Sunday, July 12, 2009



Little people ask FCC to ban the word 'midget' on TV

Once again, reality must not be mentioned:
"Little People of America, at its annual conference in Brooklyn this week, has called for the Federal Communications Commission to ban the use of the word "midget" on broadcast TV.

"The word 'midget' objectifies you," said Clinton Brown, 27, of Hicksville, who co-chaired this year's conference at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott in Downtown Brooklyn. "Growing up as a little person, because you're different, you experience the ups and downs of some cruelties and prejudices. How many times have people I don't know come up to me and wanted to pick me up?"

Brown said the group filed an official complaint with the FCC.

In April, Little People of America protested an episode of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice," in which contestants created a detergent ad called "Jesse James and the Midgets." The contestants, including Joan Rivers, suggested bathing little people in the detergent and hanging them to dry.

Source

But "Little people" is the Irish word for fairies and fairy is a derogatory word for homosexuals so this could go on and on.

12 comments:

Bobby said...

"In April, Little People of America protested an episode of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice," in which contestants created a detergent ad called "Jesse James and the Midgets." The contestants, including Joan Rivers, suggested bathing little people in the detergent and hanging them to dry."

----And how is this offensive? I saw the episode, the little people seemed to be enjoying themselves. In fact, some midgets exploit their condition to get commercial gigs.

It's the other midgets, the ones who went to college and don't work in entertainment that find them offensive.

Anonymous said...

"It's the other midgets, the ones who went to college and don't work in entertainment that find them offensive."

So... 95% of them?

And as you said, they "seemed" to be enjoying themselves. They were actors, they might have been acting. It's likely that they wouldn't get much work if they looked grouchy and argued with people for calling them 'midgets' if the role called for them to be happy.

You can't assume that just because none of them argued that they should be called little people that none of them found the word 'midget' offensive. Just like we can't say that none of them didn't find it offensive.

Anonymous said...

A few years ago, Australia banned Dwarf Bowling. A game in which a Dwarf was pushed down a bowling lane to see how many pins he could knock down. A cheer went up from the “little people”, except for the Dwarf’s that did this as they lost their jobs. One Dwarf was making over $40,000 a year and this was about 10 years ago.

Mobius

Anonymous said...

Here are some alternatives:

- Height challenged person
- Mini person
- Dwarf by choice (God did not make them that way)
- One meter person

Anonymous said...

They are not fidgits; they are vertically challenged space saving low carbon footprint adults.

Ed

Anonymous said...

I prefer 'little fucks'.

Anonymous said...

Ooompa Loompas
Munchkins

Anonymous said...

The whole idea that changing the word(s) used to refer to anyone will change the way people perceive them is nonsense of the highest order.

Anonymous said...

Following their "logic", picking-up people should also be banned.

I think Anon 9:31 has the perfect solution. And if the little runts don't like it, they should be used as dog toys.

Anonymous said...

LOL !!!

Anonymous said...

While this may be a problem to some, rest assured it's just a little one.

Robert said...

George Carlin had some words of using "little people" as a euphemism for midgets, dwarves, etc. He mentioned that babies are little people, too. You could also put children in that category. It makes for a meaningless term. One does get a sense, however, that the midgets complaining about the term "midgets" are... ("If I dood it, I dud a whoopin'... I DOOD it!") ...mental midgets.