Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Blackadder star Tony Robinson vents anger over ‘heightism’

90 replies

Valeriekat · 08/08/2025 07:07

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.

OP posts:
WhatterySquash · 08/08/2025 15:01

PulchritudinousLycanthrope · 08/08/2025 10:01

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!

Half an inch Grin are you sure he wasn’t just far away?

WhatterySquash · 08/08/2025 15:04

Also what on earth is Tony complaining about since he’s pulled a taller, much younger wife? It’s obviously not actually a problem for him with women, and he’s had a good career too.

I’d be a bit miffed if I was his wife - is her liking him not enough?

NeelyOHara · 08/08/2025 15:07

He’s right though, it’s the only discrimination still giggled at and accepted.
Fair enough you don’t fancy a man who’s short, but the whole ‘short man syndrome’ and other related insults are really nasty, and make the person saying them look awful.

PrettyDamnCosmic · 08/08/2025 15:10

WhatterySquash · 08/08/2025 15:04

Also what on earth is Tony complaining about since he’s pulled a taller, much younger wife? It’s obviously not actually a problem for him with women, and he’s had a good career too.

I’d be a bit miffed if I was his wife - is her liking him not enough?

“But what first, Louise, attracted you to the millionaire, Tony Robinson?"

with apologies to Mrs Merton

CaptainMyCaptain · 08/08/2025 15:14

WhatterySquash · 08/08/2025 15:01

Half an inch Grin are you sure he wasn’t just far away?

🤣

zanahoria · 08/08/2025 19:52

WhatterySquash · 08/08/2025 15:04

Also what on earth is Tony complaining about since he’s pulled a taller, much younger wife? It’s obviously not actually a problem for him with women, and he’s had a good career too.

I’d be a bit miffed if I was his wife - is her liking him not enough?

He even quotes her as

"My wife said ‘don’t get cross when you talk about this’.”

Sounds like she finds it embarrassing

dynamiccactus · 08/08/2025 20:00

I don't know enough about him to like or dislike him.

However, he is right about heightism. It is the last bastion of acceptable discrimination - even though it's something you can't change (whereas you can for example change your religion or belief - or indeed your "gender" - all of which are protected characteristics.

But if women don't want to date short men that's up to them. You fancy who you fancy. I am sure there are lots of white (wo)men who don't want to date black (wo)men or vice versa. Yes it's racist but it's completely up to them who they go to bed with.

TempestTost · 08/08/2025 23:43

JeremiahBullfrog · 08/08/2025 08:50

Certain women seem to feel very strongly about height. If it was men putting as much attention on a single female attribute (e.g. "I won't date women with small breasts in any circumstances") we'd be calling it out. Doubtless a fair number of men do think like this (e.g. "I won't date fat women"), but only the arseholes are open about it.

That said it's not at all obvious to me that short men are vastly less likely to end up in stable relationships at the end of the day, or that society spends a lot of time making fun of short men or (metaphorically) looking down on them. I would guess in general it's worse being fat or balding. It's difficult to tell where the border between valid complaint and overstating things lies.

This is pretty much where I am. I do find the idea of filtering for height kind of nasty. A lot of women are a bit odd about it though I agree with the poster who said a lot of short men won't date a taller woman either.

OTOH, I agree that short men doesn't seem more likely to end up alone, I have known more than one short man who was quite the Lothario. I find with the ones who are confident, their height doesn't even seem to come up.

I suppose what I find odd at a deeper level, and maybe worrying with regard to old, is that where in a more natural situation a person may have some physical things you tend to prefer or dislike, perhaps preferring tall men for example, but those can very often be completely subverted or swept aside with a particular individual. Woman meets man, he's short, but they really get on and for some reason there is red hot chemistry between them, and that's that. Or sometimes, the chemistry comes later. Either way, there's a real connection.

But with an on line dating app, all those people are simply weeded out right from the beginning.

I do think that tends to make us shallower.

Bookery · 09/08/2025 00:24

Most complaints from men about certain women's height preference seem to be involving dating app filters or profile statements, which do not necessarily mirror real-life experiences because on apps only certain features are amplified and loudly proclaiming bodily preferences is usually considered crass offline.

I question if this supposed preference on apps is as prevalent as said dissatified men claim (how much of it is region-dependent or app-dependent?). How artificial is it in a skewed environment like a dating app?

While I understand how non-misogynistic men might find the online focus on a certain set of external aspects frustrating, it doesn't excuse misogynistic men using the inherent limitations of online dating to create a false and dangerous narrative that women are actually oppressing men in modern society by refusing to give them easy access to sex or romance on apps.

VoulezVouz · 09/08/2025 02:04

Even if he is a horrible person, Tony Robinson is right here. My DH, at 5’5, is shorter than me at 5’6. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but it has been a problem for him since he was a teenager. He is incredibly handsome - all the things - just not tall. Our son is taller than us both. I never wear heels because I don’t want to tower over him (not that I want to, or can).

BlueEyedBogWitch · 09/08/2025 04:22

If I was his wife no chance I’d be asking how come he knows so much about what goes on on dating apps 👀

CinnamonCinnabar · 09/08/2025 06:30

BlueEyedBogWitch · 08/08/2025 08:59

“It’s because I’m short, isn’t it?”

No, Tony, it’s because you’re a tiresome, creepy, bloviating twat.

Edited

A new insult!
Thank you for introducing me to Bloviating - never heard that before, neatly describes multiple work colleges & almost all politicians.
Defined as 'the art of speaking for as long as the occasion warrants, and saying nothing'

Signalbox · 09/08/2025 07:19

NeelyOHara · 08/08/2025 15:07

He’s right though, it’s the only discrimination still giggled at and accepted.
Fair enough you don’t fancy a man who’s short, but the whole ‘short man syndrome’ and other related insults are really nasty, and make the person saying them look awful.

He’s right though, it’s the only discrimination still giggled at and accepted.

Not really. There are plenty of other discriminations that people make and laugh about. I’ve had plenty aimed at me over the years and heard plenty more.

Skinny
Balding (men)
Ginger
Whiteness
Flat chested (women)
Moobs (men)
Intelligence
Old age

zanahoria · 09/08/2025 12:44

He seems very invested in what young women on Love island think, does he ever ponder the opinions of women in his own age group ?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread