So this afternoon, against my better judgement, I got drawn into an online discussion about racism. I added my two cents (bringing up the McWhorter Interview I mentioned in my blog here), and then also added my concerns about and frustrations with heightism.
As shown on this Web site, short folks are not only the butt of jokes in songs, movies, and general conversation, but are also systematically discriminated against at work (hired and also promoted less often than taller people), as well as in the social and dating spheres. Not just anecdotally (though I have plenty of personal experience in this area), but statistically and scientifically.
After my post, I was practically laughed and boo’ed out of the thread.
How dare you even equate being short with being black, folks shouted at me. You’re talking apples and oranges, they insisted. Were you ever a slave, were you ever property?
No, I responded. Were you? You, PERSONALLY? Didn’t think so.
One kind fella came to my aid.
So, the difference between the following two statements:
I was overlooked for a promotion because I’m black.
I was overlooked for a promotion because I’m short.
Is? The answer: The black guy has legal recourse, and won’t get told to “just shut up because he’s imagining it.”
As I noted repeatedly in the discussion I was having, I was neither attempting to minimize the impact of discrimination against minorities, such as blacks, nor even trying to argue that heightism is equal in scope or severity to such discrimination… particularly historically.
But at the same time, heightism IS nonetheless a frustrating and insidious covert form of discrimination… and a form for which, I fear, there are no solutions. I can’t see mandating hiring quotas for short people, or forcing women to date guys under 5’8″.
It’s one of those things that we short people just have to live with and adapt to.
It’d sure be nice, however, if our frustrations were at least acknowledged and not laughed off as mere insecurities or paranoia.
* * *
Edited on November 7, 2009 to add this link to the strange-but-catchy Randy Newman piece:
Are you short?? I didn’t picture you that way and I have seen pictures of you.
I’m only 5’1” so most leads are taller than me anyway.
Hey Anita,
Yep, I’m actually writing from personal experience. I’m 5’6”. I look taller and better looking in photos 😀
THE OCMENTS SHOWN NEXT TO YOUR SITE ON SEARCH ENGINES GIVE A BAD FEELING TO ANY ONE READING TO LOOK FOR INFORMATIONS. iF YOU CHANGE THE FIRST FEW WORDS THIS WOUN’T BE A PROBLEM.
Hey there,
I’m assuming you mean the “Short people… got no reason to live,” right?
That’s a direct quote from the (formerly) very popular silly song with the same title by Randy Newman, and it certainly should suggest no disrespect on my part. 🙂
You are right in the sense that be short in todays society is overlooked. I work in the restraunt buisness. I’m 4’11 3/4’ tall and the designs in the kitchens of the restraunts are always designed for those who are 5’5” or taller. Only when a regional manager or a general manager comes into my restraunt and sees the difficult someone like me has with the equipment do they even think of changes. But as usuall when they bring it up a corparate meeting they are told that there not going to make changes all because the standards are set the way they are and there is not enough short people in the industry to change. Well I do not know where they get there information cause I have been in the restraunte buisness for going on 10 years and belive me there are quite a few more short people in the buisness now including most of them being short women. So in short I think some way has got to be found to change peoples minds of short people .
i think short people r tease cause people think they have littler dicks its not true people think o he’s short he must have a little willy and if some chick thinks u have a little one she wont go out with you proven fact chicks like taller people cause they think they r hung better so it’s harder for short people to get hotter chicks it sucks just cause i am 5 feet tall and am in 10th grade
I have noticed short people do get alot of bull for bieng who they are, I for one should know this as I’m a 17 year old chic and only 4″8 in stature and every day, friends and complete strangers remind me of my hiehgt. Comparison to being of a different race and a different hieght is the same thing, what I really hate is the fact that people discriminate so feircly for it. Nowadays if you call somebody fat you will be booed and hated, yet if somebody coments on how you look like a midget, nothing happens. In the magazines they boast that they show ‘all shapes and sizes’ but out of all of the magazines I collect, not once have they reassured short people that they are socially accepted – fatter people have an article an issue. What Im trying to say is give the shorties a break!!!!, if only I could get the message out that it doesnt make us any difference, thanx for the article- Tad
The problem is that people like to feel superior to others. When one looks down at a short person, it makes that short person an easy target. I am a 5’3 34 year old male who has been picked on, teased and harassed. When I was younger, this enraged me and even depressed me. Though I have seem to “out grow” my frustration. I have found that people will judge you as being incompetent based on height. However, a short person can overcome this by being smarter, showing confidence and having character. Its something us short people has to work very hard at everyday of our lives. With these traits, I have found that people, and yes women, will look at you differently. I have even seen the ugliest of people being perceived as being beautiful because they have these traits. By the way, I married a beautiful woman.
