While we’ve come a long way with dismantling the social systems that normalize body-shaming, we’ve undoubtedly still got a long way to go. For example: Plus-size clothing options and body types are fairly common and accepted by brands, influencers, the current generation, etc. Yet there is no equivalent when it comes to short men, and the stigma associated with male lack of height is a far more difficult one to tackle.
Were a potential dating partner on Tinder or elsewhere to include weight, cup size, or any other physical requirement in their dating bio, they would get roasted into a circle of hell I hope to never see. And yet it’s curiously common and less outrage-inducing for women to openly state their height preferences for men.
Personally, I think people are allowed to have whichever preferences they want, as long as they aren’t being jerks about it. Including a height requirement in your Tinder bio, for example, is being a jerk about it. Which is the point the subject of our story makes below, when he shares a conversation which he believes to be an example of the overwhelming double-standard in the world of online dating.
This guy was swiping through Tinder when this woman’s profile caught his eye:
(Of course, in real life she didn’t look pixelated like that. Although, if you’re into heavily pixelated images, no judgment here.)
The two matched, and upon noticing her height preference he decided to draw her into a trap through casual conversation. It began innocently enough.
The image then jumps to another screenshot which shows her bringing up her height as an explanation for why she doesn’t like short guys.
He then makes the case that posing a requirement for height is equivalent to doing the same for weight by saying that “girls tend to be fatter” in cold places. His match quickly gets upset.
This exchange, which was posted to the subreddit r/Tinder, sparked a debate. Many agreed with the man in the situation and sympathized with the plight of short men worldwide:
Though others couldn’t see the issue with having a preference, although they conceded that writing so in a bio is fairly tasteless:
Though there may be a double standard when it comes to online dating for men and women, it seems as though women should be allowed to set height requirements if guys are allowed to write things like “NO FATTIES” in their bios.
What do you think?