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Video: China’s got a fee-vah and the only prescription is more bone stretching!

posted at 9:04 pm on December 20, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Forwarded to me this morning by a short yet stout friend of mine, it’s required viewing for every self-pitying American beta male in need of a stiff shot of perspective. Exit question: What does a guy do to compete for women in a society staring down the barrel of a 40-million-man gender imbalance? Exit answer: Whatever he has to.


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What no accupuncture? oh yeah that crap don’t work.

TheSitRep on December 20, 2007 at 9:16 PM

Did those braces contain lead?

Zorro on December 20, 2007 at 9:18 PM

I read about this in Vietnam, and NPR did a thing on it in Vietnam at one point.

China and Vietnam are actually trying to get people to drink more milk on the theory that it will make their people taller.

Anyway at 4′8″ he will never be tall enough to make much of a difference, even if he gets 4″, which would be a lot, he is only 5′ tall.

I’m just glad the chinese men are short and poor so they keep their 40 million surplus away from our women, hahaha, because you bet your a$$ that if there were 40 million extra american men, we would be shipping in the russian, philipino, chinese, thai, etc women by the boatload, and leave those countries with our ugly leftovers.

kaltes on December 20, 2007 at 9:28 PM

Oh and by the way, short of extreme malnutrition, people do not have their growth stunted. The whole “asians are short because of poverty and malnutrition” is nonsense, because you don’t see all those poor african countries full of midgets, now do you?

kaltes on December 20, 2007 at 9:30 PM

Well!

That was unpleasant. Thanks kaltes. You bring a whole new dimension to the word ‘ugly’.

I just hope you’re not an American.

heldmyw on December 20, 2007 at 9:32 PM

Dang, but that clip was painful to watch. Here in America if you are a woman and you have a self-esteem issue, just get a new nose. China? New legs and it takes a year. And if you are a male with a self-esteem issue, wouldn’t you want your 4 inches somewhere else?

Spirit of 1776 on December 20, 2007 at 9:32 PM

we would be shipping in the russian, philipino, chinese, thai, etc women by the boatload, and leave those countries with our ugly leftovers.

kaltes on December 20, 2007 at 9:28 PM

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

Theworldisnotenough on December 20, 2007 at 9:33 PM

Oh and by the way, short of extreme malnutrition, people do not have their growth stunted. The whole “asians are short because of poverty and malnutrition” is nonsense, because you don’t see all those poor african countries full of midgets, now do you?

Here’s a thought experiment for you, kaltes. Two Asian immigrants come to America and have children. Their children are 6-8 inches taller then they are. It’s quite common. Now why do you think that might be?

Spirit of 1776 on December 20, 2007 at 9:34 PM

a society staring down the barrel of a 40-million-man gender imbalance?

When I reflect upon the question, “what would Huckabee do”, goodness wells up within my soul and I find myself inspired by an enlightened path of righteousness. The answer to everything is the way of charity and wholesomeness. We must ruse up and abolish our national boundaries, which are not recognized by our lord, and end this immoral sovereign apartheid state we have selfishly created for our children and ourselves. Only by allowing these poor Chinese men to flock to America and compete for our women can we find redemption.

What say ye men, are you with me?

FloatingRock on December 20, 2007 at 9:35 PM

“asians are short because of poverty and malnutrition” is nonsense, because you don’t see all those poor african countries full of midgets, now do you?

kaltes on December 20, 2007 at 9:30 PM

I’m no scientist but I regulary see Asian and Hispanic teenagers that tower over their parents. A 4′11 mother and a father at 5′4″ with a daughter that is almost taller than me. There is someting to it.

Theworldisnotenough on December 20, 2007 at 9:39 PM

It’s quite common. Now why do you think that might be?

Spirit of 1776 on December 20, 2007 at 9:34 PM

I had a Vietnamese friend in high school that was one of several children in his family, but the only one born in the USA. He was much taller and stockier than anybody else by far.

I’ve never researched it but long ago guessed that milk was probably one of the biggest factors, although no doubt not the only one.

FloatingRock on December 20, 2007 at 9:39 PM

Remember Disco? What about platform shoes? It would be painful but not as painful as stretching your leg bones.

abinitioadinfinitum on December 20, 2007 at 9:48 PM

Gary Newm-

nm

amend2 on December 20, 2007 at 9:54 PM

Must be a high masturbation levels in China these days.

