Why You Should…Date a Short Dude

June 22, 2009 - 2:30 pm By Katie - Michigan State University

short man copy

There’s a great many things to do and places to see in this world of ours.  As humans, our lives are pretty short (and if you party like I do, it’s probably going to be even shorter).  So we have to prioritize!  We have brains for a reason and that reason is…reasoning (well, at least some of us use them for that purpose: see comment about partying above).  Let me be your voice of reason as I show you all the things you should be doing right here, right now.

It’s a stereotype that’s been pounded into our brains since we were old enough to spend our entire weekends watching Disney movies – your Prince Charming is going to be tall, dark, and handsome.  Sounds pretty good, right?  Sure…except for all those guys who don’t fit into that category.  Why not give a short guy a chance?  Here’s some reasons why you should date a short dude:

Clothes Swapping - Quality jeans are hard to come by and if your short dude has a sweet pair, then borrow those suckers!  The boyfriend jean look is totally in and if he wears a tighter, more tailored style then all the better for you!  Shirts, hats, scarves, etc.  You will be an adorable hipster couple with no awkward walk-of-shame incidents (because you can just borrow his clothes and make a fabulous outfit for your early-morning jog home!).

Portability - In case you were wondering, this doesn’t mean you can put your short dude in your purse and carry him around like a Designer Dog.  This means that because he’s probably around your height, he can go all the places you can go…and you can squeeze yourselves into compromising positions in places that a tall dude could never go (small closets, behind bushes, under the stairs, etc.).

Cuteness Factor – Short dudes are adorable. Period.  Also, what is cuter than being able to look eye-to-eye and kiss without straining your neck/back/legs to reach his lips?  Nothing, my friend.  Nothing.

The Green Option – Apparently, short people are more environmentally friendly because they are smaller (mostly) and require less resources.  Imagine if you two were living together and your house was solar powered and you recycled literally everything; you would have the most environmentally friendly relationship ever! Go green!  Date a short dude!

Long Term – Short guys live longer on average because they are smaller and have less cells to duplicate.  That means more time with your man!  Very good news if you feel like pulling a Beyonce and puttin’ a ring on it.  Of course, you still need to be healthy and exercise no matter your height; shouldn’t be too hard to find some ways to burn calories with your short dude, though!

These are only a few of the myriad of reasons to be with a short dude (the most important of which would be if you click or not).  The rest you’ll find out once you start dating them!

23 Comments   Posted in Reality, Relationships
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23 Comments on "Why You Should…Date a Short Dude"

  1. Lauren says:
    Mon, 22nd Jun 20093:06 pm 

    This is a seriously shallow article. I’m hoping it’s a joke, especially the part about the “go green, date a short dude”

  2. Emily says:
    Mon, 22nd Jun 20094:10 pm 

    Haha great article! kinda makes me want to date a short guy for a change. . . .

  3. Etel says:
    Mon, 22nd Jun 20094:57 pm 

    I find this article very alienating. Being 5′ 10″ myself, and facing the world as a giant, I find it excessively difficult to find guys my height, let alone taller. You don’t advocate dating a short dude, you simply encourage girls to date someone their height, personally perpetuating the idea that a boyfriend cannot be shorter than you. Why is there still such a taboo on the idea? A boy who is shorter than you would have smaller clothes. Also, you mention the delight in having a kiss where you see eye to eye. This is not a kiss with a shorter guy! If you were to date someone shorter, you would still have to strain to reach them. I already feel very alone because of my height, and when I read articles that claim to support inter-height dating, and yet still assume that the man cannot be shorter than the woman, I feel very hurt.
    :(

  4. Molly says:
    Mon, 22nd Jun 20095:14 pm 

    I’m sure this article is tongue-in-cheek at the very least.

    Etel, I too am 5′10″. I am guilty of becoming irrationally irritated when I see a 6′+ tall guy dating a woman who -maybe- is about as tall as my chin. In those cute 3 inch wedges that I wish I could wear without looking amazonian.
    You can imagine my joy when I finally found someone taller than me! He’s 5′11″, except when he slouches (which is all the time, so I still end up being taller than my man.) Anyway, I agree with you. It’s really ridiculous that women feel like they need to look up at a man. In a show of solidarity, maybe we can vow to wear shoes with heels however tall we want them?
    Where am I going with this? I have no idea.

