The Travails Of Being Short

[OneWingedBird]

If they are charging tall people extra, does that mean there is a discount for midgets?

 

[rjmrjmrjm]

If they are charging tall people extra, does that mean there is a discount for midgets?

I hope so... it'd be nice to get something good for being small for a change!

 

[river_styx]

All you little folks have such bad tempers I'm surprised you're not all banned from flying anyway :lol:

 

[Mythopoeika]

All you little folks have such bad tempers I'm surprised you're not all banned from flying anyway :lol:

There might be a reason for small people to have bad tempers - tall men get all the attention from women and get all the best jobs, positions in authority etc...

 

[Blinko_Glick]

I'm 5'8" and also built like a brick poo house thanks to a spate of body building in my 20s and karate until my mid 30s.

So in all, I look like a munchkin, as wideness tends to shorten.

But whatever, enjoy the cards you're dealt with and make the most of them.

 

[river_styx]

All you little folks have such bad tempers I'm surprised you're not all banned from flying anyway :lol:

There might be a reason for small people to have bad tempers - tall men get all the attention from women and get all the best jobs, positions in authority etc...

Just do what Tom Cruise does and brainwash them into joining a quasi-religious cult where they serve you as their lord and master.

 

[Mythopoeika]

I'm 5'8" and also built like a brick poo house thanks to a spate of body building in my 20s and karate until my mid 30s.

So in all, I look like a munchkin, as wideness tends to shorten.

But whatever, enjoy the cards you're dealt with and make the most of them.

I'm 5'8" and built like an outhouse too - except it's not muscle, it's fat (I admit).

I keep telling people I'm the same height as Tom Cruise, ha.

 

[rynner2]

At the other end of the spectrum...

Short people ordered to stand behind President Nicolas Sarkozy during speech
Twenty short people were ordered to stand behind French President Nicolas Sarkozy to make him look taller while delivering a televised speech.
By Peter Allen in Paris
Published: 9:44AM BST 07 Sep 2009

They were bused in after being "vetted" by aides of the French President who made sure none were more than his own height of 5ft 5ins.

The extraordinary scene unfolded at the Faurecia motor technology plant in Caligny, south of Caen, in Normandy, last Thursday.

Despite Mr Sarkozy's lack of inches, he looked far more statuesque than usual as he posed in front of the group of white-coated technicians on a specially erected stage.

In a broadcast on French television on Monday, a woman researcher admitted on camera that she had been chosen because of her small size.

Asked by the TV journalist Jean-Philippe Schaller if it was necessary for her to be no taller than the President's 5ft 5ins - a height which rises to around 5ft 7ins thanks to his stacked heels - she replied: "There you have it."

Pictures were then shown of the 20 workers on board a coach which brought them in from other parts of the three-mile-square Faurecia site.

All admitted that they were among the smallest members of the 1,400-strong Faurecia workforce, and had been selected to replace the usual workers in the unit where Mr Sarkozy made his speech about the car industry.

Mr Sarkozy, who is notoriously sensitive about his height, did not want a repeat of the fiasco in June when he was caught using a footstool when delivering a speech alongside Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama on one of Normandy's D-Day beaches. :shock:

Both the 5ft 11ins British Prime Minister and 6ft 2 ins US leader towered above Mr Sarkozy when they used the same podium, humiliating him in front of a worldwide audience.

But while the incident in June was considered amusing by some observers, this time round Mr Sarkozy was accused of scandalously manipulating his media image for political ends.

The distinguished political weekly Marianne referred to the "Sarko Studio", comparing it to a Hollywood film company desperately trying to boost Mr Sarkozy's popularity.

Marianne raised the question: 'Have the French people been duped?'

Even Le Figaro, a newspaper traditionally seen as one of Mr Sarkozy's biggest supporters, described the appearance of the small workers behind the President as having taken part in a "casting".

It suggested that the Elysee palace had been "late in reacting" to the fuss caused by the film, and highlighted the government's suspicious record in media manipulation.

