addition, food allergies have long been seen as a comedic gold mine. The continuing comedic portrayals of food allergies in the media creates the perception that food allergies are an acceptable topic to exploit for comedy. In other words, existing media encourages us to think that making fun of food allergies is acceptable, which teaches future media creators that food allergies are a topic to be made fun of. 

However, it’s time for all of this to change. For its demonstrated ability to shape the public mindset, it is clear that the media has a responsibility to portray food allergies in a more serious and accurate light. The damage inflicted by decades of negative and comedic portrayals of food allergies cannot be calculated, but it surely exists. It exists in the continuing and widespread ignorance of food allergies, even at a time when information is more readily available than ever. It exists in the rampant food allergy bullying taking place in classrooms, cafeterias, and playgrounds. It exists in the alienation that so many children with food allergies feel when they have spent their childhood watching countless demeaning portrayals of their disability. The media is a powerful force, but it is also a force that can adapt and change. It is a force that can educate, persuade, and inspire. With this in mind, we call on the media to change the way it portrays food allergies. 

To answer this question, we’ve compiled a list of tropes commonly seen in the media portrayal of food allergies. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it serves to provide examples of the particular ways the media portrays allergies. 

• Villainous characters with food allergies. In this trope, the antagonists of the film have allergies. Example: In the film Peter Rabbit, the villain, Mr. McGregor, has a food allergy.
• Allergies are weaponized to defeat a villain. Often, this action is seen as heroic, or the audience is expected to sympathize with the character weaponizing the allergy. Examples: In the film Parasite, the Kim family (who are the protagonists) exploit the peach allergy of the housekeeper Moon-gwang. In the TV show The Office, Michael Scott purposely brings peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to work when he knows his coworker Deangelo is allergic. 
• Oversensitive and annoying character with food allergies. The character with food allergies may be shown to be overly sensitive, and usually over-reacts. Examples: The character of Deangelo in The Office, the “take your EpiPen and get out of my house!” bit from John Mulaney’s Kid Gorgeous special. 
• Anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions as comedy. This trope is very common. A character has an allergic reaction, and instead of treating it as a serious, life-threatening event, the incident is exploited for comedy. Examples: Hitch, That 70’s Show, Monster-in-Law, That’s So Raven.
• Characters with allergies portrayed as weak or laughable. With this trope, a character’s food allergies only add to their weakness. Example: Jerry’s pistachio allergy in the TV show Parks and Recreation. 
• Unserious portrayals of food allergy reactions. In this case, a food allergy reaction is seen as something that can be laughed off. There are no consequences for the reaction. Examples: In The Office, Darryl’s soy allergy is played as a joke, and Ryan gives a baby an allergic reaction without consequence. 

Tropes such as these contribute to the media’s negative portrayal of food allergies. Going forward, these tropes and others that create a negative perception of food allergies should be avoided. 

First, get the facts right. If you are going to portray a character with food allergies or an allergic reaction, strive for factual accuracy. Consult with an allergist or a food allergy advocacy organization to ensure the correct portrayal. Next, try to move away from using food allergies as the butt of jokes. Now, of course you can still involve food allergies in humor, but avoid offensive jokes and tropes. Develop more well-rounded portrayals of characters with food allergies. Showing characters with food allergies as complex, regular people will not only improve audiences’ perception of individuals with food allergies, it also makes for better writing. As always, when in doubt, it’s a good idea to consult with a person who has food allergies or a medical professional. A good example of a positive media portrayal of food allergies is the episode “Binky Goes Nuts” from the children’s TV show Arthur (view part of the episode here). The ins and outs of daily life with food allergies are portrayed realistically, the character who has food allergies is never demeaned or exploited for comedy, and it still makes for an entertaining episode. Media portrayals such as this one encourage a more positive and realistic view of food allergies in the general public. 

In short, we have covered how and why the media portrays food allergies negatively, and the effect this has on the general public. While the state of media portrayals of food allergies are pretty dismal now, there is hope for the future. Ideally, one day we will be able to look back on today’s media portrayals of food allergies and see them as outdated. In fact, the current portrayal of food allergies in the media already feels outdated. It is time for a change. It is time for a more positive portrayal of food allergies in the media.