When Oliver fell down the school stairwell, I’ll admit I was skeptical. It was the same footage from the original Hannah Montana episode, and I don’t think I liked it the first time either. I didn’t like that the first depiction of diabetes was that of a kid falling down the stairs.
But Susanne, being the voice of reason, was quick to mention that it could happen; if he was very low.
Charlie had another take on it.
"He’s high," I think, Charlie said.
"I’m silly when I’m low, but if I’m really high, my eyes feel funny and I get a little dizzy."
Hats off to Disney.
Sugar Boy? Gone.
Oliver’s zombie-like lust for sweets that he couldn’t touch? Completely rewritten.
Last November, I wrote the following in reaction to the original episode:
"I think the joke can be that Oliver wants to eat the treats and CAN eat the treats, but Miley and Lilly won’t let him because of their misunderstand of the disease."
Disney nailed it. We applauded in our living room when Oliver set the record straight to his two friends who had spent the night doing everything in their power to keep cupcakes and licorice away from him.
"I have type 1 diabetes which means I can have stuff with sugar in it. As long as I manage my diet and monitor my blood sugar with this (Oliver takes out what looks to be a continuous glucose monitor). According to this, my blood sugar is low. Which means I actually need something … like a brownie."
Lilly gives him a deodorant-laced brownie from her armpit - confiscated earlier in her role as food police.
Oliver explains why he kept his diabetes a secret.
"I didn’t want you guys to look at me like I was broken. Because I’m not."
They wrapped it up with a nice public service announcement, dispelling the other common misconception of diabetes being caused by eating too many sweets.
Think about how many households in America watch Hannah Montana.
Well done, Disney.