Party workers are often employed as enthusiastic "crowds" to clap and cheer Mr Sarkozy.

Mr Schaller, the France correspondent for the Belgiam national broadcaster RTBF, alleged that police had even surrounded the perimeter of the Faurecia site to keep "undesirables" away.

He insisted that there was "no doubt" that the French president's staff had used underhand methods to boost his public image.

etc...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... peech.html

 

[rynner2]

Dwarves found 'theme park' commune to escape bullying
A community of dwarves has set up its own village to escape discrimination from normal sized people.
Published: 1:31PM BST 30 Sep 2009

Everyone in the mountain commune in Kunming, southern China, must be under 4ft 3 ins tall and they run their own police force and fire brigade from their 120 residents.

Now the group has turned itself into a tourist attraction by building mushroom houses and living and dressing like fairy tale characters.

"As small people we are used to being pushed around and exploited by big people. But here there aren't any big people and everything we do is for us," said spokesman Fu Tien.

The idea of housing dwarves in special compounds would be anathema in the West, and the village has sparked fierce debates among expats living in China.

"When I first heard this I pictured myself obscure freak shows from a hundred years back," wrote one commenter on the GoKunming website. "Pay the entrance fee and you can watch these people perform."

But others said that it was the dwarves' best chance of employment given the surplus of labour in China.

"We might feel aghast at treating humans this way but this is the best way the Chinese government can deal with the situation right now," wrote Tonyaod.

"Go back a hundred years or so in our culture and we will see that we did the same thing à la the freakshows and the circus."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... lying.html

 

[rynner2]

Britain's smallest mother's joy at toddler who towers over her
Britain's smallest mother has described her joy at watching her toddler tower over her after rejecting advice that she have an abortion because her 3ft frame couldn't handle pregnancy.
Published: 11:25AM BST 26 Apr 2010

Amanda Moore, 25, became the shortest woman ever to give birth in the UK when son Aidan was delivered by caesarean section last year.

She suffers from a rare bone disease which has left her measuring just 3ft 1ins from head to toe.

But because the condition has left her unable to stand, Aidan already towers above her at 2ft 6ins.

Miss Moore reckons Aidan could end up being as tall as his father Steven Fyfe, 20 - who is 6ft 1ins.

She said: ''Aidan is getting so big, he takes after his dad. I always knew he would be taller than me but he's shot up.

''When I sit on the floor to play with him, he is taller than me already and he's only 14 months old.

''He's getting so big and strong that soon we'll have to tell him to be gentle with mummy.

''It's been a struggle because he's been running rings around me since he was crawling. But now he's walking he's more than a handful for someone my size.

''Most boys are bigger than their mums but not after a year. He'll always be my little boy.''

etc...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... r-her.html

 

[rynner2]

'Growth hormone stopped the bullying'
By Jane Elliott
Health reporter, BBC News

When Hayley Cowan was 14 she was barely five foot tall.

Some children at her secondary school bullied her badly, constantly referring to her size.

"I hated going to school because people kept making comments about my height.
"They called me very unoriginal names, like 'midget'," she said.
"You start to think your height is your defining feature.
"I was always short, but I got progressively lower than average as my friends grew taller so the difference between me and my friends grew."

Hayley, now aged 18 from Hertfordshire, was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.

Doctors started her on a growth hormone and within four years she had grown four inches.

But not all children are as lucky as Hayley and medics worry that some are slipping through the net.

Now Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry have launched an appeal to fund a new child health research centre to look into diseases like abnormal growth.

Adrian Clark, Professor of Medicine at Barts, said: "New research is urgently needed to increase our understanding of these serious health problems as, if they are not treated early, they can cause even greater difficulties in later life.

"Our aim is to raise £2.4 million to fund a team of researchers which will translate into better care for sick children and improvements in their long-term health."

In the past there has been controversy surrounding the use of growth hormone, with suspected links to Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) - or so-called "mad cow disease" - low IQ and an increase in tumours.

But Dr Helen Storr, consultant in paediatric endocrinology at William Harvey Research Institute, Barts, said that these studies were old and no longer relevant.

