The Importance of (Literally) Looking Down On Someone

This article was from the end of 2014:

Roven added that Affleck’s height was also a factor.
"We also wanted a guy with big stature. Ben is 6’ 4". Henry [Cavill] is a 6’1". We wanted Batman to tower over Superman. Not hugely, not like a basketball player. Superman needed to ‘look up’ to Batman. We wanted that dynamic and Ben could do that, easily," he said.

Aside from how Batman is shorter than Superman in the comics, I find it silly how Superman has to be towered over even though he can melt people with his eyes.

Here are some more comments on the Superman vs. Batman height dynamic:

"Superman is the superior, stronger hero, so he should be taller."

"I completely agree. A mere mortal, looking down upon a God, is ironic and artsy at the same time."

This mentality extends to politics as well:


It's no wonder why taller candidates tend to win elections. In fact, ever since elections went from radio to television, you'd have to look outside of North America to find a recent short leader. As tolerant as many Trump haters may proclaim themselves to be, they have one thing in common with him: "The bias towards tallness and against shortness is one of society's most blatant and forgiven prejudices." - John Kenneth Galbraith.

Speaking of politics, height discrimination has now been noticed by the mainstream media, in this article about Donald Trump's size obsession. I wonder how Donald Trump's haters would react to this, as discriminating based on size is now considered a trait synonymous with Trump himself.


What's interesting is how many women preach this "looking up to" mentality, despite the fact that women are shorter on average, and many complain about not being taken as seriously as men. Remember, this society tells us to ignore "evolutionary instinct" when a film has a female leader that's 5'3 and 110 lbs. If you don't take her as seriously as a tall and broad-shouldered male hero, you're considered prejudiced, and any "instinctive" excuse is shut down. When it comes to male height however, everyone loves this stuff. I guess we're all conveniently size blind when it comes to political correctness.

People always talk about how much of a barrier it is to be a leader as a racial minority or a woman. When it comes to stature:
http://epubs.utah.edu/index.php/ulr/article/viewFile/246/218 ("One business expert has suggested that an additional four inches in height “makes much more difference in terms of success in a business career than any paper qualifications you have” and that it would be better to be “5 ft. 10 and a graduate of N.Y.U.’s business school than 5 ft. 6 and a Harvard Business School graduate.” Another commentator concluded that “being short is probably as much, or more, of a handicap to corporate success as being a woman or an African American.”") and http://www.jonathanrauch.com/jrauch_articles/height_discrimination_short_guys_finish_last/

Related: "The Johnson Treatment."

This article and the comments section also sums up politics nowadays: https://www.mediaite.com/online/is-marco-rubio-too-short-for-the-presidency-mediaite-examines-this-growing-concern/