As a person with dwarfism, I don't want you to feel sorry for Quaden Bayles
There has been quite a lot of international media attention surrounding a little boy from Australia called Quaden over the last few days. His mother filmed him crying and saying he wants to end his own life due to the constant bullying he receives as a person with dwarfism. One incident involved other school children patting him on the head like a puppy — not particularly surprising behaviour, especially since European royalty used to keep people with dwarfism as pets.
For centuries, people with dwarfism have been treated as sub-human oddities. Not so long ago, Jimmy Kimmel said at the Super Bowl that “midgets are great, everybody should have one.” Is it any surprise that the public sees us as inferior?
The video of Quaden crying in the back of his mum’s car has been viewed over 23 milion times and has provoked the usual comments on social media. Many people are commenting how sad it is and many more have dipped into their pockets to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to the young boy’s family, while others are claiming it’s a scam and that Quaden is actually 18 years old. Perhaps the latter just don’t want to admit that people with dwarfism actually have emotions, but would rather carry on thinking that we are "happy little beings” who relish being laughed at.
If you truly feel sad and angry for the little boy with dwarfism, then it’s about time we tackled the root cause of his bullying; otherwise it’s just crocodile tears. It’s easy to feel sorry for a child, but it’s a lot harder to admit the causes of the discrimination he’s faced and to challenge them. It easy to think that it’s his dwarfism that is the cause of the bullying; however, a large factor in the bullying people with dwarfism receive from others is influenced by cultural representations of dwarfism.
Society seems resistant to challenging the centuries-old representations and entertainment practices involving people with dwarfism, including those on social media. Facebook still refuses to remove pages, such as one called “I hate midgets” because they apparently do not go against their community standards.
Dwarfism is a rare condition. You don’t see many people with dwarfism going about their daily lives. However, it’s safe to say you have seen a dwarf in a film, reality show, story book, or at some sort of event being the butt of the joke. This means that media representations of dwarfism have a strong influence on how people with dwarfism are perceived and treated by others. There are numerous event agencies that allow you to hire out your very own dwarf for your wedding, baby shower or bachelor party. They are there for your amusement. You are free to laugh at the dwarf.
Unfortunately, actions have consequences.
As a woman with dwarfism, and an academic who specialises in the social experiences of people with dwarfism, I am fully aware of the consequences cultural representations of dwarfism have. My doctoral research demonstrated the link between certain cultural representations of dwarfism and how people with dwarfism are treated in society. Shakespeare et al (2010) also showed that 77 per cent of people with dwarfism in their study had received abuse when outside the house, and 63 per cent felt unsafe when outside. There are days I don’t want to leave the house as I just don’t want to be stared at, laughed at, pointed at, called a midget, called Mini-Me, called an Oompa Loompa, be asked where Snow White is, have “Heigh-ho” sung at me or be photographed. Would you feel happy (or Grumpy — I feel I should get that in before you do) if every time you went out people laughed and stared at you?
You can argue that it’s a job for those who agree to hire themselves out. You can argue that it is wrong to stop someone from making a living, especially when employment opportunities are limited for them. However, people with dwarfism are capable of working in a myriad of occupations. It’s a poor excuse in the 21st century to think that performances reminiscent of a freak show are still an acceptable form of employment.
Unfortunately, the living that some people with dwarfism choose has serious repercussions for the rest of us. If several people with dwarfism are happy to be thrown across a bar, is it right that the rest of us face the social consequences?
The next time you think it is OK to defend dwarf entertainers, think of that video of young Quaden Bayles. We need to think of people with dwarfism as actual people, not novelties without emotion, or that is what we get.
