May marks Celiac Awareness Month, a time to educate, advocate, and share the real experiences of those living with Celiac Disease, a serious autoimmune disorder that affects 1 in 100 people worldwide. As someone who lives with this condition every single day, I’ve become hyper-aware of how often Celiac Disease is misrepresented—or worse, mocked—in popular culture. Whether it’s a punchline in a sitcom, a throwaway joke in a rom-com, or a plot device that reinforces incorrect stereotypes, the media still doesn’t quite get it right when it comes to going gluten-free.
Let’s be clear: choosing a gluten-free lifestyle for wellness reasons is not the same as having Celiac Disease. One is a personal preference; the other is a lifelong medical condition that requires strict dietary compliance to avoid long-term damage to the body. Yet over and over again, television shows and movies lump the two together, turning gluten-free eaters into symbols of elitism, attention-seeking behavior, or clueless health trends.
In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, let’s take a closer look at how Celiac Disease has been portrayed in film and television, why those portrayals matter, and what needs to change for pop culture to better reflect reality.
Understanding Celiac Disease: Not a Trend, But a Necessity
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune condition in which the ingestion of gluten—a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley—triggers the immune system to attack the small intestine. Over time, this reaction damages the villi, the small fingerlike projections that line the intestine and help absorb nutrients. Untreated, Celiac can lead to a range of serious complications including malnutrition, infertility, osteoporosis, neurological disorders, and even certain cancers.
For those with Celiac, going gluten-free is not a diet—it’s a treatment. There are no cheat days, no “just this once,” and no magical pill to make it better. Even cross-contamination from shared kitchen surfaces or food prep tools can trigger symptoms ranging from nausea and fatigue to brain fog, anxiety, and painful bloating.
Celiac Disease on Screen: Where Are We?
Unlike conditions like cancer, autism, or diabetes, Celiac Disease has rarely taken center stage in media. When it does appear, it’s usually in one of two ways:
- As a throwaway joke about gluten-free people being high-maintenance or trendy.
- As a misunderstood condition, confused with gluten intolerance or dietary choices.
Example: The Big Bang Theory
In Season 9, Episode 6 (“The Helium Insufficiency”), Sheldon refers to gluten-free people as the kind of folks who also use essential oils as “cures.” It’s a casual jab, but one that reflects a bigger issue—how gluten-free diets are often equated with pseudoscience rather than medical necessity.
Example: Portlandia
This satirical show often mocked foodie culture and includes several skits making fun of gluten-free diners. While it’s obviously played for laughs, the show perpetuates the myth that everyone avoiding gluten is doing so for vanity or fad purposes.
Example: New Girl
In one episode, Schmidt mentions eating gluten-free and being “too sensitive” for gluten. The line is meant to be funny, but it again lumps gluten sensitivity with a caricature of millennial fussiness rather than acknowledging any serious condition like Celiac.
Rare Accurate Representations: A Few Bright Spots
While rare, some television shows and movies have made strides to depict gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease more responsibly:
Grey’s Anatomy
In Season 10, Episode 13 (“Take It Back”), a patient is revealed to have undiagnosed Celiac Disease after years of mysterious symptoms and infertility. This storyline briefly educates viewers about the systemic nature of the disease and the importance of diagnosis.
You’re the Worst
One of the main characters, Lindsay, briefly claims to have Celiac Disease but is later caught eating gluten. While this might sound frustrating, the show uses this scene to highlight people who falsely claim to have the disease, which in turn creates doubt around those who are actually medically required to be gluten-free. It’s a rare moment of meta-awareness in comedy.
More Examples in Movies and Television
Royal Pains
In this USA Network medical dramedy, Season 4 features a patient who’s unknowingly suffering from Celiac Disease. The show actually gets several facts right: undiagnosed Celiac can manifest in strange ways (in this case, neurological symptoms), and the diagnosis provides a turning point in the episode. It’s not a punchline—it’s part of a real diagnostic arc, and that’s rare in television.
South Park
In Season 18, the episode “Gluten Free Ebola” is a prime example of how not to handle the subject. It turns the gluten-free movement into full-blown hysteria, portraying gluten as a disease-causing substance so dangerous that even touching it causes extreme consequences. The episode’s intent is to mock trends, but unfortunately it collapses the distinction between Celiac, gluten sensitivity, and dietary fads. For those with actual medical needs, this just muddies the waters.
