A Little Person Blogger or a Little Person Who Blogs
I’ve had some really interesting conversations over the last couple of days, and while these conversations are resulting in a “musing” more than a “social media” or a “marketing” post, I wanted to share the results of what I have been talking about with various friends and family members.
It all started on Saturday. I was conversing with several people on a thread about Pinterest and once again mentioned the fact that I hate generalizations. Dan Perez pointed out that I say that an awful lot. In a sort of blink response, I said that I probably hate generalizations because I have been dismissed so often as a result of generalizations having to do, quite simply, with the fact that I’m about a foot shorter than the “average” bear. As a kid, doctors showed me chart after chart showing how my height was “below normal.” My pinky fingers are curved and therefore I must have *something* wrong with me. At restaurants I often get skipped over even though I’m next in line because people assume that I’m somebody’s kid (increasingly enchanting as I get older and older).
I don’t like being victimized by these generalizations, and therefore, I do my best not to lump other people together based on other generalizations. It’s a gut thing.
Peter Dinklage
The next series of conversations occurred last evening during the Golden Globes. Peter Dinklage won a Golden Globe for his role in Game of Thrones. I noted how wonderful and gratifying it was to see a Little Person earn kudos for acting, and not for a show like “Little People Big World.” As I was feeling like maybe the tide was finally turning for Little People, a friend of mine posted to my Facebook page a link regarding the “shout out” that Peter included at the end of his thank you speech. He mentioned a guy named Martin Henderson, and as the music was cutting him off, he asked the audience to “Google him.” My friend had. As it turned out, Martin Henderson had been standing outside a pub when a gang of miscreants picked him up and tossed him into the air (because dwarf tossing is a good hobby). Henderson may have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
The high and the low of these two conversations is creating quite a whirlwind in my head today. So I thought I would talk to you about it.
The Lack of Humanity in the Treatment of Little People
Compared to a lot of people who are categorized as “Dwarf,” I am very fortunate. I am 4’5, which is on the tall end of dwarfism. I do not have Achondroplasia, which means that my body is proportional and I do not have any bone or muscle problems tied to my condition. That being said, I am enough “below the norm” that my experience, I find, is more relatable to Little People than it is to just “people.”
That being said, I have been acutely aware, my whole life, of how poorly Little People are treated. Whether it’s Hollywood, TV commercials, or people posting ads to Craigslist asking for “midgets to perform at parties,” I have always been amazed at how little society seems to care about the fact that Little People are so often abused and maltreated. In fact, more often than not, these sad occasions are greeted with laughter as opposed to outrage. People laughed at the “Dwarf tossing” jokes in Lord of the Rings, which were completely gratuitous. Another friend of mine even informed me that a politician is arguing that government has no right to ban dwarf tossing. Really.
What do I do?
When I was in college I went to see a presentation by an artist who happened to be a Native American. His art was not what we *generally* think of when we think of Native American art, and he said he got a lot of crap from his people about that. “Why aren’t you representing our culture now that you’re finding success?” He just wanted to express himself. He didn’t want to be a Native American artist. He wanted to be an artist.
Similarly, I do not want to be “that Little Person blogger.” I don’t want my whole life to be summed up by the fact that I’m under 60″ tall. In fact, I’ve been trying to separate myself from that reality for years. However, there is also the startling fact that kids who are growing up as Little People right now have precious few people they can look to as role models in the public space. Billy Barty was my main role model when I was a kid, and my experience didn’t really relate to his at all. Over the years there have been a few Little People, like Robert Reich, who managed to make it big without just being “that Little Person.” By being out there and doing his thing, he made a point, maybe without even trying to.
I’m thinking there may be some value to that.
There’s another factor too, though, and that is that the prejudice against Little People is so embedded and so strong in our society that it is a more dangerous world for Little People. I don’t like to go out in a city by myself because you never know when you’ll meet that big group of jerks who wants to harass you – or worse. It’s embarrassing. It’s frightening. And it’s so unnecessary.
What can you do?
If you are interested in this issue, there are two super easy ways you can help me and other Little People out. First- be vocal. If you see someone using the word “midget” suggest that they could choose a far less offensive word. If you see a Little Person being harassed, speak up.
Also, I created a Facebook page awhile back called Spread the News: the Word Midget is Offensive and Hurtful. If you are of a mind, show your support simply by liking it. I don’t converse there much anymore, but 1,495 people like it as of today. That’s a brightly shining star.
