"What would you do?" is a prime time program on the ABC Network. The program creates situations in order to put average people into controversial situations in which they are forced to make a decision. Usually the decision involves either turning the other way, in so doing enabling a perpetrator to get away with questionable actions, or standing up to the perpetrator. The episode last week involved scenarios submitted by the public. Casey Hubelbank, a member of Little People of America, pitched a scenario that was chosen by the program. The scenario involved what many little people are familiar with and what has been written about on this blog a few times -- little people as the subject of uninvited photos.
Casey's pitch was successful and ABC taped a scene that involved the picture taking scenario. The scene ran in last week's episode.
The scenario was much more extreme than most I have experienced. Usually, strangers try to sneak a picture from a car or behind your back. In the scenario shared on television, the perpetrators made no secret about their intentions. For purposes of television, ABC probably needed to go with an extreme situation.
I applaud Casey for approaching ABC with the idea and I applaud ABC for pursuing the idea. On the day of the program and immediately following the program, many Facebook friends of mine who are little people posted comments about the program on their wall. They thanked Casey for bringing attention to an issue faced by many, many little people. Many who posted remarked that they, at some point in their lives, had been forced to deal with a similar situation. Though we all know the experience is common to little people, watching as the issue was addressed on television was empowering. In a way, validated our frustrations and identified the scenario on prime time television, not as the unfortunate collateral damage of curiosity, but as harassment. Also, just as shows like "Little People Big World" have removed ignorance as an excuse for using the word 'midget,' this episode of "What would you do?" will help deny the perpetrators of harassment against little people any justification.
Hi Gary
ReplyDeleteIt is not only dwarfs that get that stares in
supermarkets. Tall people regularly get stares
too, especially if they act "strangely".
I am 34 years old chronologically, but chronological age doesn't mean much in my case,
because I have high functioning Autism / Severe
Asperger's Syndrome. Emotionally and socially,
I am like a 4 1/2 to 5 year old. That doesn't
mean that I have low intelligence. I sometimes
will act like a 5 year old without even knowing
that I am acting like one. Because I am 5
feet 11 inches tall, if I behave like a little
kid, then I get stares. Have I been stared at
in the supermarket? Yes. Have I been stared at
in restaurants? Yes. Have I been stared at in
the toy store? Yes. I hear people who are
4 feet 10 inches tall who have mild Autism
and act like 16 year olds and they are annoyed
that they get thrown children's menus at
restaurants. Well, how about the other way
around? How about severely mentally handicapped
people who have low IQs? Just because they
look "normal" on the outside, does that mean
automatically they should act like a "mature
Adult". How in the heck does this make any
sense?? Why should I be expected to act like
an adult just because of my size, when I am
like a 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 something year old???
(contiinued on in next message)..
If I was a proportionate dwarf, and maybe if
ReplyDeleteI actually looked like a 4 1/2 year old (There
are a few proportionate dwarfs that actually
do look like children), do you think that I
would be getting those stares? Do you think
people would be judgemental of me?? Don't
you think other people would just look at me
and think "well, what a cute 4 year old" and
leave me alone like any good decent human
being would upon seeing a 4 year old playing
with toys at the market?? I can't hold a job
because of my Autism, but I volunteer
working with preschool aged children at
Preschooler Storytime at one of my local
libraries. My friend who is a children's librarian there mentioned this when I told her
about how people expect me to behave like
an adult just because I'm big. She said that
even with children it's like that. If you have
a big 1 year old that looks more like a 3
year old, if they act like a 1 year old they
will get weird looks too, like why does he
sound like a baby. Whereas he is supposed to
behave like a baby because he IS a baby that
is 12 months old, versus a child who is 36
months. Same thing goes for children who are
36 months old and are small - the other way
around. And then how about developmentally
disabled children - eg. a 6 year old with
Autism or Down Syndrome that acts like a 2
year old.
I am tall, and I'm the tallest person in my
whole extended family (in 20 people); my
family is Chinese heritage. Being this tall
has been a real disadvantage for me. The only
advantage I can see is that I sometimes
reach high shelves to get things for my Mom
(although sometimes I even have to use a ladder,
so big deal). Other than that...honestly, I'd
rather be 3 feet 4 inches and 38 lbs and have
the degree of Autism that I have, rather than
be 5 feet 11 inches and 172 lbs like I am and
have Autism, like I am in my present shape.
I still watch Barney, watched Teletubbies until
they stopped showing it on PBS, watch Arthur
sometimes. I love Maurice Sendak's Little Bear
and the Care Bears (both 1985 version and
2003 rebirth). When I go to amusement parks,
I can't even ride on any rides, because I
am too big to get on kiddie rides (usually their
height limitation is 54 inches, although they
probably don't pay attention if you are a little
over - I have friends with Asperger's who are
21 years old and 5 feet tall, and they can get
on them. But not me). I am too terrified to go
on roller coasters (I tried to ride them when
I was younger, but I never liked it, been on
several), and I can't ride on kiddie rides,
so in parks like Six Flags or at Cedar Fair
parks, I end up riding on nothing. I hate that
and the only amusement park I can actually
enjoy is Disneyland - because there are no
height restrictions for Dumbo The Flying Elephant or for The Mad Hatter's Tea Cups.
But I live quite aways from Disneyland, so
I get to go there once in maybe a decade, or
worse.
I'm just telling you there are 2 sides to
everything. I have heard of people with
Autism who had it so severe they stopped
growing at age 5 and look like 5 year olds at
age 18 or 25. I would not mind that at all,
in my case. I hate being tall!!
Thanks so much
Best regards
Codi Preston from California