This is particularly the case with the CJD link, as the hormone used is synthetic rather than taken from a pituitary gland as in the past.

And growth hormone was not linked with an increase in tumour risk - unless a child has a tumour already - Dr Storr added. Nor was there a link with a decrease in intelligence.

She said children reaching a normal height tended to have better health with stronger bones and better muscle tone, as well as an increase in confidence.

"Hayley was helped and many children like her do have a positive outcome," she said.

etc...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8664473.stm

 

[Beakmoo]

Five foot? Is that a typo? What's wrong with a 14 year old girl being five foot? :?

 

[escargot]

Both my daughters are around that height. Nobody bullies them.

Then again, they are my daughters.

 

[Quake42]

Five foot? Is that a typo? What's wrong with a 14 year old girl being five foot?

I'm pretty sure it is a typo. The "before and after" photos on the BBC website show a tiny girl; no way is she five foot. I suspect they mean four foot.

 

[rynner2]

Colombian declared world's shortest man

A 70cm (27-inch) tall Colombian has been named the world's shortest living man by Guinness World Records.

Edward Nino Hernandez, 24, weighs only 10kg (22lbs). His mother said he had not grown since he was two years old.

Mr Hernandez, who works part-time as a dancer, told the Associated Press: "I feel happy because I'm unique."

The previous record holder was He Pingping of China, who was 4cm (1.5in) taller and died in March - before Mr Hernandez was discovered.

Mr Hernandez is not expected to keep the title for long, however, as Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal is expected to take the title when he turns 18 in October.

Khagendra, currently recognised as the world's shortest living teenager, is only 56cm (22in) tall. The shortest man on record was Gul Mohammed of India, who measured just 57cm - 1cm taller than Khagendra.

Mr Hernandez's mother, Noemi, said doctors in the Colombian capital, Bogota, never explained why he had grown only 40cm since birth.

She said doctors at the National University studied him until he was three and then lost interest. Her youngest child, 11-year-old Miguel Angel, is himself only 93cm (37in) tall.

Mr Hernandez left school in the eighth grade and now earns some money dancing at department stores. He is also currently playing the role of a drug dealer in a film. :shock:

Although he liked the attention, he said there were some drawbacks.

"It bothers me that people are always touching me and picking me up."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11196709

 

[guestus]

I've heard of shorter than average guys complaining they can't get a girlfriend and get no female attention...not exactly a handicap...

 

[ramonmercado]

Woman told she was too short to drive bus gets €6,000
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 34116.html
AOIFE CARR

Wed, Sep 22, 2010

A WOMAN who was unsuccessful in applying for a job as a driver with Dublin Bus has been awarded €6,000 by the Equality Tribunal for gender discrimination.

Isabella Lazar, from Romania, passed the theory and practical driving test required for the job and was then called for interview. At the interview she was referred for a medical examination, where she was informed she did not meet the height requirement for the position.

Ms Lazar claimed that a height restriction affected a greater proportion of women than men, and that Dublin Bus employed people of a similar height to her who were male, white and Irish.

Two other claims by Ms Lazar that she had been discriminated against on the grounds of race and disability were dismissed.

The tribunal heard that Dublin Bus informed Ms Lazar she did not satisfy the minimum height requirement for the job, without telling her what that height limit actually was.

In response, Dublin Bus said the minimum recommended height for a professional bus driver was 165cm (5ft 5in), and that Ms Lazar, at 157cm (5ft 2in), fell well short of this requirement.

However, the company confirmed to the tribunal that there “might be” men employed by it as bus drivers who did not meet the height requirement.

It said those outside the guideline heights suffered from greater than normal sick leave levels.

An occupational health specialist gave evidence that, in her opinion, the average height of an Irish woman was 162.5cm (5ft 4in). Therefore, the tribunal heard, Dublin Bus required its female bus drivers to be above average height.

The tribunal found that in the absence of any clear and defined height range and associated procedures, it did not consider an apparently arbitrary measure of height implemented in a piecemeal fashion grounds for refusing employment.

