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Seizure jokes aren’t funny

I just watched Beyoncé strut her stuff during the SuperBowl Halftime Show. The show was full of so many strobes that the Twitterverse was a-buzz with snarky comments about seizures. I now have a headache after watching the show. But I have to say the headache is more from the comments on Twitter than from the strobes.

Seriously, strobes can cause seizures. Seizures can kill.
Not cool Beyoncé. Not cool NFL.

The flood of bad seizure jokes makes me wonder how may football players, coaches, fans in the stadium and fans watching on television have photosensitive epilepsy.

If you think epilepsy is no big deal check out Epilepsy by the Numbers. You might be surprised.

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Founder and CEO Jessica brings a unique perspective to this leading epilepsy blog as she was diagnosed with epilepsy as a teen. She also brings 20+ years experience in marketing.

9 Responses

  1. Kelly Dalton
    | Reply

    You are absolutely right, there was alot of strobe lights, people don’t realize or understand seizures at all if they did you would see more respect for Epilepsy just like you see breast cancer awareness, heart awareness, etc….My son has epilepsy and just had brain surgery in hoping to control the seizures, so far its been a success; but still we really need to raise awareness with Epilepsy just like all other silent killers.

    • Pie
      | Reply

      i agree !

  2. Pie
    | Reply

    wow i can not believe people would do that that is not just wrong it is very wrong !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! obviously people need to get their facts straight and learn what offensive means to people when they make these jokes i am an older sister to an epileptic

  3. bill ditty
    | Reply

    I have suffered for 7 years and find the jokes funny. Lives too short

  4. clandestinemirage
    | Reply

    I have had E for 25 years and still do not find it funny. I make little jokes sometimes and I think it’s partially due to expecting it from others and beating them to the punch but when it is joked about to me as if its no big deal, that hurts because it’s embarrassing and I’ve suffered every type of seizure, injuring myself and needing stitches. They could be fatal too. Not to mention waking from an episode to hear you were foaming at the mouth and choking on blood are not humorous things. I think those without E joke out of ignorance. Because they would not make such remarks if they had family/friends with the illness.

  5. jamie
    | Reply

    I love epilepsy jokes I have them and it always puts a smile on my face my husband hates them though.

    • Jessica Keenan Smith
      | Reply

      Interesting, do either you or your husband have epilepsy? I don’t mind mocking myself and my own epilepsy. But I get a little prickly when there is a deluge of seizure jokes on social media in response to some news item. What is your experience?

  6. Austin
    | Reply

    I have had epilepsy since I was born and I have a really bad case to where I can never drive, I can’t go to school, or really find it hard to support my self, but I love epilepsy jokes and love when anyone tells me them. I believe if you don’t like epilepsy jokes than that’s fine, if you do than that’s great, but do not run around making stories about it either way. You can participate in the joke or walk away

    • Leila Zorzie
      | Reply

      That’s an interesting perspective! I don’t mind poking fun at myself or my epilepsy, but I don’t like when seizure jokes are made out of ignorance. I think there’s a difference between a joke made among friends and a joke that’s made at someone else’s expense out of ignorance. Sometimes people don’t know that fine line!

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