I came across this image the other day. It's the same old, and while everyone had a laugh, that picture is not the main focus of this post.
I
actually wanted to elaborate on a point I saw one person make. They
noticed how most "jokes" about short men are more demeaning than jokes
about tall people. For example, tall people usually joke about
showerheads, airplane space, etc. While a basketball joke may be
unoriginal, it's also not implying tallness sucks. This is what people
don't get when they say, "Well, people comment about my 6'7 brother's
height all the time." It may be tired and annoying, but fact of the
matter is that there's a reason why we say "tall, dark, and handsome."
There's a reason why sperm banks ban all below average height men, not
above. Being tall is considered a positive trait like being handsome.
Now, wouldn't you say there's a difference between constantly talking
about how attractive someone is, versus how undesirable another person
is? The latter can cross into into straight up bullying territory.
There's a reason why short men have double the suicide rate of tall men.
There's no comparison between the social treatment.
On the other hand, in the image I linked, the joke is that they don't take short men seriously. When people post the old "hand on short person's forehead," the implication is that they'll beat your short ass if you step out of line. In this one, the joke is that short men are unattractive/unpopular. In this hilarious one, the joke is that you're a bitch and not a warrior if women tower over you. Notice how the focus of the joke is always on the short man.
While we're on this topic, it's very rare to find a self-deprecating short man who doesn't make short men seem
lamer once the joke is over. Are there any who
make short men seem more powerful, sexier, etc. once their
routine is done? It must be rare because I can't name one. Sure, someone
can claim to "respect" a short man more if he makes fun of himself. In fact,
I've seen that exact point made ("I only discriminate against short men
who don't laugh at themselves/let others laugh at his height.)" Aside from when hanging out with friends and trash-talking each other, this is of course all bullshit once we look at what people do rather than what they say. When people respect some giant of a man, everyone thinks twice before running their mouths around him because they're afraid of getting their asses kicked. With short men, people mock first then think
later, and it's up to the short guy to respond in a docile enough way.
If the excuse here then is that tall people are stronger on average (and
that's why their form of respect is actually functional), then is it
fruitless when women expect to be as respected as men? After all,
biology doesn't care for political correctness. Yet when people respect a woman, they stop themselves from commenting on her weight. What's going on here? When people think of Bobby Lee and Bruce Lee, who commands more respect? Based on everyone's consensus regarding self-deprecation, Bobby should be considered much tougher than Bruce based on the amount of times they've made a fool out of themselves. But does anyone really think that?
When it
comes to other forms of disrespect in today's society, it's up to the
tactless and rude person to control their behavior. Another lecture
about body shaming, anyone? On the other hand, when it comes to mocking
based on height, it's up to the short person to mold themselves into the
perfect punching bag. Merely commenting on a woman's weight is
considered taboo, but you can outright shame a man's height and it's
always just a prank. If he has a problem with it, then the issue is on
his end. The double standards are the icing on top. Bonus points for the
other side of the same coin, where people berate men about "toxic
masculinity" and how bad males are at expressing grievances.
Related reading: "the use of self-deprecating humor by low-status individuals may be counter-productive, suggesting depression, defeatism, subordination, low self-esteem, and/or low mate value."