A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said this was the first time the company had had a case like this.

“As part of Dublin Bus’s recruitment process, each potential applicant is individually assessed and must also attend the medical department to undergo a full medical examination. The medical department will then make a recommendation as to whether the individual is suitable for employment or not,” she said.

She did not comment on whether the height restriction for drivers was still in place.

 

[ramonmercado]

Hobbit team calls for short actors
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11404484

Peter Jackson Peter Jackson won the Oscar for best director for his work on Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

A casting call for diminutive actors has been issued in New Zealand, as director Peter Jackson forges ahead with plans to film The Hobbit.

Advertising in a Wellington newspaper, Wingnut Films is looking for men 123cm (4ft) to 158cm (5ft 2ins) tall and women measuring 123cm to 153cm (5ft).

The two-movie project has yet to officially receive the go-ahead by MGM Studios due to ongoing financial woes.

However a Wingnut spokesman said they wanted to "be prepared".

The spokesman told the AFP news agency that the call was for "scale doubles" for actors with speaking roles, and further auditions for extras would take place at a later date.

"Scale doubles appear in some wide shots in place of our actors and with other adult actors when we need people to look smaller or taller," he explained.

He added all applicants must be aged 16 or over and anyone not meeting the height requirements would be turned away.

'Shortish in the leg'

Even with the height restrictions, many of the eligible actors would tower over JRR Tolkien's fictional creatures.

In a prologue to The Lord Of The Rings, he wrote that Hobbits are between two and four feet tall, the average height being three feet six inches.

Letters from the author, published after his death, went on to describe the physical appearance of The Hobbit's protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, as:"fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg".

"A round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and elvish; hair short and curling (brown). The feet from the ankles down, covered with brown hairy fur," he continued.

Casting for The Hobbit is due to take place on Sunday at the National Dance and Drama Centre in Wellington.

Mexican-born director Guillermo Del Toro had signed on to direct the films, but pulled out in June citing almost two years of delays.

Jackson, who won the Oscar for best director for his work on Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, is expected to replace him at the helm, although no official announcement has been made.

EDit to remove nasty comment.

 

[ramonmercado]

Teen named world's shortest man
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/bre ... ing18.html
Thu, Oct 14, 2010

A Nepalese fruit seller’s son with the body of a toddler turned 18 today and was officially declared the world’s shortest man.

Khagendra Thapa Magar measured in at 67.1cm (26.4in), displacing the former record holder, Edward Nino Hernandez of Colombia, who measures 68.6cm (27in).

Cheers went up when Mr Magar was handed a world record certificate by Guinness World Records official Marco Frigatti. The ceremony was held in a hotel in Pokhara, Mr Magar’s home town and a popular tourist destination west of Kathmandu.

His family have campaigned for years to get him the crown, but earlier requests to Guinness were rejected because of the possibility he might grow.

“We are very proud of our son,” said his father, Rup Bahadur Thapa Magar. “We have been finally recognised and our dreams have finally come true.”

Mr Magar and his family excitedly welcomed journalists to their rented home, where he jumped on the kitchen table and made tea for the press and family members. He also received presents for his 18th and danced to the sound of a toy drum.

Mr Magar, who weighs just over 5.4kg (12lb), was tiny even at birth, weighing just 600g (1.3bl). His father says he has no explanation for why he never grew taller – his younger brother is normal height for a boy of 13.

Local doctors are stumped, but lack facilities for detailed testing.

Mr Magar’s doctor for the past five years says he has the body of a three-year-old.

“His body structure is like that of a small child and he also thinks and behaves in that manner,” Hum Prasad Newpane said.

Mr Magar - who already travels as part of a dancing troupe when he isn’t helping out his parents in their fruit shop - seems ready for the media spotlight that will accompany his new title.

Next year he is to serve as a government-appointed goodwill ambassador as his nation celebrates Visit Nepal Year. “I am very happy and excited,” he said.