There are, of course, tons of groups of people who receive similar treatment. I hate all injustices. But for today, I’m focusing on one that affects me directly. And on Martin Luther King Day, I’m going to go ahead and fling out a dream that one day Little People will just be “people” who happen to be little.
That will be a great day indeed.
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clobby/379764 via Creative Commons
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A member of my immediate family is a Little Person so I know first-hand how much prejudice is out there. Good for you for speaking out. I share your dream that one day this prejudice will be a thing of the past.
@hbludman thank you very much!
I attended a school in Jerusalem, and there was a little person in my class; had never really thought about it much or met a Jewish little person. She was a hoot…smoked, cussed like a sailor, got tattooed, liked to cut class in favor of going across the street to the little falafel stand. Anyone knows that the easiest way to get killed in Jerusalem is to cross the street, and she would cross against the light, in the middle of the block every time. Scared the bejeezus out of me and I would actually put myself between her and the traffic, figuring they could see my 6-foot self from further away. She wasn’t too fast, and when I’d suggest we cross at the light, she’d say, “Screw that.” (She actually used a different verb, but I’m trying to keep it clean.) Cracked me up how she was so in-your-face brave. But I knew that it came from a place of pain. She took crap every day of her life–at best overlooked, at worst mocked–and she just wasn’t going to put up with it any more. Good for her. I don’t know where she is now, but I hope she’s giving ’em hell. She’s ten feet tall to me.
@Kim Phillips Hi Kim. I call that the Napoleon factor. I’ve always had that too, although it surfaces in different ways. When I was a kid I’d always want to help my mom and dad shovel the driveway or do stuff around the yard. I’d drive them nuts because I’d always start shoveling with a shovel that was taller than me or a I’d start lifting up the heaviest thing available. There is also a lot of pressure to be funny. As one comedian explained it, if you are funny, then people don’t have as much time to laugh at you because they are laughing with you, or rather, laughing at you the way you want them to.
It’s sad that we all have these little traps that we can fall into, isn’t it?
Thanks for sharing the story of your friend!
@margieclayman I’ve been six feet tall since 9th grade, so you can imagine I caught some teasing and was considered un-date-able (that may have actually been due to my personality) so clothes never fit right and I was considered a dweeb. After high school, I actually came to look upon being tall as a good thing (never a fashion plate anyway) because I could gain weight without people taking note and I can put my cookbooks on the top of my cabinets without using a chair. Studies have been done that show that taller people are considered more “credible” and more worthy of respect. That’s crap of course… that the world values people based on completely exterior features.
Great post, Margie. I have no real personal experience with Little People being harrassed, but I do have a greatdeal of experience with prejudice.
It is an unkind world, with lots of people with small minds and big egos. There are many who can only make themselves feel better about themselves by denigrating someone else.
We should all hope that one day we will all just be “people.” That would indeed be a great day.
@martinamcgowan
@Doc_1 Thanks Martina, and amen!
Very personal post, Margie. Thank you so much for sharing. I struggle with this.
There is a little person in the school that my daughter goes to, but my older kids go to a different school and saw him for the first time at a school carnival. My 7 yo son was fascinated. I’m not sure he’d ever seen a little person before. We’ve talked about “people look different, but we’re all people” before. It’s easy to do with race or disabilities because there are lots of examples and it becomes common and therefore not noteworthy. But there aren’t as many little people around for my children to be exposed enough that it isn’t noteworthy to them.
Do you have any suggestions from your experience on ways parents have handled their curiosity that was done well?
Here’s a post I wrote about this issue actually: http://specialhappens.com/2011/10/19/questions-typical-parents-are-afraid-to-ask-by-daria-mom-in-management/
@MomInManagement Thanks Daria.
The funny thing is that when I was a kid, and even to some extent now, I also find my eye drawn to people who are little like I am. I actually wrote about it once, wondering if Little People could create a special code so we could talk to each other while waiting in line. “Where did you get those clothes?” “How did you learn to drive?” These are all questions I want to talk about with people who are in a similar boat, but doing so when we are both just trying to blend in never seems like the best idea.
In terms of how parents can handle seeing people who are like me, all I can really do is tell you what I’ve experienced that was hurtful, not because of what the child said but because of the parent’s lack of reaction.