This Is Us
Though Celiac isn’t the focus of the show, in a Season 4 episode, Madison briefly references being gluten-free. While it’s not expanded on, it’s presented neutrally and without mockery, which stands out given how often “gluten-free” is coded as elitist or silly in TV.
The Intern (2015)
Anne Hathaway’s character orders a gluten-free meal, and it’s portrayed as a small, quirky note about her health-conscious personality. It’s neither demonized nor exaggerated, but it does lean into the stereotype of gluten-free as a trend among fashionable young women. It’s a subtle dig, but another case where real Celiac needs aren’t even part of the conversation.
Jane the Virgin
In an episode of this dramedy, Rogelio mentions needing a gluten-free diet due to “a sensitivity” but then dramatically eats gluten moments later. It’s meant to be over-the-top, which fits the telenovela parody tone of the show, but again, it feeds the “fake gluten allergy” narrative, which can hurt how seriously servers and friends take Celiac warnings in the real world.
Pop Culture Still Has a Long Way To Go
As these examples show, there’s still a significant gap in how accurately—and respectfully—Celiac Disease is portrayed. Most gluten-free characters in media are either:
- Doing it for vanity or weight loss,
- Exaggerated for comedic effect, or
- Briefly mentioned without any exploration of what living gluten-free actually entails when it’s medically necessary.
This lack of authentic, nuanced representation reinforces the idea that gluten-free is a fad, rather than a life-altering necessity for millions of people.
The Harm in the Humor
Look, I get it—comedy thrives on exaggeration, and poking fun at food trends is often low-hanging fruit. But when that joke becomes the only representation, it leads to real-world harm:
- People with Celiac Disease aren’t taken seriously in restaurants or by friends and family.
- Gluten-free requests are dismissed as “trendy,” leading to increased risk of cross-contamination.
- Kids with Celiac can feel isolated or mocked at school because their dietary restrictions are misunderstood.
- Public figures and influencers misrepresent what “gluten-free” means, confusing followers with half-truths and pseudoscience.
For those of us with Celiac, watching these portrayals can feel like being the punchline of a joke we never asked to be part of.
Celiac as a Narrative Opportunity
There is a huge opportunity in pop culture to shift the narrative about Celiac Disease. Imagine a sitcom with a main character who actually has Celiac and shows the realities of checking food labels, avoiding cross-contamination, or navigating awkward dinner parties. Think of how empowering it could be for kids to see themselves represented in animated shows or family movies. Imagine a horror movie where the scariest scene is realizing the gluten-free cupcake at a party was mislabeled (because that’s a real nightmare for us).
These stories don’t have to be sad or medicalized—they can be funny, romantic, dramatic, or adventurous. Just real.
What We Want from Representation
As someone with Celiac Disease, here’s what I—and many others—would love to see from film and television:
- Accurate portrayals: Characters with Celiac that are actually diagnosed, not just “gluten-sensitive” for fun.
- Realistic challenges: Show how people deal with dining out, grocery shopping, or traveling.
- No more punchlines: Stop using “gluten-free” as shorthand for pretentiousness.
- Kids with Celiac: Children deserve to see characters with their condition onscreen, especially in content aimed at them.
- Celebrities who live with Celiac: If actors or public figures have Celiac, let’s highlight their stories responsibly.
Final Thoughts: Let’s Stop Rolling Our Eyes at Gluten-Free
Celiac Disease isn’t trendy. It’s not optional. And it’s not funny when people get it wrong—especially when those mistakes can lead to someone getting really sick.
Movies and television shape public perception. They tell us what’s normal, what’s desirable, and what’s worthy of empathy. So if we want a world where people with Celiac Disease are supported, understood, and protected, representation in media matters.
This May, for Celiac Awareness Month, let’s challenge pop culture creators to go beyond the joke. Let’s write the stories we haven’t seen yet. And most of all, let’s make space for people with Celiac to tell their own stories—carrot cake or not.
🟢 Do you live with Celiac or know someone who does? Share your favorite (or most frustrating) pop culture moments involving gluten-free representation in the comments!