 

[rynner2]

Indian student Jyoti Amge named world's shortest woman

An Indian student measuring just a little over two feet has been confirmed as the world's shortest living woman by Guinness World Records.
Jyoti Amge, at 62.8cm (24.7in), is 7cm shorter than previous title holder, American Bridgette Jordan.

Ms Amge was conferred the title on Friday as she celebrated her 18th birthday in the city of Nagpur.
Ms Amge has a condition called achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, and is not expected to grow further.
In 2009, she was named the world's shortest teenager at 61.95cm.

The shortest woman ever recorded was Pauline Musters (1876-1895) of the Netherlands, who stood at 61cm.

Ms Amge was presented with a certificate, watched by her parents in Nagpur.
"It is wonderful to celebrate my 18th birthday with a new world record, it's like an added birthday present," she said.
"I feel grateful to be this size, after all if I weren't small and had not achieved these world records I might never have been able to visit Japan and Europe, and many other wonderful countries," she said.

Dressed in a traditional sari, she stood on a chair next to a seated Rob Molloy, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, to cut her birthday cake.

"In accordance with our guidelines, Jyoti was measured three times in 24 hours by a doctor," Guinness World Records said.

Ms Amge has attended regular school since she was four and has just finished her high school exams. She plans to undertake a university degree.

Guinness World Records said she dreamed of becoming a Bollywood film star.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16212541

 

[rynner2]

Female lawyer who stands just 3ft 8in in court sues witness who laughed hysterically at her and started singing ‘Hi Ho’
By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 9:34 PM on 11th January 2012

A dwarf prosecutor is suing a man she called as a witness in a court case - after he broke down laughing in court at her size.
Silke Schoenfleisch-Backofen, 39, is a little lady with a big name, and an even greater sense of right and wrong.
She may stand only 3ft 8in high but Ms Schoenfleish-Backofen punches well above her legal weight as many villains in Frankfurt have found to their cost.

So when Russian-German Wadim Golanev, 25, cracked up in hysterics at the 'dwarf lady' in court during a case about theft, she was decidedly unimpressed.
Golanev was unable to answer her questions due to his hysterical laughter, pointing at her and singing 'Hi Ho, Hi Ho!' from Snow White And The Seven Dwarves.
No-one else joined in. And before he left the witness box he was handed a hastily scrawled summons accusing him of 'obscene insults' and ordered to appear before a judge next month.

In legal circles Ms. Schoenfleisch-Backofen has the nickname 'Power Frau' - mighty woman.
She decided to become a lawyer after failing to get into medical school because of the dwarfism that hindered her growth - and immediately set about suing the health ministry for refusing her entry. 8)
'What's big for me is not the physical measurements of the body, but what's big inside you,' she said.

She has been a prosecutor at the Frankfurt State Court for eight years, mostly dealing with business law although she has done the odd murder case.

She first hit the headlines in Germany in 2006 when textile heir Andreas Grimm, 25, was killed. She successfully prosecuted his best friend even though the victim's body has never been found.

She is a leading light in a professional body for people of limited stature - The Federal Association of Small People and Their Families - and is often on TV and in newspapers fighting the corner of society's smallest.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1jiSUMBGm

 

[JamesWhitehead]

'What's big for me is not the physical measurements of the body, but what's big inside you,'

It's the way she tells them. :shock:

 

[rynner2]

It's the way she tells them. :shock:

Careful, James, she sues at the least hint of mockery...

 

[ramonmercado]

With the economic crisis they'll put her on short time.

 

[FelixAntonius]

Personally, I hope she nails his testicles to the wall!!!!!

Being over six foot, I still get tossers asking me; "What's the weather like up there?"

Sadly, they are sober & even sadder, they think it's the hight of humour....

 

[Spudrick68]

If I meet someone and immediately think 'wow he/she's short, tall' or whatever I quickly realise that a 'witty' comment would be painfully unfunny and heard a thousand times before, so keep my gob shut. It's a pity that not everyone does.