  5. S says:
    Mon, 22nd Jun 20096:14 pm 

    awww, it’s unfortunate tall women feel this way. i always wished i was a little taller 170-175 cm (5′7″-5′9″). i guess we always want what we can’t have, but either way i think a lot of tall women are gorgeous (esp if they also have long legs!) plus you guys have an ability to try modelling :p

  6. Sam says:
    Mon, 22nd Jun 20096:46 pm 

    I agree with S, I’m 5′3 and always wished I was taller. Tall girls look so beautiful!

  7. Denise says:
    Mon, 22nd Jun 20099:18 pm 

    Oh please, being taller limits your options. SIGNIFICANTLY. And it’s a blatant turn off to even think about dating guys shorter than yourself. I’d never. There I said it.

    I’d never date a guy shorter than me. Just way too awkward.

    BTW I’m 5′8″

  8. Michelle says:
    Mon, 22nd Jun 200910:14 pm 

    I’m almost 5′4” and I have dated guys who were an inch or two shorter than me. I have also dated guys my height. I feel like both count as “short dudes” so I’m happy to see this article :-) Kudos!

  9. Amy says:
    Tue, 23rd Jun 200912:20 am 

    My psych professor says that in only 1 in 700 married couples is the man shorter than the woman. Supposedly men don’t care if the woman is taller, but the vast majority of women will not date a shorter man. Molly and Etel, you CAN date shorter men. You just have to break the height taboo!

  10. Etel says:
    Tue, 23rd Jun 20091:33 am 

    Thanks for your comment, Amy, but I would just like to explain the difficulty of even dating someone shorter. The problem with dating someone shorter is 3 fold. First, people will continually be question you on why you lowered your standards. He might be the best man in the world for you, and yet the first impression people have when they see the couple, is that the girl could have done better. Almost everyone else has someone taller, what went wrong with her? Second, even those who claimed to be enlightened, aren’t. Girls who date people an inch or too shorter already claim some sort of knowledge of dating shorter men. For people of my height, that inch or two is nearly invisible simply because it is so hard to find people taller. The greater your height, the more you become willing to accept your partner’s height. I would have little difficulty in dating someone who is 5′ 9″ and 5′10″ would be perfect. For someone as tall as I, short is 5′ 6″ or 5′ 5″. Everyone is short, therefore to register as exceptionally so, they must very small. This means that if you date someone significantly shorter than you, it will still be looked at as exceedingly odd, because for girls of normal height, short means the same size. The third reason it is so hard is simply psychological. When you have a boyfriend, you want to feel feminine and protected. Although someone small may, in some ways provide that feeling, it is very difficult to feel very girly when you are constantly seeing your partner’s scalp. Do not disregard this feeling. In addition to all this problems, dating someone shorter affects even the way you dress. Being tall already and feeling out of place and huge in heels, I know personally, that being with someone shorter would be a constant reminder of that isolation. It is just too hard for us tall girls.

    :( Models are tall, but if you aren’t a model then you have nothing; you can only brag and exceptional knowledge of people’s hair parts and being able to reach tall places without a chair. I would instantly give either one of these up for the peace that came with being normal height.

  11. Jen says:
    Tue, 23rd Jun 20097:23 am 

    Erm, I don’t have this issue most of the time because at 5′5″ most guys are taller than or equal to my hieght. But I think people are forgetting the compatibility issue. I don’t date someone 5′10″ or 6′2″ (examples) to take them away from you but because I’m interested in them. And sinse I’m not dating either of those guys feel free to take them :D Although they both have a lot of issues so good luck…

  12. Kyla says:
    Tue, 23rd Jun 20096:51 pm 

    Etel and Molly, I am 5′11″ and I feel the same way. Although I do wear 3 inch heels quite a lot actually. And people look at me as if I am insane for wearing heels. My current boyfriend is 6′2″, but I have dated plenty of guys that were shorter than me.

  13. Short Dude says:
    Tue, 23rd Jun 20097:02 pm 

    Wow Etel, what a pompous cunt you come off as. This shorter dude could put a helluva pounding on you in the bedroom.

