#heightism

[a-little-revolution]

Hello, I really wanted to express my personal gratitude to you for having this blog and sharing your voice. For context, I am an able-bodied and intellectually disabled person of color who is of short stature (not a little person). You are the *first* online activist I have encountered who takes seriously the cultural and accessibility issues that come with being short (LP or not), and having related proportions like small hands and short legs. These traits are also very often racialized in my experience as an Asian person, another angle that I have seen no one talk about despite its prominence in my life.

It pains me immensely how normalized it is even among "progressive" circles to mock and shame short stature, and to dismiss the people who vocalize being hurt. It reminds me of how my disability is treated, even amongst the most otherwise progressive people. The things you say about "physical comedy" strike a chord in me because it is deeply damaging to see my proportions only emphasized as comic relief, and even more damaging to see otherwise inclusive people laugh along. I often feel universally ostracized and belittled; I have been denied the dignity and respect of adulthood due to my race, my disability, and yes, my stature, and very, very few people take me seriously on this issue. Again, you are the first person I have seen online treating this with any measure of dignity. Even though I am not myself a little person, I thank you sincerely for helping me feel seen and for allowing me to discover a community with which I feel solidarity.

Hello!! I'm so glad you've found my blog helpful!! Yes, there are several access and social issues that go beyond simply people with dwarfism, to all people of short stature! We may not have the same history or face the same medical discrimination, but the culture surrounding being short and the world that is built for the average heighted (white man) can be just as debilitating and easily overlooked!

I'm happy to provide this solidarity, especially when it means that blogs like mine can be valuable to a variety of demographics. Little people are a small minority, and face one of the last socially acceptable forms of discrimination - all allies are welcome here.

Elliot (they/them)

[neuroticboyfriend]

thanks to ableism, heightism, and fatphobia, almost nothing is made to fit or work for my body ever. mobility aids. furniture. clothes. shoes. cars. etc. etc. if any of these do work out for me, they're usually expensive and i have a much more limited selection than abled, average height, straight sized people.

this isn't just inconvenience, either. things like furniture and shoes not being made for me causes me pain and takes a toll on my body, because i physically cant use them properly. making things fit me takes energy and money that i cant afford, but sometimes have to spend anyway. the safety measures in things like cars could injure or even kill me if i were to get in a bad accident.

being short, fat, and disabled in this society is so much harder than it has to be. it's unfair and downright dangerous that our bodies aren't being taken into account when designing almost everything around us. disabled people deserve better. fat people deserve better. people with short and tall stature deserve better.

we're just as much part of this world as everyone else, and we deserve to live in a world that acts like we exist.

[blackpilled-modernwaste]

I hate it when women try to bluepill you with height.

"As a woman dating a tall guy.. i think-"

Okay case closed, see you tomorrow.

[arainesque]

i love chris martin

[kindheart525]

I didn't know that this was a thing that could happen until recently but I beg of you, please do not call short people "smol beans." Idk if the internet has rotted people's brains or what but we are real people and not your blorbos from your fandoms. It's extremely infantilizing and dehumanizing. I am a grown woman with a degree and being under 5 feet tall (as a symptom of a disability I might add) does not take away from that.

[antifathomable-shapeshifter]

heightism is a real thing. a real systemic thing that intersects with other marginalized identities. is the the "worst" type of oppression one can face? no, but oppression olymics is dumb.

short jokes aren't funny.

and before you're like "oh haha op can't take a joke he's 5'2"", may i direct your attention to ableism against people with dwafism, the specific type of infantilizing misogyny <5' adult women face that compares them to children, and the general shittiness of making fun of a body type people can't control.

fuck all of you who make short jokes. especially if you consider yourself at all progressive. you should know better.

[daydreamodyssey]

With short men feeling lonely and less likely to be in dates, having less respect in personal space (being touched more) or competency, considering limb enlargement surgery, and a not small number of suicidal ideation and feeling like lesser people, we have to be more conscious about heightism for men

If we really want to curb toxic masculinity, we need to change the unscientific idea that tall / large means manly, and focus on personality and achievements

[lejacquelope]

Women aren't dating anymore, they're accessory-hunting. It's over for all of Gen-Y and Z. Sorry guys but the last good women were born in Gen-X. It's all downhill from here.

[not-this-crude-matter]

Forgive me Father, I intend to sin.

I abhor heightism, especially when it comes to folks ragging on short men and their dating prospects.

But if I ever get the ideal opportunity to cut an asshole down to size by referring to his nonsense as "5'9" behavior," I'm taking it. I wanna know how it feels.

[howshemovesnj]

The “Short Men and Dating” Controversy

A man’s height is controversial in dating and there are MANY angry discussions about it online, so since I’m 5”7, let’s dig in! I have never been called short by a woman but of course, this is the type of thing that would never be said in polite conversation. I know I’m perceived as short, because in fifth grade, I was called “Short Dweeb” by another kid I was arguing with. In my late twenties, I got into an argument online with a guy I knew in person. He referred to my “little hobbit ass.” Why use that as an insult? He had never seen my hairy bare feet, so the only reason he’d compare me to a hobbit would be because I’m short, right? I have no concrete evidence if my height has been a factor in my luck with dating, so let’s explore the dating histories of four short guys I know of.