I am a 39 year old male 5ft4in. That puts me in the 5th percentile for all males in the United States. I noticed the subtle discrimination years ago during my first job out of college. I didn’t think adults behaved that way, but I was mistaken. I think that short people need to mobilize against the subtle discrimination that seems to be prevalent here in the United States. As for this character BS, you are born with that, too. There are plenty of clueless mfers running this country, and are running it because they are tall. The most incompetent mfers run the show and we short people are holding the bag, paying their fing way, and being worked to death, keeping their butts high and mighty. As for women, most short people end up with the dogs. That is because women would rather play with themselves than be involved with a shorter man, unless, of course, he is mister dashing personality with the keys to a Mercedes. Am I an angry short white male? You bet, and I make no apologies for it. NONE Will I try and compensate for my inadequacies? Of course, I am trying every day, although it is getting harder
I HAVE SERVED IN BOTH THE MILITARY AND WORKED AS A POLICE OFFICER FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS. DURING THIS TIME I HAVE HAD TO PUT UP WITH ALL THE JOKES AND RUDE COMMENTS IN REFERENCE TO MY HEIGHT. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I THOUGHT THAT AS LONG AS I PULLED MY OWN WEIGHT I WOULD BE ACCEPTED BY MY PEERS. THIS HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE, IN FACT IT HAS TURNED OUT THAT NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY, I WILL ALWAYS BE PERCEIVED AS THE SHORT POLICE OFFICER THAT IS TRYING TO PROVE SOMETHING. I DID NOT JOIN THE MILITARY OR BECOME A COP IN ORDER TO PROVE ANYTHING TO ANYONE. I DID IT FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT OTHER MEN JOINED THE MILITARY, TO SEEK ADVENTURE AND TRAVEL OVERSEAS. WHEN I JOINED THE POLICE FORCE, I DID IT IN ORDER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, JUST LIKE MANY OTHERS BEFORE ME. FOR YEARS MY HEIGHT 5’4” HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR TALLER CO-WORKERS, ESPECIALLY THE TALLER OFFICERS WHO SOME HOW FEEL THAT SINCE THEY ARE 6 FEET TALL OR TALLER ARE SOME HOW SUPERIOR. THIS OF COURSE IS NOT TRUE IN EVERY CASE. I HAVE WORKED WITH OFFICERS WHO WERE OVER 6 FEET TALL AND NEVER MADE AN ISSUE ABOUT MY HEIGHT. BUT OF COURSE THERE ARE THOSE WHO MUST HAVE SOME TYPE OF COMPLEX ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT FEEL THAT THEY MUST ATTACK THEIR CO-WORKERS WHO ARE NOT AS TALL AS THEMSELVES. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS I AM NOW CONVINCED THAT CERTAIN FIELDS ARE PRONE TO HEIGHT DISCRIMINATION. LOOK AT ALL THE SUCCESSFUL GENERALS AND POLICE CHIEFS ACROSS AMERICA. VERY FEW ARE SHORT, IN FACT MOST ARE OVER 6 FEET TALL. I FEEL THAT JUST HERE RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF DISCRIMINATION BASED SOLEY ON MY HEIGHT. I HAVE SEEN OTHER POLICE OFFICERS WHO HAVE HALF THE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING THAT I HAVE GET PROMOTED OVER ME. EVEN THOUGH I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PROVE THIS, I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE. I USED TO THINK THAT I WAS SOMEHOW PARINOID, OR MAKING EXCUSES, BUT RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN CONVINCED OTHERWISE. IF ANYONE READING THIS HAS ANY ASPIRATIONS OF BECOMING A POLICE OFFICER OR PURSUING A CAREER IN THE MILITARY, THINK LONG AND HARD, BECAUSE THESE FIELDS ARE GEARED FOR THE 6 FOOTER, NOT THE 5 FOOTER. IT WON’T MATTER HOW FAR YOU CAN CARRY YOUR M-16 AND ALL YOUR OTHER GEAR. IT WON’T MATTER HOW MANY ARREST YOU MAKE, OR CASES YOU CLEAR. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IF YOUR NOT CLOSE TO 6 FOOT OR TALLER, YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT GO FAR. BY THE WAY I WORKED IN OTHER FIELDS BETWEEN MY TIME IN THE MILITARY AND POLICE WORK, AND MY HEIGHT DID NOT SEEM TO BE AN ISSUE. I AM SURE THIS TYPE OF DISCRIMINATION IS EVERY WHERE, BUT IT FEEL THAT IT IS MUCH MORE PREVELANT IN BOTH THE MILITARY AND POLICE WORK.