1. I walked into a store where I worked and a little toddler immediately started yelling out, “LOOOK! A midget, mom, a midget!” Now this taught me a couple of things about that’s kid’s parent. First of all, the kid already knew that offensive word. Second, there was no sense that yelling stuff out like that was rude. Teach your children that the “m” word is a derogatory word that has a history buried deep in freak shows. It’s not pleasant.
2. Often a kid will look at me while I’m standing in line and ask, “Why are you so little?” Seldom do they get shushed, so the parenting is left to me. Depending on my mood I might say, “Well, why are YOU so little?” Or I might say, “I was just made this way.” Really though, the parent should intervene immediately and say that questions like that are rude. That is a learning opportunity in action and a lot of parents miss it.
If possible, I’d try to get your kids to sit down with a Little Person so that they can ask questions. I babysat for some friends of mine and their daughter was just thoroughly convinced that I was an adult because I wasn’t much taller than her. We sat down with her mom and talked about it. She was puzzled when she thought about the fact that her mom was shorter than her dad, or that her mom’s younger sister was still taller than her. These are things that we take for granted but that kids still don’t grasp. Talking about it and creating a learning opportunity out of it is the best way to go, in my opinion.
@margieclayman Thanks Margie! By the way, I also had zero idea that you were a little person and it means about as much to me as if you had said you were a natural blonde. Your personality is huge as is your heart. I love the discussions you raise and the thought provoking ideas you continually provide. Keep it up!
Margie,
I never thought about the fact I was blessed so early. There was this incredible Little Person who’s name I didn’t know for years and as a teen I did, but its been decades since I have seen him so the name has slipped away. He was the local hero in our neighborhood. He owned a bike shop. The shop was called “The Bike Man” and since that was on his van, that’s what we always called him. He was such a nice guy. Had several kids not far from us in age and was friendly enough to help all of us out when we got a flat, or the chain slipped or whatever.
Knowing him from early on always made me think how awesome Little People could be. During my years in NY I worked with a girl who became a good friend. Her brother was a dwarf and the pressure of that was really hard on a high school kid. In fact, he made the decision to forego college and have some surgeries to help lengthen his arms and legs. That took so much time, was so painful, and yet he felt confident that the pain then would be worth it in how differently he could be seen throughout adulthood. I remember his months of recovery with a good bit of time where he wasn’t ambulatory…. We all wanted to provide him support and he regularly supported us! He kept me up on the great music that was coming out. He rarely said anything about why it was worth it. Seeing your post gives me some additional insight to the pain I knew he may have dealt with.
Thanks for being the brave one to put this out there… for taking the time to make others think beyond their small realm…. for helping others who may not be sensitive to the kinds of things a Little Person has to face.
And if I can ever in St Louis traveling, know now someone who considers herself too tall would appreciate the balance a night out with you could bring.
jp
@JPlovesCOTTON There were a lot of conversations when I was a kid about whether I should have a surgery like that. Well, actually, “a” surgery is incorrect. They basically break your legs, let them heal while they extend your bones, then break your legs again. My big dream was to reach 5′ so it seemed like kind of an okay idea to me, but my parents convinced me otherwise, and in retrospect, I’m glad they talked me out of it. I think going to that extent to try to change how you were born is more sad than positive. It bespeaks a lack of acceptance and a lack of self-love.
Thanks for sharing your stories – it’s interesting, isn’t it, how a child’s first experience with people can be so formative. Surely there’s a lesson there.
Brave post ma’am. I had ZERO idea you were little. I just knew you mattered in my world.
The editor of Entrepreneur Mag @entMagazineAmy and I had this chat one day. Why are business women labeled as successful ‘women’ – why can’t we just be successful?
I don’t understand society’s fixation on ‘labels’. As the mom of a son with brain damage and as a former ‘heavy’ person myself…labels have always chapped me. My manifesto this year is ‘Defy Labels’
I wrote about this in a way yesterday too and I’m so proud of you standing tall and strong. If pretty is as pretty does then I think tall is as tall does. And there are an awful lot of ‘small’ people in this world, my friend. YOU are not one of them.
@barefoot_exec Well thank you so much for this Carrie. Your words are greatly appreciated.
