Little People

something daft already!! · 18 Sep 2018 at 20:47

I was visiting my partner recently and she was watching Judge Judy on Lifetime if I recall correctly. Afterwards there was another programme called Little People, Big World. It was basically a circus act of vertically challenged people, running around, getting angry with each other while inhaling helium, which made them talk funny, I think. Some might say it was hilarious for while but soon got very boring indeed. They were having fake made for TV discussions about various very dull things.
Then there was another one with more little people in it, Little Women LA. Same sort of thing, about short people living in LA. Now I saw another one pop up on a media website I sometimes peruse, one called "Little Life on the Prairie". Which appears to be about short people living in a house.

What is this weird obsession Americans have of making TV shows about people with a certain deformity? Do people watch them because they think they are funny? Is it like the bit from Time Bandits where Napoleon is obsessing about short people? Is there a short answer to these questions?

Bassmansam · 18 Sep 2018 at 20:55

I don't know but i have seen a few episodes of Little People NY and it's mildly amusing.Its obviously a modern day freak show kind of thing and i did initially feel a little bad for for participants. However, they did sign up for it so...

dowie · 18 Sep 2018 at 21:06

I had to google this, you made it sound like a game show involving midgets with the talk of running around, inhaling helium and getting angry etc... but it was just a reality TV show

I guess people are interested in them, there is perhaps a freak show element to the curiosity but the onus is really on the program makers to deal with their subjects in a sensitive manner, they can't control who will watch and for what reason. Let's face it when you get documentaries or reality shows about other subjects like people living with Tourette's or people who come from Essex then there is the potential for people to find stuff amusing and or for clips or stills to be used for memes etc... Though if the program markers have done a good job then even those watching partly for entertainment purposes will still be exposed to the sensitively told stories of real people and their struggles - for example I do now acknowledge now that people from Essex, though inflicted with a disability are real humans with genuine struggles like the rest of us.

[FnG]magnolia · 18 Sep 2018 at 22:39

dowie said:
I had to google this, you made it sound like a game show involving midgets with the talk of running around, inhaling helium and getting angry etc... but it was just a reality TV show

I love the build up of this sentence ... and then the 'but' hits like a hammer. You were so excited, only to find out it's a reality show. And not even Love Island! :mad:

America has (had?) a great reputation for producing some of the best television shows ever created. Let's call that the one percent. The rest includes little people doing bad reality shows.

GGizmo · 18 Sep 2018 at 22:45

I don't think its an obsession specifically about those people. American tv is full of reality series about nobodies.

dowie · 18 Sep 2018 at 23:11

[FnG]magnolia said:
I love the build up of this sentence ... and then the 'but' hits like a hammer. You were so excited, only to find out it's a reality show. And not even Love Island!

I genuinely was, it sounded like someone had made a midget version of its a knockout, but with added helium - I'd find the prospect both scary and amusing at the same time.

Roland Butter · 19 Sep 2018 at 02:39

I seen it on US TV.

It's just a reality show with the pitch being they are midgets and dwarves .

Seemingly a family of dwarves building a house, going to a prom, getting a bloody awful tattoo,
learning to drive, having a marital break up is much more interesting tellywise because they are dwarves.

Once you get over the fact that they are dwarves [ am I saying dwarves too many times ? ] and
that the women can be hilarious and attractive it's nowt that special.

Skorpion · 19 Sep 2018 at 05:02

The ratings of this show dwarf the nearest competition

Yrkoon · 19 Sep 2018 at 05:23

hmmm is some one against vertically impaired people been on tv?

[FnG]magnolia · 19 Sep 2018 at 06:49

dowie said:
I genuinely was, it sounded like someone had made a midget version of its a knockout, but with added helium - I'd find the prospect both scary and amusing at the same time.

I would watch this fi - this show.

robgmun · 19 Sep 2018 at 07:46

[FnG]magnolia said:
I love the build up of this sentence ... and then the 'but' hits like a hammer. You were so excited, only to find out it's a reality show. And not even Love Island!

America has (had?) a great reputation for producing some of the best television shows ever created. Let's call that the one percent. The rest includes little people doing bad reality shows.

It's ain't big or clever

Pawnless Endgame · 19 Sep 2018 at 08:09

Roland Butter said:
and that the women can be hilarious and attractive it's nowt that special.

You better check their ages as you don't want to end up on To Catch A Predator