Thank you for this article. I am a 22 and stand 4’6” tall. And have been this height since I was nine years old. And Everyday, at least two people remind me of my height. Even professors! Sometimes it amazes me how rude people can be. I don’t even respond to half of the comments. But what can I say when people say such stupid uncalled for remarks. I have to constantly prove myself again and again that I am just as capable as completing a task just as good (or better) than someone of average height.
It is very frusterating, when people treat you as a child. I still get into movies as a child, and people think that I am 11 years old. And people constantly ask me if I buy my clothes in the children’s department. Or make remarks about how it looks funny if I date tall man. I never let height be a factor in my decision for chosing who I date (or befriend), because I would not want someone to do that to me. And, I could miss out on a wonderful person.
It is nice to see that there are other people who see being short as discrimination. I would never ask someone how much they weigh? And I don’t know anyone who would, so why would they think that it is okay to ask someone who id short they’re height?
Anna.. That must be rough having comments twice a day. That is entirely too bad. If you live near NYC and are interested in dating a “taller” man, let me know. I stand at 5’4”:)
I don’t live in New York. But,Thank you for the offer. But I do have a boyfriend (he is 6’4”).
thanx alot 4 ur comments…im a 22 male 5’5 , actully i never thought about me being short , till i was 20 yrs old…that was when i asked a girl to go out with me , she refused because i was short for her she was 5’5 too , she wanted a dark TALL and handsom guy , but this is not the issue ,,its my cousins, my cousin is 22 yrs old but he is 6’0..and his brother ( my little cousin ) is 18 and 5’9 and their sisters are 5’7 , me and my brother got the same height 5’5…and i just start to notice that by the guys in the gym …most of’em are 5’8 and taller…which makes me in the girls height shelf ,also short people dont get the respect they deserve from other people. even thou , they think if ur short , ur weak…and what kills me the most is when i hear a joke about short guys in tv like callin’ us midgets , half people , or where did u loos the rest of u….‘cause im short and i dont wanna hear these ugly jokes. so i thought about buyin’ shoes that makes u taller , but still inside me there is a sad part in my heart!!
thank u again and God bless u all!!
I LOVE SHORT PEOPLE… they have every right to leave.!!!!!!
Katie, if you think that remark you made that short people have every right to leave is funny, you have a wierd sense of humor. I am not short but have a short husband and grandson who are betiddled all the time.
Wow, I’ll think twice before telling a “short” joke again. Never looked at it from that point of view, how could I(72” tall)though without hearing it from someone else? One thing though to “Jaded” In your statement: “Am I an angry short white male? You bet, and I make no apologies for it. NONE. Will I try and compensate for my inadequacies?” Is it an inadequacy to be born short? How does one compesate for it? A chip on a shoulder bigger than anyone else. It’s the very attitude you carry that leads to the stereotyping of the short white male. Try just accepting who you are what you have been given rather than compensating for other peoples judgement of this so called inadequacy. It’s what’s in your mind, heart, and actions that you will truly be judged. There are all kinds of people born every day big, short, tall, small, black, white, brown, and for everyone there will be someone who will like them for who they are and if you can’t find that person you just might try checking your attitude, nore likely than not it’s a bad attitude that’s chasing the ladies or men away. Think on it. Oh and also to Katie for your post: “I LOVE SHORT PEOPLE… they have every right to leave.!!!!!!” You’re too funny, thank you for bringing a tear to my eye sweetie!
For everyone out there…God Bless You All!!!!
