Ban 'Midget' From TV, Little People Group Says

NEW YORK — Little people are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to ban the use of the word "midget" on broadcast TV.

The group Little People of America said Sunday the word is just as offensive as racial slurs.

The request was prompted by an April episode of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" that the group said was demeaning.

In the episode, 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.

Calls to the FCC and "Celebrity Apprentice" host Donald Trump were not immediately answered Sunday. NBC Universal representatives didn't immediately respond to e-mail messages, and the telephone rang unanswered at their Los Angeles office.

Comments

[eShirl]

Everyone has their sense of dignity.

[jdrake501]

There must be more to this story than we're being told here.

I can certainly understand Little People being upset with being portrayed in a demeaning fashion, but let's say the show had called the ad, "Jesse James and the Little People" and then performed the same routine? Would they still be asking the FCC to ban the word "midget"? They might still be mad at their portrayal in the ad and complained about it (and who could blame them?).

While this is just one more example of demeaning little people on television, I don't think eliminating the use of the word, "midget", is going to make much of a difference to networks who insist on producing episodes demeaning to little people.

[marybluesky]

Thank you, jdrake501. I agree.

[CyndiC]

It's a start if we can educate people how offensive and hurtful the term is - the impact of that word is horrendous.

[callmeslice23]

This will never go through, nor should it.

[nycwerewolf]

I think the little people should be respected...Period. I'm sorry to see how long this group has been ridiculed freely in films and television for many years.

[WorkingClass]

At least they can get married.

[Veritas 1]

I am not the little people actors reeling in the big bucks feel the same way. As unfortunate as their condition may be, they have been able to find business entertaining (as a direct result of said condition) for hundreds of years.

[Gaia's Shadow]

Thank you.

[MrButtons]

Apples and oranges.

[white mende man]

de plane boss de plane.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

Yet how many groups of people who are in such a group due to a freak circumstance of nature get their own automobile line?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Midget it was a car you build from a kit and you could drive them on the roads.

[jcwtts1]

The term is offensive so dump it.

J

[NewYorkStateofMind]

no

[Bude]

The FCC offered a short response.

[ewwendt]

Apparently, they had very little to say. Hopefully, they didn't talk down to them.

[HGfromOmaha]

Now that's just wrong.....funny!! But wrong.... ;-)

[seamuscat]

Win.

[rigveda]

Everybody's offended by something these days, fellas - take your ticket and get in line.

[NickCatal]

Good luck with that

[Gaia's Shadow]

Thanks.

[justjohn]

Yesterday, I saw a traffic advisory on the weather/traffic cable channel that mentioned "July Fireworks."

So I wondered: What pressure group is offended by the number 4?

[Gaia's Shadow]

Oh, now there's a brilliant analogy. Let me guess . . . you don't know any dwarves? Am I right? Gee. I thought so . . .

[CyndiC]

Another well thought out response.

[olney215]

Awwww. Thats so cute.

[Gaia's Shadow]

Try learning something. Then come back. You might start with the LPA's website.

[Christschool]

Good for them. The only safe people it seems today to attack and ridicule are those that are different based on disability. This issue cuts both right and left as both sides tend to make fun of those that are different.

[oktober]

Interesting perspective, but what about the TALL people and the SHORT people? If the "little people" are going to be so sensitive about their DNA makeup, perhaps they should reconsider that everyone has some form of a derogatory term that they're associated with.

Sorry to burst your bubble ChristSchool, but your name is ironic considering you just called every "little person" disabled. Ouch.

[Christschool]

my screen name is irony, I'm agnostic. Yes, being that short is a disability. Being 8 ft tall would be a disability as well.

"ironic considering you just called every "little person" disabled. Ouch." Um, I don't consider being disabled derogatory. I'm disabled with an autism spectrum disorder. Ouch back at ya'!

I see lots of reactionary responses since I first posted this comment. Like I wrote, this problem of ableism cuts both political spectrums. The left is just as bigoted as the right when it comes to disability.

[sandiegoconservative]

I'll bet none of them think they have a "disability".

When is everyone else going to stop making offensive comments? Or do only certain people get to demand terms that may be used to describe them not be said?

[Gaia's Shadow]

Uh, no, Little People recognize that they are disabled.

Funny that so many people here are so comfortable just guessing or betting about this when they obviously are completely ignorant about the issue.

[bellecloche]

As someone with dwarfism, thanks. You're absolutely right that people on the left and right find nothing wrong with objectifying people with the condition.

And FYI, some people will dwarfism don't consider it a disability, while others do. Based on the surgeries and medical attention I've needed, I do consider it a disability - it's the stigma of the word "disability" that also needs to be dropped.