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Originally Posted by snickers
How is it horrible?
I can see if they were all relay racing against a pack of 3-legged dogs as being "horrible", but this is just a dating show for little people.
Not arguing about anything...just curious why you think it's horrible.
Hello everyone,
I posted to one of the other threads but I wanted to say that I am a person with dwarfism. Secondly Midget is a very OFFENSIVE word. It is like calling a Black person the N word, it is extremely hurtful and disrespectful. I know alot of people with dwarfism and I know some of the people on the show. Some of them saw it for an opportunity to make money and/or get exposure. They knew exactly what they were getting into when they signed the contracts. I have mixed feelings because we do have a right to be in any show but unfortunately any role we are offered is degrading. It is also sad how dwarfism seems to be one of the few disabilities it is okay to make fun of. Pretty Sad.
Welcome, LPChick.
I don't think anyone is "making fun" of people with dwarfism, especially seeing as how none of us have seen the show to be making comments about it.
And as you said, the people on this show knew what they were doing when they signed up - they made their bed, now we get to comment on it.
I understand your point about the word "midget", but I will tactfully disagree that it is either "very offensive" or that it's in any way comparable to the N word. But we can agree to disagree on that point, because I don't feel like pulling out the literary references to the word, or the history of the word, to show my side. We can just agree that "midget" is a word that is currently a non-politically-correct term that should be avoided.
I just wanted to follow up my post above after having done some more research on your stance on the term "midget". Apparently, sometime after the LPA changed its name from "Midgets and Dwarves of America" to "Little People of America", the word has fallen out of favor and can now be considered somewhat offensive.
I will concede my point.
reply to John's post:
First I am a dwarf and I find the term midget very offensive. Secondly I know many many other people with dwarfism who DO see the term midget like the N word. Honestly unless YOU are a dwarf yourself then you can not relate. I am sorry if that sounds harsh but I want to get the word out. Third I am a member of LPA and I have never heard that the organization was Dwarves of America. Are you a person with dwarfism? Do you know many people with dwarfism? You said basically the show is not making fun of dwarfism, well I did not directly say that and I was talking about other roles. I do have more insight than you though on the show since it was a topic within the dwarf community, also I know a few people who tried out for the show.
I will be watching because I always watch when other lp's are on.
The early history of the LPA and the historical significance of the word "midget", from a little person's perspective: http://www.arturogil.com/m_word.htm
LPChick, I understand that you are a dwarf, and so you feel the need to tell us about this show from your perspective, and that's perfectly fine. But it's an entertainment program on MY television, and I'll form (and post here) my own opinions about the show. It won't make them any less valid than yours. And if you remain of the opinion that mine ARE less valid than yours, you're going to run into problems here in the near future.
Like I said, it's an entertainment program, it's on MY TV, and the whole reason for this site's existence is for ALL of us, of every size, to be able to comment on what we're seeing on our TV's. You don't have to agree with my opinion, but you DO have to respect it as an opinion (that may differ from your own).
Why does everyone think FOX has sunk to a new low? I mean, this is just a dating show. Would you say the same if the show were all african americans, or all disabled people?
What I'm getting out of these articles is FOX is trying to help America understand that little people are a lot like the rest of us. They just happen to be shorter.
I agree- as long as the little people aren't being made fun of, why can't they be on tv??
However, if it comes across like FOX wants us to laugh at them, then I have a problem.
We'll just have to wait and see what the show is like. My guess is it'll be like every other dating show just with shorter people. Big deal.
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