Short shaming and heightism

President Trump has a habit of teasing his opponents and critics for being short, most recently Mike Bloomberg. But for short people, this is probably not a shock.

Air Date: February 19, 2020 10:00 am

(photo credit: Big Stock)

Guests: Tanya Osensky

President Trump has come up with another one of his trademark nicknames, “Mini Mike,” for his newest opponent, the 5’7” Michael Bloomberg. Trump’s Twitter feed is filled with language and images that belittle Bloomberg for his relatively short stature, just as he did for former his former opponent Marco Rubio. But for short people, this probably does not come as a shock. Short shaming, or ‘heightism,’ is often an overlooked form of discrimination in work, love, and even academia. Today, we’re going to talk with TANYA OSENSKY, author of “Shortchanged: Height Discrimination and Strategies for Social Change,” and SETH ULINSKI, author of “Amazing Heights: How Short Guys Stand Tall,”about the societal prejudice against short people, how it manifests, and how to fix it.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.