Friday, February 6, 2015

Hallmark Needs another Do Over

Another wonderful evening of sappy Hallmark love movies, or so I thought.

I sat down to watch I Do I Do I Do which is a knock-off combination of Groundhog Day and 50 First Dates.

I had just come home from a catered event, just fresh from having an argument discussion with the catering manager over whether it was appropriate for me to use my fingers to serve myself some food.  Despite forgetting to put out napkins, plates and silverware, he RUSHED right over when he saw the finger trick and insisted I use the gluten-infested tongs instead.  When I asked for silverware or a clean spoon, he insisted I use what was there.

I said, "I'm just going to use my fingers, very carefully, thank you."

He said, "That is OK if you have washed your hands and haven't blown your nose."

It's not like I just pulled my hand out of my butt right before getting in line.  I had been eating all day with same hands and hadn't gotten sick, yet I was required to use a utensil that would have made me get sick for a couple of days.  After that kerfluffle, someone rushed in with all the necessary utensils.

Sooo......I thought the Hallmark movie was going to be a bit more relaxing.  Then they started in with the gluten comments.  In this movie, the main character gets to do a "do over" of her wedding day, presumably until she gets it right.  And a bunch of the "do over" days included stabs at gluten-free food, including the wedding cake.  She gets to do the day over and over until she realizes that the man she marries every day and that gluten-free lemon cake aren't right for her.  Somehow, this new gluten-eating behavior is supposed to make her more spontaneous and free.

Yep, this is Hallmark's version of a "do over" and it looks like they will be headed for another day, since they still don't get it.  Awhile back, Hallmark was blasted for its insensitive greeting card mocking gluten-free.  Whoops!  They did it again.

But gee, I would like a "do over" too.  Wouldn't it be nice to wake up one morning and be able to eat anything I want?  To not have to rush to the front of the buffet line before everything gets contaminated, and the people brush all the condiment utensils on their buns?  Or, be able to walk out the door in the morning, not having to take all this food, and just be able to go out to a store or a coffee shop if I want to.  Unfortunately, when I wake up tomorrow, I will still have to avoid gluten, and have to deal with the gluten-haters.


7 comments:

  1. Well crockery, napkins, the correct utensils and enough of them should always be provided at a catered event ... even when having a home event you make these available don't you?

    All the best Jan

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  2. The people who are not careless are too boring for a movie. How a free-spirited person can follow any restrictions? Gluten-free person is almost like a Grinch who stills Christmas every day of his/her life.
    I regularly encounter people who think that allergies are all in my head.

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  3. Yes, Jan, these utensils are usually available. And, if they had put out actual plates, I wouldn't have to go back for seconds. All they had were tiny appetizer plates. I didn't worry all that much about the other supplies, since I always bring a cloth napkin and real silverware with me. I was especially disappointed because I know that this caterer handles gluten-free food and also trains other groups on providing a gluten-free dining experience. However, even though they were knowledgeable about which food was gluten-free, the set-up was sort of a disaster. Make-your-own-sandwich bars aren't good, because the bread is at the beginning and everything goes downhill from there. Even though I rushed to be first in line, there were lines on both sides, and wouldn't you know it, the second person in line schmeared the condiments all over her bread just before I could grab it. It I actually had a spoon at that moment, I could have grabbed some of it before she swished the spoon all over the bread and put the contaminated spoon back. This should just be catering 101. I attended a catered event shortly after diagnosis and they really got it. All the staff knew exactly what was in the food. All the entree selections were gluten-free, and the bread was at the very end. Same with the desserts. The stuff I could eat at the front, all the cakes only at the end.

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  4. Hey Galina, if she was really adventurous, she could have ditched the cake altogether, or make it out of bacon. I really object to making gluten-free people out to be prissy, demanding and rigid. Nobody sez that to people who religiously avoid rat poison.

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  5. Hallmark should have "died" years ago -- it's been a LONG time since they offered anything for people with an IQ over 75.... look on the bright side: the movie's groom was the one who really lucked out, getting rid of that loser! ;-)

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  6. Do you remember the moment in the almost iconic movie Sleepless in Seattle, where a damped fiance was annoyingly suffering from allergies?

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  7. Yes, Galina, I remember that movie, and as a person who used to have allergies, I found it really annoying.

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