Comments on: A few thoughts on China’s dwarfism theme park

By: Dan Byrnes

Dan Byrnes — Fri, 28 May 2010 02:25:07 +0000

The Chinese deserve nothing but protest and condemnation for this circus freakshow called the Kingdom of Little People. Such places where they are ‘performers’ make it socially permissible to gawk and laugh at little people without the discomfort and ambiguity to be faced if they were to see them in an ordinary social role: receptionist, doctor, teacher, etc. The fact that it provides jobs and brings dwarves together, who were once isolated is nothing, but a sad fact that there are not better alternatives or avenues open to them in China. Do the Chinese get a free pass due to cultural sensitivity and relativity?

By: BP Myers

BP Myers — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:46:14 +0000

@Dan: Hilarious.

Reminds of of a comedian years ago commenting on the use of the word “flu” as shorthand for influenza, a horrible disease once responsible for the deaths of millions. He went on to wonder if, one day, other diseases might be conquered such that we could refer to them diminutively.

“Yeah,” he envisioned someone saying. “I have the canc.”

He foresaw another adding, “Nah, it’s nothing. Just a touch of the bubies . . .”

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:55:07 +0000

@BP: And we don’t call people with autism “auts.” (That’s a joke. Sort of.) Hmmm … is that really the end of the list?

By: BP Myers

BP Myers — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:43:40 +0000

@Neil asks: Do we use “ism” to describe a characteristic of a group of people in any other context

Autism comes to mind, but you’re right. Only top of my head one I could come up with.

By: Neil Sagan

Neil Sagan — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:16:26 +0000

Thanks for sharing your books with us. I read the part of Chapter 13, your interrogatory with your daughter, in which I recognized how a father works to understand his daughters feelings and tries to help prepare her for what he fears is a difficult future.

I wonder about the use of the word dwarfism as the word of choice that describes the height of little people. Do we use “ism” to describe a characteristic of a group of people in any other context or are isms used typically to describe behaviors in social structures such as capitalism, terrorism, communism, socialism?