Blackadder star Tony Robinson vents anger over ‘heightism’

@YanTanTetheraPetheraBumfitt I’m the same height as you and also went out with a 6’2” man. Didn’t like it at all. Neck ache and having to raise my arm to hold his hand made me feel like I was toddler size 😕

I do prefer short men though and my DH is 5’6” which is perfect for me. His brother is only about 5’2” and honestly that would be a no for me. His wife is several inches taller than him.

Going on his track record, he'd probably find them all hideously too old for him!!

Urgh he sounds awful, have gone right off him.

Yeah he’s right that women shouldn’t fixate on height or reject men only because of height.
However it’s also ok to have preferences and tall women friends I’ve had have all said lots of men don’t want to date them because they want a woman who’s shorter than them, so it works both ways.

My preference is definitely for taller men and I can’t help that, but as I’m only 5’4” I’ve only ever met a handful of men who were shorter than me, and I wouldn’t reject a man who was shorter than average if I liked everything else about him.
All shorter than average men I know are all married or in relationships too so it can’t be that much of a barrier if you’re a nice guy!

He is right in that superficially being a tall man is seen as more attractive than a short man, same as a slim woman is seen as more attractive than a fat woman. In reality though there is more nuance as in a relationship, personality, character and other physical preferences come into it.

I'd happily date a dwarf if he was a lovely person fit to be a life partner. But the men I've dated are so picky they all think they can date models or little compliant phillipino women rather than a strong minded professional woman like me when they themselves are repugnant morons with nothing to offer. Where are all the decent men for 60 year olds? There aren't any.

I was sat at the next table to him in a restaurant. I would concur.

I heard once this young female journalist went to interview him. The interview went fairly normal, until the end when he said 'right, are we going to have sex now?' with a deadpan expression. He was definitely serious.

Creep.

I think height prejudice is real. But at the same time, he is naive if he thinks short men are the only ones who get mocked or considered undesirable. Maybe it's just the only prejudice he notices. Lots of men are happy to say horrible things about promiscuous women or women who aren't conventionally attractive.

I've heard that too.

“But you look at Love Island"

Love Island is a dating show, Tony, one that unashamedly celebrates young and beautiful people. Most people watch for it a bit of fun, maybe a bit of fantasy as they are never going to be swanning around a swimming pool surrounded by attractive people who are attracted to them.

Any seventy eight year old watching it complaining that it is not fair that that the contestants would not fancy him for whatever reason has got serious problems.

Growing up tall I found it embarrasing at times and began to draw into a stoop in my early teens. My much older brother insisted on pulling me up on this and getting me to stand up straight. I'm grateful for him doing this. My moniker - as I'm taller than bro - became 'My not so little, little sister'.

Sizeism isn't good whichever way it goes. My family has had 5ft 6 men and 6ft 4 men. Bro was short and bald but no failure in the dating game.

Mick Jagger IS tiny. I saw him on stage at Wembley Stadium and he was about half an inch high and yet look at Bianca and Jerry - stunnas!

I'm 5'2" and at uni I dated a guy who was 6'2" - I had to end things as my neck was so sore all the time.

I have learned an excellent new word today! Bloviating 😀
thankyou

I doubt that he is still that height at 80. But yes he loves a tall woman and they seem to love him.

Women are absolutely entitled to date who they want....but he's not wrong that a lot of women will pass a short man over just because of his height. And he's entitled to a grumble about that. It's not wrong to wish that people wouldn't make snap judgements.

If I was 6ft4" and men wouldn't date me for being too tall I'd probably be a bit sad.

One of my friends - her adult son is 5'3" and he very much thinks he gets friend zoned by a lot of women. Yes he would never think that women aren't allowed preferences, but he can still wish it wasn't happening.

I had a boyfriend who was 6’3” to my 5’10” and he still felt I was too tall, the twat.

Or just redistribute people, like in year group photos!

Completely off the point of the thread: I am so upset to hear that TR is an ar***le. He was a personal friend of Terry Pratchett and as a huge Terry Pratchett fan I am trying not to think about his choice of close personal friends, which included Neil Gaiman.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. I have been working very hard to detach my appreciation of the art from the individual. This makes it harder. Bit like the Wagner dilemma.

Interestingly, I have had exactly the opposite experience. Every man bar one was shorter - I am slightly above average height for a man, and all the men were average or below average height - in one case, well below. I found that tall men were interested in short or very short women and the one time I went out with a bloke who was taller than I am it felt so, so wrong!😁

I love the word “bloviating”. So perfect for so many men…

X-posted! Yes I like your rule. Couples out on the street with a 5 ft woman and a 6ft man - arrest them!

My eldest sister is taller than her husband. When she's annoyed with him she wears her tallest heels. Not entirely sure she's aware she does it.

What a brilliant description 😂👏

What I don't think is fair, is tiny women getting very tall men. If you're short, you've got loads of choice. There should be a rule- no more than 3 inches taller than your base height, so everyone gets one of an appropriate height difference. 😁

The average man in the UK is 5'9" while the average woman is 5'3". Mandating a height difference of no more than 3" would lead to unfairness particularly for tall women.😀