DC’s, um, Shortcomings?
Every once in a while, one of our readers will ask a question that’s worth its own posts, and one of you have done just that. Our reader writers:
While out at a bar Saturday night, my girlfriend commented that there are a lot of short men in DC. Are there a lot of short men in DC? I asked her what constituted “short”? Our consensus was that anyone under 5’10” was short. She preferred her men to be 6′ – 6’2″, though she did say that sometimes height did not factor into her decision on whether to go out with a height-challenged guy if he made her laugh and seemed smarter than the average doorknob. Are there any official stats on the average height in men who live in the DC metro area? Just today, out of 4 men in the elevator, 2 guys were definitely about my height (I’m 5’6″), one was 6’+ and the other was in between my height and the tallest guy. What do you guys think?
What is short, exactly, DC? Does DC have a preponderance of short guys? Better still, If so, do they flock to DC as part of some Napoleonic Complex to gather power to make up for their stature? Metblogs is a fairly tall crowd, with most of us coming in over the 5’10” line. Want to judge for yourself? We’ll be at Bar Pilar after work Friday, drinking mojitos, and mining for weekend blog product, and you’re welcome to scope us out for yourselves! Make sure to introduce yourself, I’ll be at the bar.
Yes!! Too many short guys. Coming in at a respectable 5’11” 3/4s means that I cannot wear heels on most dates.
Hmmm, 6′ 1 1/2″ — is that too tall?
I think in Baltimore they are taller… I think the gravity well that is DC shrinks people, much like a black hole… I think Shrub, uh, I mean Bush is only 5’6″.
Apparently, he’s 5′ 11 3/4″
i think short people try to compensate for their height by getting more power … so they move to dc in hopes of working for (or becoming) a politician.
just my 2 second theory.
I’m always surprised at women and their height demands.
I have been out with one woman a couple of times who is about my height (5′-10″) which of course makes her taller than I am when she wears heels. She doesn’t mind this at all, and neither do I–I rather like it actually. But she says that many men don’t like it if she is taller than he is–this is probably the untold side of this story: though many women will admit they don’t like shorter men, men rarely say they don’t like taller women.
My main ex is also about my height, which she didn’t mind (one of her ex’s was shorter than she is) and which I liked. I often commented about it though, which made her think I was uncomfortable about it.
I guess I am fortunate and I manage to meet women who care about characteristics other than height. At any rate it is good to know that both men and women are quite shallow on this issue and that they will so readily discard someone due to a characteristic as immutable as height.
I would never date a man shorter than me.
But that’s because I’m not into fifth-graders.
(I’m 5’0, for those who don’t know me…)
It is definitely true and is an age-old topic for women when we all get together. It’s sort of a “known” if you will. I have no value judgement either way on if it’s good or bad although I deal with the issue (I’m just under 5’9). It is also interesting to go to other places – my home towns in OH, MI, and FL – and travel other places in the U.S. and have the active thought that the guys there tower over me.
Dubya’s the same height as me? Shite – where’s my kayak, I’m going to start paddling home.
I have no problem with dating guys shorter than me, or my height, but I’ve dated guys who’ve been 5’8-ish and they either love the height or hate it. After dating too many haters, I’ll just hang out with shorties and look for the guy who’s not intimidated by a tall woman.
I haven’t seen a slew of tall men in Baltimore….
I am 17 and 5’9.5 Am I considered short. Would I be atleast 5’11 by the time I stop growing?
I it my dream to date a woman taller than me – without heels. I’ve dated a number my height, 5’10” so they are taller than me in heels but that’s cheating.
I’ve also asked the fairer sex often what it is that holds the Amazons back from dating normal guys – for the record, “normal” height for men is 5’8″ – and I often get a vague answer to the effect that a woman wants a physically stronger man, and height is one way that is projected.
I’m 5′ 8″ and while I don’t consider myself “tall”, I don’t consider myself “short” either. I’m not here for the “power”, or whatever that means because I’m not interested in that, or working for the government directly. If you are a woman and over 5′ 8″ than you are pretty tall for a woman. If you don’t date guys because they are under 5′ 10″ then I feel sorry for you, you are probably missing out. I don’t really care how tall or short a woman is, but that’s just me.
BTW: I had this exact conversation with my roommate (who is 6′ 4″) and he also thinks there are a lot of short guys here and that they come here for the power.