I didn't think that much of it at the time, but Rusty Walker raised some objections, so I've been thinking about the issue of "heightism." For an interesting take on that, see "Dating Dilemma: Am I A Heightist?":
I’m sure there are all sorts of goes-back-to-the-Stone-Age psychological and physiological reasons. A taller man may subconsciously suggest to a woman that he’s more likely to provide for her than, say, a shorter dude. True or not, animals conditioned to believe one thing over untold millennia are hard to reprogram. The guy I went out with who was 5’10” was shorter than me, sure, and neither of us minded, but he was a big guy, stature-wise. The 6’6” guy I dated weighed 300 pounds and was a professional offensive lineman. I liked feeling uniquely small(er) than him and, well, girly when we were together. But it seems like I’m leaving out a hell of a lot of fish in the sea by casting my line this way. What if the man of my dreams is 5’6”—and I can’t see him because I’m too busy scanning the room for the tallest guy in the crowd?Read the whole post (which includes a link to Jeff Wong and Erin Martin's wedding announcement).
It could be awkward, though. How do you kiss a guy who’s six inches shorter than you? I don’t know. But I guess, in a way, love is like porn. I’ll know it when I see it.
Hat Tip: Glenn Reynolds.
5 comments:
How do you kiss a guy who’s six inches shorter than you? I don’t know.
The same way a 6' 2" man kisses his 5' 0" wife?
I've dated a couple of women taller than me . . . and I'm 6' 2". I never had a problem with it, and, quite frankly, a very tall woman who's also beautiful looks just awesome.
But things didn't work out between 6' 4" Carol or 6' 3" Linda and me, while things did work out between 5' 0" Elaine and me; we've been married for 30 years, 8 months and 11 days.
Reminds me of a story from back in the mid/late 70's.
There was an English actress/model Rula Lenska, of the Rock Follies TV series fame.
When she was consistently working as a model on the Continent, (Europe) she was taller than was the norm for that time, as most models were around the mid five foot mark. She was just on 6 feet tall, and towered over many of her contemporaries. When she based herself in the UK, the modelling work virtually dried up. Her agent mentioned that the 6 foot height she had on her CV put a lot of people off hiring her.
Without lying she changed it from 6 feet to 5 feet 12, and the jobs flowed from that point on. She was a Super Model long before that term was even invented.
Maybe the readers would be interested in what a short guy thinks. At 5’4” (the same height of James Madison) I might be a typical flag-carrying specimen. heh
Forgive my immodesty, but over the years have had plenty of attention from very attractive women. But I don’t think that is was any accident that they were all near my height. I believe my height cut down on the number of potential available girls in any given place for me. I don’t think I have ever had a tall girl flirt with me. Tall women I think have always ruled me out. The press made a lot of noise about Tom Cruise with Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes. I thought they looked cute together, and I wouldn’t have had a problem with a taller girl. It wouldn’t have affected my sense of being their protector. But, that might just be me, as I can be appropriately intense when I need to be (think, Joe Pesci in “Good Fellas). Still, from a woman’s point of view, I totally understand if women prefer a guy taller much than them, and I think they generally do. It might make them feel as your commenter have noted, more feminine. I don’t think that that needs to be a reflection on the manliness of a guy. I never took it personally. I think it is natural.
Can a short guy, “get the girl?” You bet! Before my wife married me (she is 25 years younger than me, and beautiful by any standard… Donald could confirm that), all the guys she dated were over 6’ and one 6’4.” The guy she dropped for me was 6’1.” I never was opposed to a tall girl, my first two wives were taller by an inch, my current wife is 5’1.”
But, when all is said and done, guys, be glad you are tall. Statistically, there are more women available for you!
P.S.
I just gave this to my wife, Kelli to read, and she said, “ if a girl is preoccupied with height she probably is shallow and not the kind of women a guy would want anyway.”
TonyfromOz Interesting. Poeple are getting taller. I was less short in the 50s than I am now! The average height for a heavyweight boxer in the 40s and 50s was just around 6.' Cassius Clay at 6'3" was unusually tall. Now, the average height of heavyweights are closer to 6’4”. The quarterback's today - same thing! My twenty-year old son towers over me.
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