Midget

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File:Singer's Midgets - carnival poster.jpg
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Midget (from midge, a tiny biting insect[1]) is a term for a person of unusually short stature that is considered by some to be pejorative due to its etymology.[2][3][page needed][4][5] While not a medical term like dwarf (for a person with dwarfism, a medical condition with a number of causes, most often achondroplasia),[6] midget long described anyone, or indeed any animal, exhibiting proportionate dwarfism.[7][8] The word has a history of association with the performance arts, as little people were often employed by acts in the circus, professional wrestling and vaudeville.

The term may also refer to anything of much smaller than normal size, as a synonym for "miniature" or "mini",[9] such as midget cell, midget crabapple, midget flowerpecker, midget submarine, MG Midget, Daihatsu Midget, and the Midget Mustang airplane; or to anything that regularly uses anything that is smaller than normal (other than a person), such as midget car racing and quarter midget racing.

"Midget" may also refer to a smaller version of play or participation, such as midget golf; or to anything designed for very young (i.e., small) participants—in many cases children—such as Disneyland's Midget Autopia, midget hockey, and midget football.[10] Some sports organizations, like Hockey Canada, have committed to removing the word, recognizing that it might be considered offensive.

History

File:Charles Sherwood Stratton.png
Charles Sherwood Stratton as "General Tom Thumb" circa 1861 (under P.T. Barnum)

Merriam-Webster states that the first use of the term "midget" was in 1816.[7] Midgets have always been popular entertainers but were often regarded with disgust and revulsion in society. In the early 19th century, midgets were romanticized by the middle class and regarded with the same affectionate condescension extended to children, as creatures of innocence.[11] The term "midget" came into prominence in the mid-19th century after Harriet Beecher Stowe used it in her novels Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands and Old Town Folks where she described children and an extremely short man, respectively.[12] P. T. Barnum helped popularize the term "midget" when he began featuring General Tom Thumb, Lavinia Warren and Commodore Nutt in his circus.[13] "Midget" became linked to referring to short people put on public display for curiosity and sport.[12] Barnum's midgets reached position of high society, given fantasy military titles, introduced to dignitaries and royalty, and showered with gifts.[14][15]

Such performances continued to be widespread through the middle part of the twentieth century, with Hermines Midgets brought from their performances in Paris to appear at the 1939 New York World's Fair,[16] the same year that MGM released The Wizard of Oz, which featured 124 little people in its cast, most of whom were from the Singer's Midgets troupe.[17][18]

Controversy

When interviewed for a 1999 piece, performers engaged in midget wrestling stated that they did not view the term as derogatory but merely descriptive of their small size. Others disagreed, with one stating that the performances themselves perpetuated an outdated and demeaning image.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.

Towards the end of the 20th century, some people began to consider the term pejorative when referring to people with dwarfism.[6][12]Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.[19] Others, such as actor Hervé Villechaize, continued to self-identify as "midgets".[20]

There have been movements to remove the use of the word "midget" from age classification categories in youth sports, with Hockey Canada announcing that it would refer to the division as "U18" in 2020 as part of a wider renaming scheme.[21][22]

In the United Kingdom, Liverpool Hope University academic Dr. Erin Pritchard complained that the word midget, considering its etymology and use as a slur (often referred to by people with dwarfism as "the M-word"), was offensive to people with dwarfism and campaigned to have it removed from the name of the confection Midget Gems. Marks & Spencer became the first retailer to rename their product, adopting the name Mini Gems.[23] Other brands started to follow suit over the following months and years.[24][25] Dr. Pritchard then petitioned to have the Midget pub in Abingdon-on-Thames—named after a vehicle produced by MG Cars, which was formerly based locally—renamed. In 2024, the pub's owners, Greene King, renamed it the Roaring Raindrop, after another MG Cars model.[26] However, this decision was controversial and led to a counter-petition to keep the old name.[27][28]

Mascots

As of 2025, at least four high schools in the United States continue to use midget as a school mascot.

In 2015, the McLaughlin, South Dakota School District, which stands on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, changed the name of their school's mascot after protests came from Little People of America. The school's basketball coach, an alumnus and proponent of the change, drew comparisons to the Native American mascot controversy.[34]

In 2019, Hurley High School in Wisconsin changed its Mascot from midgets to the Northstars.[35] In 2025, a Iowa State Senator Molly Donohue introduced a bill to prohibit schools receiving state aid, including Estherville Lincoln, from using "discriminary mascots" including midgets.[36] Also in 2025, an advocacy filed a federal discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against the St. Clair County school district over the mascot at Freeburg High School.[37] State Rep. Maurice West submitted a bill to the Illinois House of Representatives that would ban the mascot by 2028.[38][39] The House passed the bill on April 8, 2025.[40] A similar bill was introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives.[41]