              Guy A was a close college friend. He was even shorter than me and had a nasal voice plus kind of an obnoxious, pushy personality. He had bad luck with girls his freshman year. He even pissed a girl off because he “stalked” her at a school carnival (her words were relayed back to him through a mutual friend of ours). His sophomore year, he got a hot blonde girlfriend taller than him. He told us she said he was handsome. I was sitting with my other group of friends at dinner once, and the two of them walked in. My tall bodybuilder friend remarked, “How’d he pull that off?” I said, “She says he’s handsome.” He replied, “I’m insulted!” People are aware of leagues in dating, and my muscular friend was obviously surprised, even annoyed that my other short friend could get a hot blonde. So, Guy A and this girl went out for three years, but it didn’t work out. He and I kept hanging out after that, and he went back to struggling with women, complaining about the “friend-zone” and how they want “bad boys” while he deserves love just because he has a good job, apartment, etc. He’s now 40 at the time of this article and I don’t believe he’s had a girlfriend since. He has had many female friends. However, he did date that babe for a while. He’s what I call a “one-hit wonder.”

              Guy B is only a bit taller than me and is also a one-hit wonder. He had a cute girlfriend over a decade ago but has been single since. He’s nice, good, and has a lot of close, loyal friends, but I think he’s just not perceived as sexy. I’ve mentioned before how I can tell when a man is attractive. He is by no means ugly, but he has this sort of goofy face that almost makes him look like a cartoon character: cute but not hot, if that makes sense. I know of another middle-aged guy like this who has this same goober face, and I don’t believe he has had a girlfriend recently. He also has a history of posting footage from strip clubs and raunchy television shows on social media, so make of that what you will. I think he’s very horny, and I can certainly relate! Talking about someone’s face may make me sound very shallow and judgmental but let me tell you why I bring it up: I THINK I MYSELF HAVE THIS KIND OF GOOBER FACE. I mentioned before that I’m no Channing Tatum, but I think I might also have a “cute but not sexy” face. Because people are polite, I can only speculate that this combined with my height puts me in that harmless unsexy friend category with women.

              Guy C is also short with a goofy face but is married… to a heavy woman. I know, whoa, body shaming! However, I must point out her weight to do a true deep dive into this issue. This fact is relevant because many short men and “incels” complain that they can only get fat women, and not the “hot” women they want. As for Guy C and the missus, looks are not everything. There is no doubt in my mind that they could have something deep and meaningful beyond physical appearances. But for the sake of what I’m discussing, it is worth mentioning that neither one of them is pulling a supermodel anytime soon. Could they be wonderful human beings who are perfect for each other? Absolutely! There are many successful relationships and marriages between two average or below-average-looking people. Long-term commitments are based on interpersonal and emotional factors that go way deeper than physical sex appeal. But if you only want a fit woman and you’re not a tall stud, your mileage is going to vary. There is also nothing wrong with that. I am fit and although I’m not tall, I do not settle for anyone who isn’t fit herself.

              Lastly, Guy D was kind of short, but he was very good-looking. He didn’t have a goofy face. He might have even been considered for a modeling contract, and guess what? He was a CrossFitter who was dating an attractive girl with a fit body who worked out at the same box! Here’s a crazy fact. One day, our box did this competition in the Poconos. We all went to dinner afterwards and I could hear a conversation Guy D was part of. He sheepishly mentioned that amongst his group of male friends, he was the “only one who could get laid.” There you have it! Everything about your physical appearance is a factor. If only I was as good-looking as Guy D.

              Why explore this issue? With all the grievances that have been made online ten times over about short men not getting women, I have never seen a real nuanced discussion of personal experiences and comparisons amongst a variety of short men. I’ve seen guys state they can’t get dates because they’re short, I’ve seen responses to them telling them to change their attitude and just “be confident,” and I’ve seen people give the example of that one short dude they know who has everything else going for him and never has a problem with the ladies. Tom Cruise is somewhere in that equation. I just decided to unpack this myself and share it with the world. Cheers!

[lawyeronabike]

Under Six Feet / Six Feet Under #2: With Respect to Ms. Tomlinson

It's funny, because who would ever want to fuck a short guy, am I right? /s

-After Midnight: Season 1, Episode 1

[neuroticboyfriend]

heightism is so fucking annoying. its so hard to find things that work with my body and the things that do work are more expensive than standard sized shit??? like you literally use less material to make them what the fuck!

i have a petite rollator and the seat height is still too high for me.

[blackpilled-modernwaste]

''I'm a tall girl, i know how it feels to be-''

There are lots of articles out there of women who were insecure and bullied for being tall, until they realized that tall girls are sought out by modeling agencies. Name me a short guy who was bullied for being short, and is now proud of his height. Short guys in cvck relationships, or short guys being settled down for after riding the cock carousel dont count.

[ifitistobeitisuptous]

it's recently come to my attention that 3 of my moots are the same height as me, so now I'm wondering...

[smimon]

Unpopular opinion but calling Jere “pocket-sized” is just as wrong as calling him “friend-shaped”

[fictionkinfessions]

I remember not liking Saruhiko's dad. Niki was surely worse for Saruhiko to be around, I mean. He abused him, of course. But the few times I remember seeing him, I just remember how much that man pissed me off. He'd make fun of how short I was or for my name. I was convinced he was just transphobic, but he just sucked in general, it seemed. Especially considering he nearly burned me, jesus christ.

I'm sure Saruhiko is glad he's gone. -Yata Misaki fictive

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