Can we laugh at ourselves?
A couple of years ago I discovered YouTube comedian JP Sears who makes fun of all kinds of lifestyles and opinions. Some of his funniest videos involve mocking those of us in interested in diets, nutrition and natural health. So as people who have those interests, I ask you, can we laugh at ourselves?
JP has such a hilarious deadpan comedy style, I can’t help but laugh even when my passions are part of the joke. I think sometimes we need to step back and look at our community in a different light and what better way to do it than with harmless humour?
After watching a few of JP’s videos, I realized he is very likely one of us. JP knows all the lingo related to vegetarianism, the gluten-free diet and so on. In his videos he takes on a character that most of us have seen at one time or another. When I watched the one called How to Take Yoga Photos for Instagram, I was pretty impressed with his abilities and wished I could get into some of those poses! Nobody would spend that amount of time learning yoga just to make a four-minute comedy sketch!
When he’s not doing comedy he works as an emotional healing coach. When he is mocking this community he never picks on people unassumingly trying to improve their lives with better nutrition. He mocks those who take on diets and other natural health protocols to feel morally superior, to be trendy, or to control everyone around them. This being the case, I asked myself, “why do I feel a twinge of offence while I’m laughing?” After thinking about it I came to the conclusion that I am having the “not all” reaction. “We don’t ALL think like that! We don’t ALL say those things!” Of course it’s “not all” . . . but we need to recognize that there are very vocal people in our community who have gone down a negative path. Through humour, JP exposes them and cautions the rest of us not to wander down that path. In 2015 he released the video below when gluten-free eating became a huge trend even for people who don’t have a diagnosed allergy or intolerance.
The rise in gluten-free eating had both a positive and negative effect on those with a serious gluten intolerance. In 2018 WebMD reported:
People with celiac disease say they’re happy to have more food choices at stores and restaurants. But some with celiac sense a growing stigma as other people voluntarily go gluten-free. And many patients fear people see them as “high-maintenance” and misunderstand the severity of their disease.
“On the one hand, you have a lot more options available for patients that taste better and are becoming more affordable. But at the same time, you have this gluten-free craze that’s recognized as kind of a fad diet, so celiac disease goes misunderstood in social situations, leaving patients more anxious,” said study author James King.
JP’s character didn’t come from nowhere and if restaurants are dealing with customers like that I can see how it would make people with Celiac disease more anxious. So those of us just trying a different diet to see if it will improve our overall health should ensure we aren’t part of this problem.
When I saw JP comedically describe the taste and texture of gluten-free foods I laughed because I’ve tried some products that look and taste just like what he is showing. However, thanks to the growing trend, gluten-free foods have come a very long way. So I did kinda feel bad for companies such as Udi’s that go the extra mile to create amazing gluten-free products.
I’ve also tried those Glutino cookies he shows in another scene. They are delicious! And no, of course they aren’t healthy just because they’re gluten-free! They’re full of sugar! JP is exposing a delusion present in many people following a special diet – that a junk food is healthy because it’s vegan or paleo or gluten-free or organic, etc. I am not immune to this delusion. When I eat chips made from beets and sweet potatoes I tend to feel better about it than eating regular potato chips. Deep down I know the nutritional difference is minimal.
JP’s videos are becoming more and more popular and some have gone viral. The following are a few of my favourites:
I really love essential oils so this one was hard to watch but I also couldn’t help laughing a lot!
If Meat Eaters Acted Like Vegans
This hilarious sketch flips the coin on obnoxious vegans so they can clearly see how they look to others. It is one of JP’s videos that went viral and it had mixed reactions. The BBC examined these reactions in their report: Do Vegans Have a Beef With Meat Eaters?
Why the Carnivore Diet is Superior to All Others (Vegan Included)
This video mocks anti-vegans and those who jump into extreme diets to be trendy and “more like a man”.
Why a Man Bun Makes You Better Than Everyone Else
Here JP makes fun of those who don a certain look and lifestyle thinking that alone will make them more spiritual.
So what do you think? Do you like JP or not? Feel free to let me know in the comments section below. 🍏
If you’re interested in learning more you can check out his website called Awaken with JP. You can also find videos on his YouTube channel. He has several playlists, and while most are comedic, he does have some serious ones in the Authentic JP section.
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