Peter Rabbit: A Tale of Teachable Moments

On February 9th, Sony Pictures released its long-awaited movie that modernizes the classic tale of Peter Rabbit—the mischievous little bunny that chases about the garden of grumpy old Mr. McGregor.

While this contemporary rendition has generated lots of laughter and merriment nationwide, it’s also making headlines for the upheaval it’s unleashed in the food allergy community.

In case this is news to you, here’s what happens. The young bunny family discovers that grouchy Mr. McGregor is allergic to blackberries. In their attempt to keep him from monopolizing the affection of their beloved Miss Bea, they launch blackberries at him, one of which lands squarely in his mouth. Mr. McGregor starts to experience trouble breathing and promptly injects epinephrine into his thigh. He then swiftly recovers and starts chasing the bunnies, as if nothing happened. Peter Rabbit even goes so far as to say: “Allergic to blackberries! Is that even a thing? Everyone is allergic to everything! Stop using it as a crutch!”

When I heard the news of the blackberry scene, I was frustrated. The food allergy community has made considerable progress in education, awareness, and teaching kids to be sensitive to those with food allergies. For a major motion picture that targets children to portray food allergies so carelessly (and epinephrine inaccurately) felt like a major step backward.

HOWEVER…

I believe there are some huge positives that came out of the film.

First, this movie has catapulted food allergies into major national news. This New York Times article came out three days after the movie’s release. Press around this incident reached a wide audience, which hopefully helped move the needle forward on food allergy education within the general population.

Most importantly, I viewed this film as a great opportunity to create a teachable moment with my food-allergic daughter. Before seeing the movie, we chatted about the blackberry scene and what she would see. We talked about what really happens when you experience an allergic reaction, and most importantly, about the importance of having compassion for others that are different. We use food allergies in our house as a platform to show our children that everyone has attributes that make them unique—and that differences are not a bad thing! Some of their friends may have food allergies, others might wear glasses, and some may sit in a wheelchair, and it’s important to treat others with kindness and consideration, no matter their differences.

By managing expectations and framing the movie in this light we were able to enjoy the film, and even have a follow-up conversation about the scene afterward. So all in all, I’m thankful for the teachable moments Peter Rabbit brought to our house.

- Meg and the Allergy Amulet Team