Many people tell me, “Well, you don’t seem little to me.” I appreciate the sentiment, but in the physical world, which is where (alas) we must spend most of our time, this is what I am. If I can make peace with that and help others make peace with being “different,” whatever that may be, then my time in the physical world will have been well spent. It’s a goal to shoot for, non?
margieclayman, It’s human nature to notice “who is like me,” “who is different from me.” It’s the birds-of-a-feather phenomenon. So far so good. But sadly, it’s also human nature to build on this by establishing a social pecking order. Kids learn it very young in their social settings. (Who’s cool/not? Who’s pretty/not? Who’s athletic/not? Who’s tall/short? Who’s thin/heavy?) Kids learn to choose early to be like people who are <descriptor of choice>, or at least be with them. I really believe that prejudice (just another word for hate) is part of the human condition. As a Christian parent, I can attest that teaching myself and my children to love and respect everyone regardless of a pecking order, and regardless of our perception of sameness/differentness, is a swim against our nature, and the social tide. However, it must be learned if we will ever become living illustrations of the God who freely loved us.
margieclayman, sentence correction. I meant to say, “Kids learn to choose early to be like people who are *descriptor of choice*, or at least, be with them.”
@averageus I am not sure we are programmed to hate, but I think we are programmed to categorize people into “like me” and “not like me.” Once you start noticing things like that, you have a decision to make. How are you going to react to that difference? I choose not to bring a bag of racism to dealings with people who aren’t white. I choose not to be biased against people who are 6’10 or 3’10. But it’ s a choice, one I learned in both easy ways and hard ways. It can be done, however. I strongly believe that.
@margieclayman@averageus Yes, it can be done. Thanks again for the great post!
One of my sisters is about 4’10, maybe. She claims to be 5 feet but I know better. And I do know that she has had issues her entire life as well because people haven’t always taken her seriously.
She works at a high school and at 37 she still fights sometimes with new staff who insist that she go to her classroom or be marked tardy. I imagine that this has to get old very quickly.
@TheJackB Yeah, it does get tiresome. I still get handed kid menus as a thirty-something. Sometimes I try to go ahead and order a kiddie size of spaghetti to see how far we can travel down that road together. If I can get full on $1.99 plus get a free sundae because someone is ignorant, heck, sounds good to me! But I did not always feel so.
@margieclayman My sister has a twin who is over five feet tall. I can get away with teasing them about their height, but only because I have been doing it since they were around 10 and used to promise that they would grow taller than me.
I have to admit that they both have me beat on airplanes- they fit in the seats and I don’t. Can’t say that I am surprised to hear your restaurant story as I see it happen with my sister all the time. Really doesn’t speak very highly of the servers. If they took a moment to look at you they would realize that you aren’t ten.
Dear Margie –
You can count on that I will intercede if I run into some abuse.
I have a frine who is 4’10”. She is always looking for a man. She considers it an asset to be “petite.” Always mentions it on match.com.
There are so many short men out there, she says.
And she does not run out of takers.
Just a different attitude, I guess.
@miraclady Thanks Corinne. I’m sure there are people who would lust after my particular demographic. I would prefer to be judged by my insides – and I’m not talking about my vital organs
Margie,
My wife had the chance to meet & interview Billy Barty a number of years ago (in her newspaper days) and she was enchanted and charmed by him. I’ve been a Peter Dinklage fan since “The Station Agent,” and it was great to see him win last night. (I’m not an HBO subscriber, so I have no idea what “Game of Thrones” is about… guess I’ll wait ’till it shows up on Netflix!) Great post my dear, and I’ll happily join that chorus of folks who have your back.
@TomRedwine Thanks Tom. I don’t get HBO either and had heard mixed reviews of Game of Thrones, but I’m thinking I might give it a watch now
If you’re not up to speed, in “Game of Thrones,” Peter plays Tyrion, a brilliant, worldly, compassionate, educated, hedonistic, young medieval nobleman constantly held in contempt by his family because he’s a dwarf.
Early on, Tyrion has a telling exchange with a much younger character who’s also something of a pariah because he’s another nobleman’s love child. He repeatedly calls him “bastard” and says something to the effect of:
“Let me give you some advice, bastard. Never forget who you are. The rest of the world will not. Hold it. Embrace it. Wear it like armor. Then it can never be used to hurt you.”
Some worthwhile counsel. The Tyrion character is huge, compelling and tragic. I’d recommend “Game of Thrones” to anyone, and Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion is one of its strongest selling points.
You just gave the whole world both something to think about (that we usually don’t want to – but need to – think about) and a giant hug (not many people are capable of giving that much of themselves – yes, true hugs take work). Thank you, Margie.
