Midget gems to change name

[Soubriquet]

To mini gems

link

Honestly would never have crossed my mind to think it was offensive but if people with dwarfism think it is, surely it’s right to change the name.

It’s still the same product. Just a different name

It's a good thing they didn't go with micro gems

Vertically challenged gems maybe.....

It’s a word meaning ‘very small’ which was mainly used to describe people with dwarfism from the mid 1800s.
She doesn’t want it erased from every historical context or retrospectively withdrawn from its other uses (MG Midget etc).

It has sod all impact to me, or most people, if M&S and Maynard’s rename the sweets. No need for PC Gorn Mad! froth.
If it makes the environment for people with a particular disability even a tiny bit better and relegates the perjorative meaning of the word to the past where it belongs then, good.

@Soubriquet

I did initially think ffs, but I don’t suffer from dwarfism there I can’t be offended by the word

She is, and obviously so are others to be able to campaign and change the name.

Language evolves.

Years ago people would use words, that now days are very offensive. Maybe this one will be too. Maybe not.

'Suffer from dwarfism'

Wow, ok.

The cynical part of me thinks maybe M&S have gone along with it because it will probably increase sales, how many people will have read the story and though "ooh, haven't had some of them in years but I really fancy a bag now." I bet sales of Colin the Caterpillar also increased during the Colin/Cuthbert story.

What are we going to do about Ginger Nut biscuits?!

God, these threads are predictable. Edgelords spouting utter shite and 1001 ‘quips’ about ginger nuts.

Phew, well at least you can still get Black Jacks, athough they are probably about to call time on 'Fruit' Salads...

@AutumnAlmanack

This is bloody stupid - I am very tall and have always had people say 'is it cold up there' or 'you don't need a ladder'. So what - I just get on with it.

Goodness what ignorance. Being tall is comparable to being short. It's not the same as Dwarfism. Be grateful you are able to 'get on with it'!

@ParkheadParadise

Honestly what a load of shite. The world has gone fucking mad.

This Whatever next?

@lucillelarusso

Have you ever been called midget? Maybe ask some short statured people what they think about it. My Uncle had dwarfism and was ridiculed and mocked constantly, which was bad enough. From 2000 a craze of 'dwarf throwing' resulted in a drunk rugby player assaulting him and breaking his arm. He didn't give a shit about midget or miniature gems but why are they better called 'midget' - what positive purpose does it serve? What are M&S taking from you? Maybe they are stopping 1 or 2 short statured kids being bullied, and that in itself is a good reason to change them.

This.

@Lucillelarusso

It's ok to say 'short'.

I'm quite short ( like, quite), and I find it bemusing when people won't use the term short. It's ok. It's a descriptor not judgement or an insult.

As for the name, I really don't care. If it is offensive to people who have dwarfism then excellent, let's change it

While they're at it, it would be great if the recipe can be changed so they don't get stuck in your back teeth

[quote Echobelly]If you're saying 'It doesn't offend me' and you're not a person with dwarfism then I'm afraid it doesn't matter what you think.

The sad fact is that people with dwarfism face people pointing, laughing, filming them and, yes, being called 'midgets' all the time www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-northamptonshire-59907613[/quote]
This. ^^

Bloody ridiculous
Like saying it's offensive to have white / dark chocolate 🙄

@narcdad

Bloody ridiculous Like saying it's offensive to have white / dark chocolate 🙄

In what way?

@Saucery

God, these threads are predictable. Edgelords spouting utter shite and 1001 ‘quips’ about ginger nuts.

Even for MN this one is bad. In a couple of hours it's going to end up with so many deletions there won't be much point to it.

God, these threads are predictable. Edgelords spouting utter shite and 1001 ‘quips’ about ginger nuts.
Can you please not use the word edgelord. It's very offensive to people on the edge.

What is an edgelord? I feel this is something I should know?

lucillelarusso I'm very sorry about your uncle.

It makes absolutely no difference to my life but it will to people with dwarfism and that’s the whole point of the name change.

This. ^

I'm assuming that all MG Midgets will now have to be scrapped?

The last MG Midget was made over 40 years ago so I suspect there aren't that many around now anyway.

But presumably the word midget will still be in the dictionary?

So? There are lots of words in the dictionary that it would be unacceptable to call someone, they're simply there so people can look up their spelling or definition.

Like it or not "midget" has negative connotations and is used negatively against people with a specific disability so why shouldn't the name be changed?

This thread is fucking horrible. The term ‘midget’ in reference to people with dwarfism was popularised during a time when they were forced into freak shows and circuses for the entertainment of average height people.

There used to be a shade of fabric called ‘N-word brown’. Are you frothing with outrage that this name is no longer used? Is THAT PC gone mad? If not, then why is no longer calling a sweetie ‘midget’ a problem? Changing it doesn’t hurt you in any way but language can be so harmful and I simply don’t see the problem with respecting the experiences of someone else.

I really don't understand why people are getting so upset about the change of a sweet name especially with the argument given.

I mean, we lived through the change from opal fruits to starburst and marathon to snickers, so I think we will be ok .

The article and the personal story from @lucillelarusso show how something like this will have a positive impact on those affected.