The Corner Booth

You may have seen diabetes weaved in to the storyline of a favorite TV show or new movie every so often. The condition is frequently used as a quick punchline or one-liner, or some kind of a foil that trips up the characters. These portrayals matter because movies and media have the power to shape the public's view regarding people with diabetes (PWDs). Movies and media can shape how people react in certain emergencies, kids' experiences at school and adults' experiences in workplaces, and how people make healthcare policy decisions. Popular shows like "The Blacklist," "Law and Order: SVU" and "Person of Interest" have all briefly incorporated insulin pumps and device-hacking into their storylines — but they didn't always handle it well. "Nobody likes seeing any part of diabetes portrayed incorrectly, but certainly, I think it's a lot better in today's media than it was years ago. We've made huge strides and we...

The beloved book series “ The Baby-Sitters Club ” is back in the spotlight, with a new Netflix series airing in July 2020 that will breathe new life to this set of stories first published in the 1980s. It's a charming tale of friends who form a babysitter's club for their small, fictional town in Connecticut. Many people with diabetes feel a personal connection to this series because one of the main characters is club treasurer Stacey McGill, who is depicted as living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The series, written by  Ann M. Martin , spanned  217 novels  between 1986 and 2000. There was also a  1995 movie  and a short-lived Disney series. Now, with a new Netflix series premiering July 3, 2020, the character of Stacey will be played by young actress Shay Rudolph. She's released a fun introductory YouTube clip where she reads aloud a section from the pivotal "The Truth About Stacey" book. Many women living with diabetes have commented on how ...