some people are short, WHO CARES?

The entertainment business loves to cash in on people with disabilities, deformities and even mental impairments (i.e. Jersey Shore.)
For the past decade, I have noticed an increasing trend in reality shows and T.V. documentaries profiling little people. I would have to say it all started with MTV's 2002 "True Life: I'm a Little Person." This 1 hour documentary followed dwarfs, who affectionately liked to be called "little people" (which has always puzzled me, since "little people" typically refer to less important people, but whatever.) These "little people" show us how they function in a world made for 5 foot somethings. This fit my favorite "freak show" criteria, as the sole creation of the show was for us to gawk at these tiny people, which brought ratings. It was clearly not to inform us on the lifestyle of a little person.

This one show brought on a slough of shows about little people, and some of these shows are the network's top rated series!

Little people, Big world, was TLC's first show about little people, which has been running for at least five seasons and continues to be one of the networks highest rated shows. It profiles two parents who are both little people, their two average height children and one "little" son.
Our Little Life, TLC's newest show about little people, profiles two little people and their new baby, who is of average height.
The Little Couple, also on...you guessed it, TLC, follows two married little people with different types of dwarfism. She is a doctor, and he is in the IT business.
Pit Boss, an Animal Planet series, follows an "ex con" little person whose new life mission is to rescue abused pit bulls. I'm not sure what kind of crimes this little tattooed nugget could've committed. Big Wheel theif? Needless to say, he tries to come off all threatening and bad ass, but it's just silly. Someone put a giant lollypop in his hand and a wig on him already.

Finally, Little Chocolatiers, my personal favorite freak show in terms of exploitation. This show on TLC profiles a married couple who own a candy store. Did anyone else automatically think OOMPA LOOMPA when they heard about this show? Seriously, why don't they just paint their faces orange and dye their hair green?

Why I find little people shows just plain boring is that little people really aren't freaks at all; they're just short. You want to know what it's like being short? Ask a kid. Children adapt to their surroundings every day by climbing counters, standing on their tippy toes and finding other creative ways to get around.

All of these regular adult problems inflicted upon people who are about a foot and a half shorter than the average person serves no true interest to me.