@fredmcclimans Aw, thanks Fred. I appreciate that
((hugs))
A little body doesn’t mean a little brain
You are smart, quit witted and have a big personality. Thanks for always making me think! xo L
@DalaiLina Why thank you! I do what I can
I’d read the story about Martin Henderson a week or so ago and was appalled to hear that people consider that to be a gag of some sort. Truly offensive behavior and I hope that the hooligans were apprehended.
That being said, just curious what your take is on little people who choose to capitalize on (more or less) being exploited. For years “Midget Wrestling” was a big sport and I remember reading about people who would rent themselves out for “Dwarf Tossing” at bars. I know it’s hard to answer without making a generalization.
Speaking of Peter Dinklage, who is a fantastic actor (check out The Station Agent, if you haven’t already), I saw him quite a bit over the holidays when “Elf” was on around the clock. Love the scene where he confronts the naive Will Ferrell and exerts some revenge for Will’s taunting.
Great post, Margie!
Jay – The Dude of the House
@DudeOfTheHouse Well, I try to refrain from judging. How people deal with the pressures of their lives is not for me to comment on. I think that people who sell themselves out that way make it tougher for the rest of us, but there are many who argue that if you take control of the stereotyping, the stereotype can become something more along the lines of how you want to present yourself. i’m not really sure I buy that, but then I’m not a wrestler, either.
I’ve always been torn about that scene in Elf. On the one hand, the tall character gets his butt kickd by a Little Person. On the other hand, it’s purely comedic and meant to be a farse. Is that really better than the wrestling? I don’t know.
Mighty fine post Margie…. I have always imagined you as a person who loves to share great content and a person with a huge heart to share… never knew your height and could care less about how tall you are.. just don’t stop being you! Kudos to your post.. I am a fan
@LewisPoretz So sweet. Thank you
Margie, thank you for writing this. I have a cousin who is a dwarf, with all of the physical difficulties that come along with it. He’s had over 30 surgeries in his life (he is 25). Unfortunately we are not very close, due to family issues, but I have kept close tabs on him and his progress. He graduated from Brown University, and is running a business in NYC, living a “normal” life, despite his short stature and sometimes pain-filled days.
@sharongreenthal It is indeed possible. It’s a tough line to walk – you want to be “normal” whatever that means, but then again, almost everything is difficult. It creates quite the conundrum.
@margieclayman I remember another post where the fact that you were a little person came up (the guy who said are you going to stand up), however its not something that I think about. To me you are Margie. Not a height. Not a blog. Not a twitter handle. You are a person.
On a safety note, did you know that there is a martial art created by Buddhist nuns to stop invading barbarians? Its named after its founder, Wing Chun, and is actually what Bruce Lee studied before he started his own style. Being little doesn’t mean being helpless.
@NicoleFende Thanks Nicole. That is my definite preference
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, there’s a scene in which Harry and crew are trying to persuade the goblin Griphook to help them break into Griggotts (sp?) so they can steal Voldemort’s horcrux. The conversation turns to the discrimination that goblins and others creatures get at the hands of wizards, and vise versa. And Hermione, who has saved Harry and Ron’s necks thousands of times because she’s so smart, makes an extraordinary statement. She tells Griphook that she’s being hunted just as much as goblins and other non-wizards because she’s a “mudblood,” with muggle parents. Ron tells her not to call herself that, and she says, “Why not? I’m a mudblood and proud of it!”
I say the same thing to anyone who is different from the norm, whether they are extra short or whatever else. The term “midget,” by the way, is the dictionary definition of an adult who is extra short. It is as simple as that. It isn’t meant as a nasty term, such as “slut” would be. It’s simply the definition of someone who is extra short.
Being only 4’5″ in a world where the average woman is about 5’4″ does make you stand out, but as you pointed out, the artist who happens to have Native American genes is not duty bound by his heritage to paint only Native American art, just as you are a blogger and writer who happens to be 4’5″; not a 4’5″ blogger, there is a difference. Mudblood and proud!
@Marly Hi Marly,Midget is one of those words that is innocuous in and of itself but it has taken on a new meaning due to how it has been used. The word was used to highlight Little People who participated in freak shows at the turn of the century and that is how it became offensive.
Point taken regarding the lesson from Harry Potter though. Good analogy
Marly, Margie and all….
There’s a beautiful, valuable term I just learned and it applies all over our excruciatingly politically correct society.
The term is “euphemism treadmill.”