In March 2025, after a long history of attempts,[42] Dickinson High School (Dickinson, North Dakota)[43] announced that it would be retiring the mascot at the end of the year. School officials cited concerns about students feeling uncomfortable with the name and legal risks of discrimination against disabled people.[44]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Harper, Douglas. "midget". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Miller, P. S. (1987). "Coming up short: Employment discrimination against little people". Harv. CR-CLL Rev.
  3. ^ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gentry, Ruben; Wiggins, Ruby (15–16 November 2010). Individuals with Disabilities Are People, First--Intervene and They Will Learn. College of Education and Human Development Urban Education Conference. Jackson, Mississippi.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."midget". Webster's II New Collegiate Dictionary (2nd expanded ed.). Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1999. p. 693. ISBN 0395962145. 1. An extremely small person who is otherwise normally proportioned.
  6. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Shapiro, Arthur H. (2000-09-01). Everybody Belongs: Changing Negative Attitudes Toward Classmates With Disabilities. Psychology Press. pp. 284–. ISBN 9780815339601. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  7. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Dictionary Entry for midget: sometimes offensive: a very small person; specifically: a person of unusually small size who is physically well-proportioned.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kennedy, Dan (2005-05-23). "What is Dwarfism?". American Documentary. Archived from the original on October 25, 2005. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."midget". The World Book Dictionary. World Book. 2003. p. 1315. ISBN 9780716602996.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Driver, Bruce; Wharton, Clare (2004-10-20). The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Hockey. McGraw Hill Professional. pp. 15–. ISBN 9780071430111. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ashby, LeRoy (12 May 2006). With Amusement for All: a history of American popular culture since 1830. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press. p. 597. ISBN 9780813123974. Retrieved 18 January 2018. commodore nutt.
  12. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kennedy, Dan. "P.O.V. - Big Enough. What is Dwarfism?". Public Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on October 25, 2005. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Thomson, Rosemarie Garland (1996). Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body. NYU Press. pp. 191–. ISBN 9780814782224. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  14. ^ Charles Sherwood Stratton (AKA General Tom Thumb) and His Circle, Jack & Beverly's Images of Special Subjects, December 2005.
  15. ^ Exhibit: "Sketch Of The Life, Personal Appearance, Character And Manners Of Charles S. Stratton, The Man In Miniature, Known As General Tom Thumb, And His Wife, Lavinia Warren Stratton; Including The History Of Their Courtship And Marriage, With Some Account Of Remarkable Dwarfs, Giants, & Other Human Phenomena, Of Ancient And Modern Times, And Songs Given At Their Public Levees" 1863 pamphlet, Press of Wynkoop & Hallenbeck, New York (Robert Bogdan Collection), The Disability History Museum.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cullen, Frank (2004). Vaudeville Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America. Psychology Press. pp. 507–. ISBN 9780415938532. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Harmetz, Aljean (2013). The Making of the Wizard of Oz (75th Anniversary Updated ed.). Chicago: Chicago Review Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-1613748329.
  18. ^ GoogleBooks Image for The Making of the Wizard of Oz Page 193
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ross, Susan Dente; Lester, Paul Martin (2011-04-19). Images That Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media. ABC-CLIO. pp. 285–. ISBN 9780313378928. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mark Evanier (2001-01-19). "Victor & Billy". News From Me. originally published in Comics Buyer's Guide
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Growing movement seeks to remove 'midget' from Alta. sports leagues". CTV News. 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Barrow, Tyler (2019-11-19). "Hockey Canada makes name changes to age divisions". CTV News Calgary. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Midget Gems change name after academic's campaign". BBC News website. 2022-01-13.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tesco Mini Gems 200G". Tesco. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Midget Gems: Bassetts agree to 'Mini Gems' rebrand following Liverpool academic's campaign". Liverpool World. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  26. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Complaints prompt change to pub named after car". BBC News. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Counter-petition in 'offensive' pub name row". BBC News. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Thousands petition to keep pub's 'offensive' name". The Independent. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  29. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Illinois high school will keep Midgets as mascot despite Little People's petition". The Guardian. Associated Press. 2015-07-17. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hajj, Nick El (2024-11-21). "The "M" word: Advocates petitioning Iowa school district to change derogatory mascot name". KGAN. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  31. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hernandez, Samantha (2024-11-19). "Pride or prejudice? Iowa school district resists changing mascot, name considered a slur". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  32. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Selecky, Michael. "Name change not in the plans for Putnam County". Foster's Daily Democrat. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  33. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kirov, Andrew (2019-01-24). "Hurley Moves on from "Midgets" Mascot; Butternut Keeping Nickname". Fox21Online. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."South Dakota school changes 'Midget' mascot after objections - InForum | Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo news, weather and sports". inforum.com. Forum News Service. 2022-06-29. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
  35. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rahman, Arman (2019-07-06). "After Dropping 'Midgets' Wisconsin's Hurley High Gets New Mascot". Fox21Online. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  36. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hajj, Nick El (2025-02-21). "Iowa bill could force schools to drop "discriminatory" mascots". KGAN. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  37. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cortes, Lexi (2025-01-15). "Does Freeburg High School's controversial mascot break federal law? This group thinks so". STLPR. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  38. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Midgets no more? Bill would require Freeburg High School to change its mascot". STLPR. 2025-03-10. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  39. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Harris, Taylor (2025-03-10). "Illinois bill may end Freeburg High's mascot tradition". fox2now.com.
  40. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gear, Daesha (2025-04-08). "Illinois House passes bill to ban derogatory disability mascots". fox2now.com. Archived from the original on 2025-04-09. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  41. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Missouri House of Representatives - Bill Information for HB1518". house.mo.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  42. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Henson, Kayla (December 6, 2019). "Would changing Midgets mascot be too politically correct? A history of the name-change controversy". The Dickinson Press. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  43. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Parker, Gaylon Wm. (2024-08-07). "Midgets prepare for football with equipment fitting event". Dickinson Press. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  44. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Miller, Jr., James B. (2025-03-17). "Dickinson High retires 'Midgets' mascot after nearly a century". Dickinson Press. Archived from the original on 2025-03-18. Retrieved 2025-03-18.

References

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