Blackadder star Tony Robinson vents anger over ‘heightism’

[Valeriekat]

In the Guardian
Another man who doesn't seem to think that women get to choose!
I don't suppose he has similar scruples about "uglyism" or even ageism.

Of course, the character he became famous for, Baldric in black adder was very dependent on the physical comedy of his size as a proxy for his class and roles in the series. It wouldn't have been as funny/believable with a 6ft plus chap, or someone kneeling to play a short character. And this, as his best known role after rep theatre (where many of his characters would be cast at least partly due to his physicality) was the springboard to presentation and other interesting roles. So he probably shouldn't complain too much about 'shortism' when he was willing to accept a career and fame based on playing up to it.

Women are judged almost entirely on their looks. We literally have surgery to rectify the perceived flaws in our bodies. It’s not ‘called out’, it’s so normal as to go largely uncommented on. Entire industries are based on it.

I can’t get worked up about males feeling sad about their height while young girls are routinely getting lip fillers and boob jobs.

I think height wouldn’t be an issue if it weren’t for the fact that people can be so bloody mean about it! A male friend of mine is short and has the piss taken out of him even by people who are supposed to be his friends.

Men do insist on dating women shorter than them, though! It’s a preference that goes both ways.

Mick Jagger is tiny. It hasn't hurt him.

I don't think it's an either or. I agree that women have it worse. Height is an issue for men though.

Apparently Rod Stewart is 5'10" which I don't think many people would class as 'short'. He only looks short next to his wife because she's over 6'.

You don't think the fact he was incredibly rich and famous helped?

You maybe haven't noticed this, but rich and famous or powerful men don't need to rely on their looks or personalities to attract a mate.

Just looked it up and Rod Stewart is 5 ft 10! This is what I mean.

I actually had no idea Mick and Rod were short! (Ah…just seen post perhaps that’s misinformation… I’m 5’1 so very few men are short imo!😂)

Theres plenty of short actors who are good looking or have some sort of charisma, from Tom Cruise through Dustin Hoffmann to Danny de Vito, for example.

I’ve no idea about dating apps and their filters. It has to be asked - is there one to exclude blokes whose thingies look like turnips?

According to Google both Rod & Mick are 5'10" which is taller than the UK male average of 5'9". If you want a short arse lead singer of that generation I give you Roger Daltrey at 5'7".

I'm surprised if that's true. I hadn't regarded Rod Stewart as short but Mick Jagger looks very small.

I'm 5'9. I don't know whether I just live in a place full of short men, or what, but I've always been taller than most men and it definitely made it harder to pull. Men might like to look at tall women, but they don't necessarily want to go out with one. Especially if she's 6ft in heels. Most of the men over my life have been between 5'11-6ft. I'd consider 5'10 short for a man, so sadly, there are few celebrity men i can accept.

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. 😁

Google tells me Tom Holland is 5’6. 4 inches shorter than his fiancé Zendaya.

I wonder if he’s the shortest Hollywood superhero. Movies feel like places where they’d aim for tall superheroes, and to have any female love interest be shorter.

TR’s performance as Baldrick was a thing of genius so I will always admire him for that. (Though the writing helped obviously!)

He’s right in a way that short men are sidelined and written off. However I’m tall and while I do like a taller man, I would consider shorter but most men aren’t interested in a woman taller than them IME. Meanwhile, lots of women only want a tall/over 6 ft man even when they themselves are below average height which seems daft to me. If you’re 5’2, most men are taller than you so why restrict it to the really tall ones?

But he is being very blinkered in his whining and forgetting all the other physical things that are considered undesirable that people have to put up with and get on with it.

One thing that makes shorter men really attractive is when they style it out and have confidence (real confidence not aggression or bluster). Prince, Bruno Mars, Peter Dinklage, Tom Holland. Be more Prince, Tony!

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.😀

What a brilliant description 😂👏

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.

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

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

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!😁

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.

Or just redistribute people, like in year group photos!

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

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.