THEY DEBUT on the Howard Stern show. They dance in Blink 182 music videos. They appear on fashion show runways.
Recently, dwarfs have become "in" - the hip novelty that makes a splash at any event. But what has spawned America's love affair with these small people of late, and to what extent are they being exploited for their compact stature?
In the nation that invented the platform shoe and prides height as a virtue, it's fascinating to observe how trendy dwarfs have become lately. They were resurrected by Austin Powers' lovable Mini-Me, reaffirmed by Kid Rock's rap sidekick Joe C and are currently being endorsed through every media medium around. This willingness to embrace their diminutive stature, however, isn't as generous and charitable as it seems. Instead, there is something bittersweet about the whole movement, and it is too simple to completely approve of what's going on.
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Dwarfs have been around for hundreds of years, first appearing publicly as unfortunate media gimmicks in circus acts in Europe. According to many of these small people, the term dwarf is a better substitute for the word midget, which is extremely derogatory and offensive. The fact that the word "midget" is used so much more to refer to them however, makes one wonder if we are constantly putting them down inadvertently.
Or perhaps these insults aren't always so unintentional. Satirical Web sites like the National Midget Resistance make dwarfs the butt of all jokes. We refer to it as "midget" wrestling, not dwarf wrestling, and in fact, the word "dwarf" is so misconstrued that it invokes images of fairy tale characters and not the reality of the actual people.
In the last century, dwarfs were first reintroduced into main stream pop culture when they were featured insultingly in The Wizard of Oz as Lollipop kids. They were then used condescendingly again as Umpa Lumpas in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
In the past year though, dwarfs have been reinvented in a seemingly positive light through substantial roles in movies and music, from Seinfeld to television award shows. They're respected as legitimate actors and Verne Troyer is a stunning example of this success - recieving an MTV award for his role as Mini-Me, and appearing in a slew of other films such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, My Giant, Mighty Joe Young, Volcano and Men in Black.
On the other hand, dwarfs generally are used for comic effect even in these numerous roles - lunging on people, riding tricycles and dropping from the ceiling on suspension wires as bands perform at shows. This negates any steps forward to truly embrace them and leaves us as backwards and regressed as we were when we put them in sideshow acts.
Americans, like most people, are intrigued by the unusual. We like to watch people who pierce their bodies and hang by metal clasps. We are tickled by David Blaine's levitation antics. We cheer people on as they stuff their faces in pie and hot dog eating contests. We constantly strive to discover new ways to entertain ourselves, yet by exploiting dwarfs in the strange new manner we have adopted, there begs the question, "What happens when the magic dies down?"
Dwarfs live in our society and perform a variety of jobs just like everyone else. Those dwarfs who decide to become actors and musicians are brave enough to put themselves on the line and take the abuse that even our good-natured American fun forces upon them. Yet this is no excuse for taking advantage of their talents for our own jollies. They're performers and can't be tossed in and out of the media like Spice Girls. Instead, they must integrate as consistent features in media who are granted a stable prominence within films and music. It would be better, in fact, to give them a lesser but steady part in our music and film, if it means that when the trend is over they won't be dropped like 80s slap bracelets.
We are edging towards this sincere acknowledgement as we bring dwarfs into our media more. Like any minority, however, these people are still relegated to stereotypes and have yet to establish themselves as people who shouldn't be mocked. It's infuriating when dwarfs like Beetlejuice on the Howard Stern Show further all the foolishness with their antics. People like him chose to be exploited and hurt their cause, but they should start becoming the exception rather than the greater rule. When this happens, dwarfs will become firmly established in our society, and will be more than just cool new gimmicks that move in and out of Americana.
(Diya Gullapalli is a Cavalier Daily associate editor.)
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