In this two-and-a-half minutes of spoken word poetry, Dan Sully & Tim Stafford express their frustration with those who don’t take short men seriously.
Borrowed from The Social Complex, a heightism blog. See also our guest posts from The Social Complex introducing the concept of heightism as a gendered prejudice and discussing heightism (and other icky stuff) at Hooters.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 10
WG — January 16, 2012
Although certainly open to interpretation, I see this Jam as only reinforcing the numerous false stereotypes about short men. Sure, many short men are mad at their height, but I believe just as many are mad at the social structure that benefits (greatly) those who are tall over those who are not. This video shows two individuals that are just lashing out at tall people, not the root cause of the tall people's behavior. It does nothing to repeal the blight against short men, and possibly only invigorates the hatred against them.
aly d. — January 18, 2012
I don't find this empowering whatsoever. They will demand that those in power change things? It's like asking a king to abdicate the throne or a crappy president to resign.
There is no talk of the dismantling of oppressive structures. These two men are simply asking for a switch, for hierarchical power structures to be flipped with oppressors being the oppressed and vice-versa. The. Same. Old. Shit.
So much self-hate and animosity. They may be short but they are still white middle class straight [seemingly able-bodied and healthy, although I realize that's an assumption] men who certainly don't have as much to complain about as this mixed-asian lower class queer woman, who is yes: rather short. It's just so strange that they are embodying a sort of classic revolutionary stance, orating a manifesto of sorts.
Are these two men really interested in social change? Are they grassroots organizers? Are they really being treated as second-class citizens? Are they sexually harassed at work? Do they have fear of attracting unwanted attention and violence while walking alone at night? Are they migrant workers forced to live like slaves?
To a large extent, in this racist, colonial, patriarchal society, these dudes have it made.
Short People « Quiet Riot Girl — January 20, 2012
[...] http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/01/16/some-spoken-word-on-heightism/ [...]
Sheryl — January 20, 2012
chill out. this was meant to be funny!
[Def Poetry Jam] Dan Sully & Tim Stafford on Heightism: Death From Below « Cellar Door — October 21, 2012
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alight motion — February 9, 2023
Dan Sully and Tim Stafford express their annoyance with those who don't take short guys seriously in this 2.5-minute spoken word poem.
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