To think short men get treated poorly

[NEVERQUIT3331]

We see all the comments online, real life etc..

Comments such as:

1. "he has short man syndrome" (short women do not get told this)
2. "too bad he is short he was quite good looking" (in other words saying someone being short makes them not good looking)
3. "future children will be short" (as if that is someone's only concern and not whether the child becomes a good person. Also height of children is not solely determined by the male. There are other factors.

It is okay to have a preference but some of these "preferences" seem to be ill mannered comments.

Poor George Clooney, only 5 ft 9. If only he'd been taller he might have attracted more women

My exH was 5ft7 and I am 5ft5. He didn't have any Shott Man Syndrome character traits at all, in fact he was a complete pacifist. He did always say that if he had one wish or if someone invented surgery to increase height by about 4 or 5 inches he would be all over it.

Our son at 18 is now dead on 6ft which we are both thankful for though.

Short men are less likely to be hired, less likely to hold high level positions, and have lower average salaries. There is definitely a real issue with height discrimination for men.

My DH is short and so am I. I think he would have liked to be just a bit taller but it doesn't bother him. He is not aggressive but is confident and does not feel inferior. Our DS is six foot two and our DD is five foot six and a half. DS towers over us!

Sorry one thing I should be clarified is the definition of "short."

Some women seem to think being over 6 foot is something that is average. But that is not the case. The average height in the US for men is 5 foot 9. And for the UK it is about 5 foot 10 for males.

From my experiences, I have seen women who are say 5 foot 3 say that a guy who is 5 foot 8 is short for them. Which made no sense to me as that is still a 5 inch difference. Or someone who is 5 foot 6 say a guy that is 5 foot 9 or 5 foot 10 is too short for them when in real terms they are three/four inches taller.

Like I said before the media does not help projecting the ideal man or woman. When it does not take into account the average male or female. The average man is not 6 foot and the average woman is not those you see on catwalks.

My point should have been made clearer I was trying to say how some women will say a guy who is 3 inches taller than them is short when in real terms that is not the case.

I agree - but as a short woman I have had all those comments, with slight variations.

Height is also an issue when you're trying to be taken seriously in a professional environment (I've also been told I've got a "young face"). People link height with age and therefore maturity, experience and competence. It's not helpful when you're trying to introduce yourself as a manager and you're asked what you're studying at university as you're assumed to be an intern (yes, this has happened to me!). It's very easy for these sorts of things - which are really a sort of semi-conscious bias - to hold you back in your career.

Height discrimination is an issue for men and women, tall women can have similar issues. My dd is short and that causes her problems eg backpacks don't fit her back length though she's now got adapted kit.

You'd be horrified by me op. I'm five foot and don't find any man under 5 foot 10 remotely attractive. Even George clooney. I just don't. I don't have to either, my choice.

[quote RolloTomassi]@LikesnowinMay glad it's not just me!

Totally agree re the "personal affront" aspect, I suspect the mouthy ones feel emasculated by a woman who makes them seem even shorter! Silly really, surely us vertical outliers should stick together! [/quote]
I think the aggressiveness often comes out around other men rather than around women.

I'm aware of this type of discrimination and I don't understand it. Why is being short or ginger meant to be bad? For full disclosure I am married to a short ginger bloke!

Yes, men are ridiculed on a daily basis over all sorts of things yet it's fine because it's a woman doing it. Some of my friends are terrible at putting men down ( generally )
I know I have had a moan now and again about my Dh to my friends, but it's respectfully done and I appreciate I am not perfect myself too and I give him praise when he has been thoughtful or just put up with my own odd ways.
I just think some women are men haters when it's not always always justified ( including my sil who believes she is the most perfect woman to ever walk the planet and all men are stupid not to be as good as she is!)
I don't notice height though on anyone : I'm a fairly tall woman and hated it so maybe I just sympathize on same odd level ? Plus it doesn't matter anyway!

Yep men dont have it easy for sure.
They are either too short or their penis is too small/thin. They cant win can they really.

It hasn't done Tom Cruise any harm.

@motogogo

Height discrimination is an issue for men and women, tall women can have similar issues. My dd is short and that causes her problems eg backpacks don't fit her back length though she's now got adapted kit.

Ugh, yes, the world is really not set up for the under 5' adults of this world - even those only slightly under 5'.

Buying trousers - argh, such a limited selection and none whatsoever in some shops. Some dresses and tops too - when the straps are non-adjustable and so long I'd literally have my nipples hanging over the neckline.

I got told off by a supermarket assistant once because I stood on the bottom shelf to reach something on the top shelf. I gave a rather curt response was that when they set their top shelves at a level accessible to fully grown adults then I'd stop standing on the bottom shelf. She wasn't in view when I stepped up, before anyone says I should have asked for help - and I don't have the time to hunt for a shop assistant every time I want something from a top shelf.

Backpacks - absolutely

The tube - can't reach the overhead rails to hold on, which means if you get pushed down the middle of the carriage there's a worryingly high risk of landing in a stranger's lap when the train lurches.

Bikes - it's very very difficult to find women's bikes that fit someone with a short inside leg length. I don't want a child's bike designed for play / short distances when I'm commuting 15 miles a day. Ironically, Giant is one of the better brands for this.

DP is much taller than I am, so in our household we have "tall jobs" which are assigned to him

I knew someone who can't abide ginger anyone ( male, female, dog, fish , you get the picture)
It's always baffled me completely to have such a reaction to something that doesn't affect them at all! People are just odd.

@Deadringer

It hasn't done Tom Cruise any harm.

It is not really a good comparison comparing someone who is rich, famous to the average short guy. Money and fame can make someone love the image of you rather than you as an individual.

I agree with you! I see single friends all the time list off their "must haves" when dating and it's always must be 6ft and have brown hair. I've been in a relationship now for 2 years with a bald, short man and it's the happiest I've been!

My OH is about 5'6, self confident without being cocky, very aesthetically pleasing, he earns £££ in a very good job, is mild mannered, well liked, funny, a great dad etc etc.

Guess I got lucky that he was passed over by so many other women!

I find large framed men a total turn off though.

@DeathByWalkies
I could produce a similar list of things that aren't designed for tall women. Starting with high street clothes and shoes and ending with hospital beds.

My son has more hair on his chin ( beard) than on his head but as he is 6 foot 5 or something I doubt anyone sees the top of his head!
He gets the whole ' is it cold up there ?' silly questions. My Dh hates being bald!
We all have our cross to bear eh?

I'm 5ft 2 and prefer shorter men - 5ft 7 to 5ft 9 is ideal. Nicer to hug, in that we can be chest to chest!

I am really tall (as in, tall even had I been a man, taller than an average catwalk model). Yes, pretty much invisible to men all my life.

Tall men for me…❤️

@RolloTomassi

I agree. I wouldn't want to be a short man as I think they do seem to be ridiculed more, and for males it's generally seen as more desirable to be tall.

That said, as a tall woman, it is only EVER short men who pass comment on my height.

Agreed. I've only ever had negative comments about my height from small men. I think they take out their insecurities on tall women.

@honeylulu

I'm aware of this type of discrimination and I don't understand it. Why is being short or ginger meant to be bad? For full disclosure I am married to a short ginger bloke!

I don't understand it either. It's not as if being tall or not having ginger hair is an achievement. It's just an accident of birth/genes.