It wasn’t till college that I actually realized how being short can have such an effect on how people treat you…I can’t believe how rude and totally biased people are!!! Some people don’t even take the time to say hello much less even give you a second look..I’m a short male but I know for certain that God put me here for a reason, and despite what any jackass says about me I will always no that about myself..Thanks for the website!!—and by the way…i have a true friend who is close to 7 ft. tall,,so keep in mind that not all tall people are assholes…thanks again
ALAN: ADD THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES TO YOUR LIST
I’m depressed as usual all my life over my height. My mom was short, however, she has passed. I have one brother who is 5’l0” and his family are normal size. My mom was 5’. I had a Grandfather who must have been 5’l” and I have 3 cousins living on the west coast who are short, however, my brother’s family is near me on the east coast. I grew to be 4’ll-l/2”, never making 5’. Now through the years being the age of 67, I thought for sure people would leave me alone, however, I still get the same comments like all of you seem to be getting, and at my age I thought that would stop. I just got a comment from an adopted niece saying aloud at the family reunion “What are you doing, shrinking”? and I said “yes”, she by the way is 6’ tall. and that is my point….I have lost l” of height and it happens which I never thought of when I was younger. Being brought up during WWII, and being iron deficient, back then, there was no burgers and pizzas to have all the time. Even at my age now ( and my grown children see my frustration,) I get comments like people are telling me something I don’tknow myself – that I am short! I don’t even want to go to social functions anymore cause I know I’ll get it and have to endure the dumb people. I remember that song about short people. I used to hate it. We had a song in the 50’s called “The Shrimp Boats are acoming”, which was sung to me. So now I get it from my own family as I am the runt whereas my cousins are’nt around to compare. I just want to add a dismal outlook, as you get older, height will leave you, and we all will never be accepted for having “a brain”, for some reason short people (to the eyes of the normals) cannot be smart. I used to have alot of self esteem and had my own secretarial business, but I lost it along the way. I have 3 grown sons, and they sympathize with me. They range from 5’8, to 5’9,—my husband is 5’4-l/2” now, and is 7l years of age. He lost l-l/2 inchs, so it happens. Why do we end up laughing at ourselves when we have to accept the dumb peoples comments? I still don’t understand…There is one thing I do when certain people say something I don’t like—I ignore them and when it comes time to give them presents, or money for showers, etc., I don’t go or show up at their event..that is my way of getting even. Oh yes, that niece!!—I told her adopted mother the way I felt by her comment in front of everyone, and at her wedding, I ignored “the bride”, but I did go and eat and to this day, still ignore.
nancy
hi, i am a short person of 4’11, and like alot of short people, could only dream of making it to 5’0, were you are at least considered by society to be “somewhat normal”. Because for those of us who are under 5’0, were are often considered by uninformed of society to be in the “unreal-‘I can’t belive you are so tiny,(is that even possible?’-height catergory by other people.
My sister is 5’4, and sometimes it seems unfair that i am not as tall. Growing up it was sometimes hard. It was not only hard for me, but it was also hard to see my own mother being made fun of for being short.(she is 4’11 too). When we were kids,my mom, my sister and I went to Popular franchise Itlian restraunt most of us know by name. The “average heighted” woman of about 5’6 said to my mother something like: “How tall are you, I’ve never in my life seen anyone so short before.” As a kid, i begged by mom not to make a big deal out of it.she ended up leaving her a penny for a tip. It seemed kinda of impossible for a grown woman not to have ever seen a short person of my mother’s height.
Especially when there are so many short people in this world. But not alot of short people are considered for the mainstream jobs,so how could she have seen many short people.? Alot of times it seems like the “average sized” people are the ones that seem to make fun of heights alot. I know of 2 “average” sized girls say that they would rather be either really short or really tall, but being average, you just didn’t get noticed?… But alot of short people will also discriminate between themselves sometimes. Short girls will sometimes make fun of girls who are shorter than they are. Some short guys won’t always date short girls because they think that the girls shortness is making them aware of their own internalized inferiority.or vice versa. i had a boyfriend who was 5’6 and would make cracks about my shortness because he didn’t like his own height, and would alternaltly tell me about how he wanted a really tall girl. I am not saying that all short guys and girls are like this, but sometimes we do discriminate with eachother.I am not saying people should date according to height. you should date who you want.I try not to discriminate with height in dating. but sometimes when i date someone who is tall, it is hard because we are looked at strangely.it dosen’t really bother us, but it can get to you sometimes. being short, you get a lot of different reactions. i was told my a person who used to be in the army i was too short to join. i applied for a position in the restraunt, and the interviewing manager told me that generally they want the wait staff to be of a certain height so that they can reach things. as an aspiring actor, you don’t always get alot of audtions because of your height. Alot of where it can bother you the most though, is from your own family. On my mothers side of the family,(they are not very tall) members will often talk about your height. my grandfather(who is about 5’6) used to comment alot when i was growing up about how my feet could not reach the floor in a seat. and also they he didn’t think that i would get much taller than my mother,or not as tall, or about how much people weighed. family members are not supposed to bring you down, but they can.
