This has been year of short celebrities winning. From Sabrina Carpenter and Marcello Hernández, to Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande and Quinta Brunson, each talent dominates in their element, defying the idea that small is insignificant. And I should know; I’m an expert.
I come from a family of shorties. Coming in at (barely) 4 feet 9 1/2 inches – all I ever grew up around in my immediate circle were other like-minded shorties. I mean we all are within a few inches of each other (well, that is except for my younger brother who is 5-foot-8. Bless him, he’s considered the tall one).
I’m here to tell you short people have had a bit of an edge in the zeitgeist this year.
But as I left my stubby-limbed bubble, the world wasn’t as kind or understanding. People of average height would make being short into a joke or problem, such as saying the classic line, “How’s the weather down there?” Boys at school would try to use my head or shoulders as an armrest. Some of my (former) friends would even tell me I'm technically a dwarf because I'm under 5 feet for mean, dramatic effect.
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They all made being short sound so much worse than it was. In reality, I'm mostly neutral about my height. I crop and tailor my clothes when they are too big, and I fit in all my petite mom’s vintage ‘90s hand-me-downs. The only downside to my small stature is that I still, for the life of me, cannot reach anything on high shelves at the grocery store or my cabinets. But that’s why I have two stools and a ladder for my high-ceiling Brooklyn apartment. And why I dangerously climb shelves at the grocery store instead of asking for help.
Tall people have endless representation like professional athletes Shaquille O'Neal, Lebron James and Brittney Griner at the forefront of culture. (Except for decorated Olympian Simone Biles, who is a 4-foot-8 powerhouse. Obviously, a point for the short people column.) Athletes and models embody the sought-after taller, slender beauty standard.
This summer, people on TikTok even spread the audio for Megan Boni's viral video that goes, “I'm looking for a man in finance. Trust fund, [6-foot-5], blue eyes,”........