You have a perfectly ordinary, non-perjorative, dictionary word that describes something or someone. People apply it and sometimes it is used in negative circumstances. Suddenly oh no! Since someone has used the word negatively, that word now becomes unacceptable and another, nicer, word must take it’s place. But the nicer word applies to the same subject and, sure enough, THAT word is declared unacceptable too. So another, nicer, word must, in turn, take IT’S place. Repeat ad infinitum.
The euphemism treadmill.
So a descriptive term like “crippled” becomes “handicapped” …which becomes “disabled” …which becomes “physically challenged’ or “differently abled” and so on. In this day and age, it seems the substitute words become increasingly vague and silly to the point that they become utterly meaningless. Maybe because we’re just running out of words. “Physcially challenged” could apply to someone in Chicago who has an appointment in New York, or someone climbing Mount Everest, or someone who’s ugly. Ridiculous really. Eventually we’ll ban the whole dictionary.
For a surefire clue that you’ve strayed into the realm of the absurd, watch out for silly, “empowering” suffixes like “people” “person” or “American.”
The best way to avoid wearing yourself out on the treadmill is simply to never get on. Words, especially descriptive ones, mean what they mean, not what you’ve decided they mean or what a few jerks make you think they mean by using them cruelly.
@c_tomlin I see your point. There are similar arguments around all kinds of words. For example, a child who is mentally retarded literally suffers from a slower brain function than the “normal” person. That is all that retarded means. However, that word became a tool for people who wanted to be malicious, and so now the word is viewed as offensive. The same holds true for the “n” word in the Africa American community. Some feel that the African American community should take ownership of the word to prove that no one lords it over them. Others find it so offensive they want nothing to do with it. Who is right?
The word “midget” is simply meant to be a word for “small.” However, having been on the receiving end of being called that word, I can tell you that there was no room for interpretation. It was being used to spread cruelty, and so that is the impression that particular word made on me. I understand the argument that I shouldn’t let that bother me – the power of words is truly in the ears – but it bugs me all the same, as illogical as that might be.
@c_tomlin Thank you, C!!! Trying to force people to call you a “nicer” term is not going to get them to view you differently; it just makes you look ridiculous. Listen, I’m as blond as you can get and not be albino. Not only blond, but a true ditz, meaning I’m a little slow on the uptake. Know what I mean, Vern? I’ve always been called a dumb blond, especially by the two older sisters; surprise, surprise. If I was ever stupid enough to try to make them stop associating being blond with being dumb by making them
call me golden or fair-haired, flaxon, pale, pearly, snowy or tow-headed, they would laugh themselves absolutely silly, and would never let me live it down. And justifiably so. If I hadn’t learned to not only laugh along with them, but to actually use my reputation to make them laugh, my ego would have been destroyed a long time ago.
That’s my best advice to you Margie, and anybody else with the same problem, whether you’re blond or short or black or a few cards short of a deck, (how’s that for a euphemism?) Getting all insulted will not make people change their view, they’ll just laugh at you behind your back, if not in front of it. You need to develop a sense of humor about it, even play it up. If a little kid says,”Hey mom, look at the midget,” go talk to the kid and nicely explain why you’re that short. Instead of thinking of all midgets as freaks, they’ll always remember the one who was nice to them. You might even want to offer to talk to their class. You gotta fight wrong perceptions with niceness, because believe me, belligerence will never work.
Marly, I understand what you’re saying, but it really just sounds like you’re trying to excuse the use of abusive language.
I think it’s fine to correct bullies. I think curbing someone’s hate speech is better than allowing it to remain. Even if they refuse the first dozen times, eventually–if they are corrected enough by people who don’t tolerate hate speech–they will stop, and they will stop speaking of people who are different in pejorative terms. I don’t believe that people simply switch terms to be pejorative; I believe they lose the tools to speak pejoratively if those tools are curbed by society.
I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to just excuse rudeness and prejudice. If niceness worked on them, they would have to have been nice to begin with, and nice people aren’t racist or prejudiced or classist.
Don’t call Little People midgets. Don’t call Black people the N-word. Don’t excuse that behavior in others because it’s really not acceptable.
@margieclayman @Marly The word was used to highlight Little People who participated in freak shows at the turn of the century and that is how it became offensive.
