Randy Newman Was Right or Height Niggers?!

Now, wait. Wait. I know. I know and I'm sorry, but I'm trying to work through something here.

I had an Asian friend who would occasionally refer to herself as a "rice-nigger" and I was never at easy with the term. I also knew an Arab guy who referred to himself as a "sand-nigger" and I'm not making this up. They said it was okay for them to use these terms because they were talking about themselves and/or the minority group to which they belonged. But it struck me today that they weren't exactly coining a phrase. Just adding a noun to the front of that word doesn't change it. In fact, it makes it worse because they're actually using it in a way that is reminiscent of the original meaning. That term was ripped out of the hands of the folks who came up with it for a good reason and I don't see anybody giving it back anytime soon.

Now what I really want to ask is: What ever happened to "Midget?" Why is that a bad word again? I guess because it's a label decided upon by a majority for a minority who didn't get any say in the process. It doesn't have quite the storied past of the n-word, but it's offensive because it was our word for them. "Little people" is okay because little people came up with it, and I like that. Still, I wonder if one day little people will reclaim the m-word and greet each other with cries of "S'up my midget?"

It may have already started as a quick perusal through the filmography of Bridget "the Midget" Powers will reveal.

Number 13... Now that's a title.

Bridget Powers on IMDB