    A condescending bitch like you needs it big and hard right up the ass – we’ll see whos’s shit smells.

  14. Katy says:
    Tue, 23rd Jun 20097:08 pm 

    I’m 5′10 as is my boyfriend.. and i’m 18 and he is 2 months younger than me.. so either i just enjoy going against what everyone thinks i should do(quite possible…) or the whole hieght/age thing really isn’t as big a deal as it’s cracked up to be (most of my friends/schoolmates are in the same boat as me so this is equally likely :P ) anywhoo i think that height really doesn’t matter if you are physically and mentally/spiritually(however you want to phrase it) attracted to them :) plus, short guys are pretty cute! haha

  15. callahan says:
    Tue, 23rd Jun 200911:03 pm 

    Im 5′11” and i think you tall girlies need to stop bitching! being tall and slim is awesome, even if you’re not a professional model, we still look good in anything! People notice you all the time, just walking down the street. stand up tall and straight and enjoy it! I know there’s a tall guys out there waiting for me, so who cares if it is a little harder to find a guy to date in our height range? hold out for the 6 foot gold nugget hunk of man.

    btw – just recently hooked up with a short guy for the first time, so this is pretty funny timing. and i didnt like it. but i think its up to personal preference, i just think that for myself i want a guy i can rough around in bed and not hold like a teddy bear lol.

  16. Sophie says:
    Mon, 6th Jul 20098:41 am 

    I am 6′ and currently only 16.
    I find myself alienated because of my height, and don’t expect to get a date for the formal, or a boyfriend in high school, as my 5’5 twin sister has. I am no model, I have nor the figure or the shoe size for that career, and you would seldom find models over 5’10 anyway. The truth in the matter is; that guys my age are intimidated, they would get slack from their friends, and certainly would be judged. Growing up as tall as I am, finding myself a “giant” 5’10 at age 12 with myself at least head above all my class mates (Etel and Molly- be thankful that you stopped growing!) I felt extremely self conscious about by height. Now 3 years later I am Faced with a life of flats and slouching, I feel myself being made fun of though this article- an article where Katie manages to turn what is a serious taboo that should have been dealt with taste and realism, into an article demoralising the very issue it is trying to argue.
    I know I shouldn’t expect much from collage candy, but maybe a little less sarcasm and more realism would be appreciated. :(

  17. Courtney says:
    Tue, 28th Jul 200911:27 am 

    Sophie,

    I have a female friend who is 6′1″ and she has been able to find guys her height to date. Guys start growing later than girls and since you’re only 16 you’re right in the phase when the guys in your class are going to start reaching your height. Don’t be so down on yourself… I promise there’s hope!

    Also, I’m only 5′7″ and I’ve never dated anyone over 5′9″. Hence, I only wore heels to one formal dance in high school.. its not so bad. Embrace the flats and try not to get too discouraged!

  18. Lindsey says:
    Tue, 11th Aug 200910:39 am 

    I’m not exceptionally tall (about 5′8″) but I’m getting married to a guy that is three inches shorter than me. I think the key to dating somebody shorter than you is an issue of confidence. My fiance is quite comfortable with his height, and doesn’t mind when I wear heels. He’s proud to show me off even when I tower over him in 4″ heels. Sure, we make a lot of jokes about it, but we’re both comfortable with ourselves and don’t really care about the height difference.
    I must say though, this article and a number of the comments are extremely shallow. Date who you are attracted to, no matter their height. Stand tall, wear heels, and walk with confidence.

  19. Annoyed says:
    Mon, 23rd Nov 20096:29 am 

    To Etel

    “.. The problem with dating someone shorter is 3 fold. First, people will continually be question you on why you lowered your standards. He might be the best man in the world for you, and yet the first impression people have when they see the couple, is that the girl could have done better. Almost everyone else has someone taller, what went wrong with her? …..”

    Why you care so much what other people think? are they gonna be in the bedroom with you judging how well he scores on you? do you life for yourself or trying to please others expectations of you? so even though you said that he could be the best man in the world for you but youd pass on him based on what other poeple think? you sound like a superficial ignorant shallow person with no sense of individuality, if i was to find the perfect girl i woulnd’t give 3 sh*ts what ANYBODY though about it because i live my life for me not for others you bimbow

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