I hate being short. I am 15 and am 4’11. My doctor said I will hit 5’0 before I’m done growing but still, that’s really short. I want to be an actress when I’m an adult, but obviously that probably won’t happen. I hate this so much.
Every one of these comments are so negative. I am 4’11 and 3/4 and I am beautiful inside and out. If being short is your only worry then you must have it pretty good. My height does cause me insecurities sometimes but what person is not insecure. You just have to hold your head high and not care what people think. Even in the job place either they take you as you are and if they dont like you for your height so should think about the people you are applying to work for. I work at a very popular restraunt and people constantly ask me how tall I am and even make uncalled for remarks. My favorite come back is Good things come in small packages, my mom has always told me that and we even have special line of clothing called petites I am 20 so I still wear Juniors but look forward to shopping there. I also have a aunt who is the same height as me. She has her masters degree in specialized education along with a list of other degrees. She is one of the smartest women I have ever meet. And she lives everyday to its fullest, very successful woman. So instead of being on the pitty pot lets celebrate our lives and forget those who discriminate move on to the ones who support and belive me there out there.
This is a press release from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency.
6. Coming Up Taller Awards Deadline: March 25
Coming Up Taller awards recognize and support outstanding after-school and out-of-school community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s underserved young people, and to provide them with new learning opportunities and chances to contribute to their communities.
The Coming Up Taller awards program is an initiative of the President’s
Council on the Arts and Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment
for the Humanities.
Recognizing the exceptional after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs at many of the nation’s libraries and museums, IMLS
encourages these institutions to apply for Coming Up Taller awards. By honoring these programs, IMLS seeks to promote a creative, engaged, skilled, and confident generation of young people.
Coming Up Taller recipients receive $10,000 and are honored at a national ceremony in the Nation’s capital. Apply now for a Coming Up Taller award.
Guidelines, eligibility requirements, past honorees, and applications are
available on the Coming Up Taller Web site.
The postmark deadline is March 25, 2004.
howdy to all of us vertically challenged folks out here in the world . i work construction as an electrician and plumber im male / 5ft3 / in that alone it a diffucullt trade to keep up in because evry thing i do is out of hand and over head i get badgered daily by most of my crew and even my boss refers to me as the fucking midget. i do my best o just blow it off but after 45 years its made some pretty deep trenches in my heart and self esteem , ive quit dating and all hope of marriage (women are simply looking for a taller men ) thank you ladys who vow to say this isnt true your very sweet but its hidden sublimly in the inflection. i see it every day i keep a smiling face on and open doors and be a gentlemen as much as i know how but i merly get snnubbed looks and snide remrks at my mere attemtps of chivalry . as for work!?. i will neevr move up in my job beccause of the same reasons you all have posted yet evry day every one woh works with me says Don! they need to give you a promo or a higher wage because theres not another person in our team of 50 that has the education and abilitys i have in my speacialty feild , i simply tell them im not tall enough and dont fit the height requirement to obtain a supervisiory position ive even over heard a conversation as a fly on the wall scnerio happened to me one morning and heard the conversation in the office about my work , when al was said and done, i wanted to run out the door and never be seen again ,when my boss said my crew would never respect me because i was a fucking midget! i seen a few taller peole in hre make some comments its our attitude that makes the difference ,, cute! but very laughable i have a great attitude and chat with nice peole evry day in the chat rooms and have a great time , but the chat rooms gives an advantage thats not held in the public eye the peole whom you chat with have no idea of your height so it lends itself to being a more level playing feild(
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