YOU JUST STATED THAT THE WORD APPLIES TO FREAK SHOW PEOPLE… SO IF YOUR NOT A FREAK SHOW PERSON… IT DOESNT APPLY TO YOU …SO WHY ARE ARE YOU PRETENDING THAT IT DOES ? JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE YOU ARE PRETENDING HERE THAT YOU ARE NOT….
1. YOUR TOO TALL TO BE CLASSIFED AS A DWARF..MIDGET, OR LITTLE PERSON.. BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION….
2. YOUR NOT AN ANDO-P… DWARF..BY MEDICAL STANDARDS….
3. YOU HAVE NO DEFORMATYS LIKE THEY DO…..
YOUR JUST A VERY SHORT NORMAL PERSON…. WHY ARE YOU PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING YOUR NOT ??????
@margieclayman@Marly
The word was used to highlight Little People who participated in freak shows at the turn of the century and that is how it became offensive.
YOU JUST STATED THAT THE WORD APPLIES TO FREAK SHOW PEOPLE… SO IF YOUR NOT A FREAK SHOW PERSON…
IT DOESNT APPLY TO YOU …SO WHY ARE ARE YOU PRETENDING THAT IT DOES ? JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE YOU ARE PRETENDING HERE THAT YOU ARE NOT….
1. YOUR TOO TALL TO BE CLASSIFED AS A DWARF..MIDGET, OR LITTLE PERSON.. BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION….
2. YOUR NOT AN ANDO-P… DWARF..BY MEDICAL STANDARDS….
3. YOU HAVE NO DEFORMATYS LIKE THEY DO…..
YOUR JUST A VERY SHORT NORMAL PERSON…. WHY ARE YOU PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING YOUR NOT ??????
Have you seen Ovaltine’s new “Sucks to be Short” ad campaign? Super offensive: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/ovaltine_airplane Thought you might want to share it with the people in your network who are passionate about this topic. I’m on the small side (and the mom of a small child) and I found it to be in really poor taste.
@JenKaneCo Wow. I hadn’t seen that. I agree — there’s a lot wrong with that. Yikes.
Thanks for sharing this, Margie. I honestly didn’t know you were a little person. And to me, it doesn’t matter. However, I know it’s easy for me to say that. Even though there are a ton of people who love you for who you are (smart, witty, kind), there are always some folks out there who like to be total jerks. I hate that for you.
The truth is that for some unknown reason, people have trouble handing people who are “different”. I know that I HATED high school because I got teased being a nerd and a goodie-two-shoes. And, as much as I can say those kids were jealous or just plan mean, it still hurt. While we should embrace the things that make us different and special, it’s still hard when people choose to tear us down for that.
All that said, I just want you to know that I think you’re awesome and that your height doesn’t matter to me. All I know is that I’m glad I have gotten to know you and I look forward to meeting you at Social Slam! It’s going to be a blast.
@lauraclick Ah, Laura. I’m so looking forward to meeting you
Thank you very much!!
@lauraclick honestly didn’t know you were a little person
ARE YOU JUST DENSE..OR WHAT… SHE JUST TOLD YOU SHES NOT AN ANDROPLASIC DWARF ..AND THAT SHES ON THE TALL END FOR THAT AS WELL.. SHE IS JUST A VERY SHORT PERSON…THATS ALL… WHY WOULD YOU CALL HERE THAT WHEN SHE ISNT ONE AND “””NEVER””” SAID SHE WAS…. AND IN FACT PROVED TO YOU THAT SHE ISNT.. ???
A friend of mine had his marriage disintegrate when his child was born because of this. Very sad.
A friend of mine had his marriage disintegrate when his child was born because of this. Very sad. The family needs a lot of <a href=”http://www.thetechinfogroup.com/”>it support</a>
A friend of mine had his marriage disintegrate when his child was born because of this. Very sad. The family needs a lot of http://www.thetechinfogroup.com it support
I love your article! I myself am dating a little person. Hes as tall as you are and he gets constant criticism when we go out and it makes me soooo mad!! I defend him but the jokes dont seem to bother him.
@barbie90 he gets constant criticism when we go out
MABY THATS YOUR OWN FAULTS…MABY YOU NEED BETTER FRIENDS OR GO OUT SOMEWHERE DECENT WELL MANNERED PEOPLE GO…. IF YOUR HANGING AROUND PEOPLE WHO DO THAT…ID SAY YOUR AROUND THE WRONG KIND OF PEOPLE…EH ?? ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE…
I am a lp PPP keep asking me if I’m a kid
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