Syndney Morning Herald Fail

So much heightism in this news story.

Lets begin with the headline.

"Small dogs behave badly, like short men: study"

According to a study by the University of Sydney small dogs, regardless of breed, may be more likely to be aggressive and noisy. I haven't been able to find the study so I can't confirm whether it was the researchers or the newspaper that first made the 'link' between small dogs and smaller humans, but who ever did it has been shockingly offensive and ignorant.

What is so disturbing about this example of heightism is that it is just so unnecessary. Shorter men don't even need to be discussed here. The story could easily have been confined to the discussion of animal behavior. The paper (or the researcher, whoever made the 'link' first) just threw shorter men under a bus for what looks like a cheap laugh.

There is also something very creepy about comparing humans to dogs, especially in such a dismissive flippant way. 

I just don't believe that any other group would find themselves the subject of an article like this. Can you imagine if scientists released a study which said sky-blue-pink female parrots were promiscuous, and this paper or any paper coming up with a headline which said "Sky-blue-pink female parrots promiscuous, like all women"?

I just don't believe that they would make another group a target of a joke like that because they know there would be too much backlash.

Sadly in the eyes of most people, shorter men are fair game.