to dislike being called tall?

[Wednesdayweekday]

Brief context: I’m between 5’8 and 5’9, so above average but not some kind of giant, have suffered a lifetime of bullying (though not necessarily about height) and am also naturally self conscious.

I’ve found some people make comments about me being tall. My ex’s grandma (from a family of wildly below-average height people) once simply said to me at a Christmas gathering “aren’t you tall?”

I didn’t know her, probably met her maybe twice? We’d never held a conversation with one another other than to say hello. I felt it was unnecessary and a bit insensitive.

Yesterday I was at a wedding as my boyfriend’s plus 1 (his sons wedding). I didn’t know anyone, never met them before. We were conversing with another couple, who my bf had known for many years. At one point, the man in the couple (not very tall himself) made a comment along the lines of “you’re a tall girl” or similar. No reason for it, and didn’t sound malicious, but I just felt wildly uncomfortable, and a bit annoyed. I was wearing heels (always as low as possible because of being conscious of myself and NOT wanting to look too tall) so slightly above my usual height. (Not the case at the Christmas gathering situation above).

In both these situations I feel it would be inappropriate for my reply to be “and you’re very short aren’t you?”, and it would be even MORE offensive for me to bring it up out of nowhere “gosh, aren’t you short?”

Is it just me? I think that any body-related comments are completely inappropriate: mentioning someone’s height, weight, hair colour, or literally any other defining characteristic. Especially when you don’t know the person from Adam?!

I find it honestly bizarre and insulting. I realise this probably isn’t the intention, but you’ve no idea how people feel about themselves. Anything more than a generic “you look nice” (if you really MUST comment on appearance) feels inappropriate to me.

There have been other instances too, but this recent one just made me want to ask other’s opinions?

It's usually short blokes that feel the need to comment on it, for some reason.
I'm 5'10 so not that tall really. My best friend is 6'1 and we get a lot of comments if we go out somewhere that we have heels on.

Completely unnecessary comment, I get the same thing because I'm thin, it's annoying.

I’m 5’11’’, get this mainly from older ladies, often as a ‘aren’t you lovely and tall!’, often followed by a request to get them something down from a high shelf in a shop.

I did get ‘Oh, you’re big!’ shouted at me across the waiting room at work a couple of weeks ago from a patient I’d never seen before though which was a bit odd. I responded ‘Not really, my brother’s 6’4’’!’ (he is 🤣) and there was not another peep from them.

There’s probably a range of physical attributes people feel free to comment on, tall, lovely red hair, long eyelashes, bright blue/green eyes etc They are unusual differences, not an insult, not exactly a compliment.
I agree it’s probably rude to comment, it’s not very interesting to the person in question and a bit of a conversation killer.
People are generally so boring and average looking, anything different is interesting, that’s where it comes from.

I'd always take being called tall as a compliment, or a simple fact. As you said, the people who say it are often below average height/shorter than you.
If all your family were your height or taller it probably wouldn't come up. I'm taller than my parents and it's come up, but only in an observational way.
It's certainly never an insult, as far as I know.
But you could easily make a joke and say "maybe compared to you?' in a light-hearted way.
I'd say if people are making you feel bad then it's out of order but just mentioning your height in itself shouldn't be offensive?

I'm in a rush so haven't read the full thread. I'm taller than you and I find the best way to answer is, Yes, particularly when stood next to you.

We've got a family friend who is 6'8 who often can't stand up straight in country pubs. Now, I feel for him. He literally has it said to him on a daily basis. He just completely ignores it now because he says he wouldn't like anyone if he took offence to it.

YABU 5'9" isn't that tall. I'm the same height. I always remember a Filipina colleague calling me a giraffe. I found it amusing.