short story

[Tin Man] Jeff commented on and pointed to a cute article in Salon entitled “Short and Sweet: …Some reasons why smaller men rock”.

As a short man (~5'6") who has a fondness for other short men, I wholeheartedly endorse the article. Interestingly, I pretty much always reveled in my small stature (probably tied into the whole “elf” thing), and unlike many small men, who wish they were taller, I wouldn’t have minded if I were even a little shorter. While there certainly are times that not being able to see over the head of someone in front of me is frustrating, at the same time I’ve always felt that I’ve had an advantage in slipping easily and quickly through the gaps in crowds. Being relatively lightweight has its advantages, too, in terms of being able to be enfolded in a taller man’s arms or hugged tightly to his chest, or picked up and quite literally swept off my feet by someone bigger and stronger; back when I used to be active in partner dancing, it often was a visceral joy to be swung into the air by a taller partner.

Among the women and gay men profiled in the article who prefer short men, one even maintains a web site (Short Men of the Internet) for “gay admirers of men who stand 5'7" and under” (caution – not completely work safe) and is quoted as saying “I like the way short men fit in your arms. I like leaning down to kiss a guy–it just feels sexy holding a masculine little guy.” As a short man who’s been in that situation, amen. And as the one in my current relationship who gets to be the taller, bigger one (however slightly) for a change, I’m finding it a position to relish as well.

6 thoughts on “short story

  1. I caught that article the other day. Interesting stuff.
    At 5’8″, I’m too tall to be short and too short to be tall. It’s okay, though, because some people think I’m cute and cuddly, and I get that warm, fuzzy feeling when tall people say it.

  2. I didn’t realize there was such an attraction, though it certainly shouldn’t surprise me. It was definitely not worksafe, though! What did surprise me was the link to IGGW – I think they’ve been defunct for quite some time.

  3. Salon roundup

    Some Salon articles to which I’ve been meaning to link: “Short and sweet: You can look him straight in the eye and even borrow his clothes: Some reasons why smaller men rock.” That’s right. We rock. (Link via Tin Man….

  4. I’m in that 5’8″ gray area too, most people think I’m short; but since my boyfriend is about 5’6″, I have found a little bit of that “bigger guy” phenomenon. It’s kind of nice. 🙂
    See? Two inches can be significant. ::grin::

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