 

[Mythopoeika]

I think Ms Schoenfleish-Backofen is very pretty. I'd date her. 8)

 

[ramonmercado]

I think Ms Schoenfleish-Backofen is very pretty. I'd date her. 8)

Bet it wouldn't last long.

 

[rynner2]

On the other hand...

Shorter men live longer, scientists find
Shorter men are likely to live longer, scientists find, with those under five-foot-two reaching the greatest age
By Agencies
7:00AM BST 12 May 2014

They may not have the easiest ride in life, enduring accusations of inferiority complexes and jokes at their expense, but it appears short men will have the last laugh after all.
Scientists have found evidence that they are likely to live longer, with those under five foot two having a greater chance of surviving to old age.

The news is likely to be welcomed by petite stars such as Ronnie Corbett, Jamie Cullum and Tom Cruise, as researchers confirm that size really does matter.
A study has shown that adult men under five foot two live longer than their taller rivals, with one researcher explaining: “The taller you got, the shorter you lived."

His team, at the University of Hawaii, found that shorter men were more likely to have a protective form of the longevity gene, FOXO3, leading to smaller body size during early development and a longer lifespan.
Shorter men were also more likely to have lower blood insulin levels and less cancer.

Dr Bradley Willcox, from the Department of Geriatric Medicine, said researchers had split people into two groups: those who were five-foot-two and shorter, and five-foot-four and taller.
"The folks that were five-foot-two and shorter lived the longest,” he said. “The range was seen all the way across from being five-foot tall to six-foot tall. The taller you got, the shorter you lived."

He added: "This study shows for the first time, that body size is linked to the FOXO3 gene.
"We knew that in animal models of aging. We did not know that in humans."

Dr. Willcox noted that there is no specific height or age range that should be targeted as a cut-off in the study, in part because "no matter how tall you are, you can still live a healthy lifestyle" to offset having a typical FOXO3 genotype rather than the longevity-enhancing form of the FOXO3 gene.

The study involved more than 8,000 American men of Japanese ancestry born between the years 1900 and 1919. The lifestyles and health conditions of these men were closely followed and studied by the researchers through the years.
Around 1,200 men from the study, published in the journal Plos One, lived into their 90s and 100s, and approximately 250 of those men are still alive today.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/scie ... -find.html

 

[rynner2]

Criticising someone's height should be socially unacceptable, says John Bercow
The Commons Speaker says people should not be allowed to criticise someone because of their height, in the same way it is not acceptable to make comments about sexual orientation, race or disability
By Claire Carter
1:44PM BST 05 Jul 2014

John Bercow has suggested making fun of someone because of their height should be as socially unacceptable as homophobia or racism.
The Commons speaker, who has previously been referred to as a “stupid sanctimonious dwarf” during a debate in the House, said his height did not bother him.

But Mr Bercow, who is 5ft 6ins tall (1.7m), said it was unacceptable that people were criticised on the basis of how tall they are, and this could be taken as offensive.
"Whereas nobody these days would regard it as acceptable to criticise someone on grounds of race or creed or disability or sexual orientation, somehow it seems to be acceptable to comment on someone's height, or lack of it,” he said.
"Does it affect me, personally? Not at all. It's just low grade, intellectually substandard and schoolboyish."

The Speaker also rejected claims from his wife, Sally Bercow, that his role in the House of Commons had made him more attractive.
He told The Times Magazine: "I have most certainly not become a sex symbol. She [his wife] does have a very good sense of humour."

In 2011 Mrs Bercow sent ripples around Westminster when she appeared in a newspaper wearing nothing but a bedsheet. 8)
She also spoke at the time of the "aphrodisiac" effect of their life at the Palace of Westminster.

Mr Bercow said the couple are not concerned by the, often very public, scrutiny of their marriage, saying they have their own approach and “are perfectly comfortable in our own skin.”

In 2010 Simon Burns referred to the Speaker as a “stupid, sanctimonious dwarf” after he was reprimanded for turning to address a backbencher directly rather than following protocol and facing the House while addressing his comments through the chairman. He later apologised to all dwarves for his comments. :shock:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... ercow.html