Stroking should be considered as a potential alt fuel.

Any studies about masturbation being a global warming culprit?

mylegsareswollen on December 20, 2007 at 10:01 PM

Must be a high masturbation levels in China these days.

mylegsareswollen on December 20, 2007 at 10:01 PM

Let’s hope so or else war is certain.

FloatingRock on December 20, 2007 at 10:10 PM

Two Asian immigrants come to America and have children. Their children are 6-8 inches taller then they are. It’s quite common. Now why do you think that might be?

Spirit of 1776 on December 20, 2007 at 9:34 PM

Don’t have to be from another country. My brother-in-law’s parents grew up in the South very poor and are both around 5′5″. (I think his dad is a little shorter.) They did well in life; BIL is their youngest and is 6′2″.

baldilocks on December 20, 2007 at 10:12 PM

All that to go from short to not quite so short. Perspective indeed.

Entelechy on December 20, 2007 at 10:16 PM

Oh yeah; BIL’s parents grew up during the Depression.

baldilocks on December 20, 2007 at 10:17 PM

Americans are no longer the tallest in the world, height-speaking. And,

ethnic Asians and Hispanics, who are principally immigrants or first-generation Americans, are not as tall as the native-born ethnic African and Anglo populations.

Entelechy on December 20, 2007 at 10:20 PM

Living on a diet poor in balance protein and other specific nutrients causes shortness. over generation it really can show up. The Maasai in Kenya and northern Tanzania are tall.
They also are well adapted to handle lactose. Many Africans and their descendants don’t.

Um, beef and beef by-products.

Many parts of China historically suffer from low IQ from the lack of thiamin.

TheSitRep on December 20, 2007 at 10:21 PM

Must be George Bush’s fault. And that darned Mr. Cheney’s.

U.S. adults lost their position as the tallest people on Earth to the Dutch, who average about two inches taller than the typical American. In fact, American men now rank ninth and women 15th in average height, having fallen short of many other European nations.

Entelechy on December 20, 2007 at 10:23 PM

Didn’t anyone at Nat’l Geographic ever see Gattaca? Strong willed people will do *anything* no matter how painful to reach their goals.

inviolet on December 20, 2007 at 10:25 PM

Oh and by the way, short of extreme malnutrition, people do not have their growth stunted. The whole “asians are short because of poverty and malnutrition” is nonsense, because you don’t see all those poor african countries full of midgets, now do you?

kaltes on December 20, 2007 at 9:30 PM

Actually yes you do. But then you can see almost anything on the African continent.
Peoples from 41/2 feet to 61/2 Negroid to Caucasoid and the mix .
In fact if a forensic scientist found Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s bones he would say she was Caucasian.

The people of Africa are more diverse than the people of Europe.

TheSitRep on December 20, 2007 at 10:34 PM

40 million gender imbalance

Because they have murdered 40 million more unborn girls than boys.

jgapinoy on December 20, 2007 at 10:57 PM

Hillary is really missing out by not offering free leg extensions to short people.

boomer on December 20, 2007 at 11:17 PM

That sawing made me cringe but staying awake during surgery is way cool.. as long as it’s planned that way…

GoodBoy on December 20, 2007 at 11:53 PM

What is it about you men that you don’t understand? It’s not the length that counts, but it’s the girth!

bloggless on December 21, 2007 at 12:00 AM

“. The whole “asians are short because of poverty and malnutrition” is nonsense”

The San Francisco bay area is loaded with 6-foot and taller Chinese and Koreans who grew up here.

crosspatch on December 21, 2007 at 12:10 AM

People need to understand that in the realm of statistics, very small samples, like what you might view from personal experience and selective memory, is less than worthless. What matters is averages for the whole population, not the 2 tall guys you saw at the supermarket last week.

There are tall asians in asia too. Just because asians are shorter on average does not mean they are ALL short, some of them are tall. Also, different asian ethnicities are not uniformally short. Vietnamese are particularly short, while South Koreans are probably the tallest on average in asia (but still shorter than other races). North Koreans are shorter because they have faced extreme malnutrition and famine, but these extremes are not typical throughout asia.

The Japanese are significantly shorter than other races, even though have have been a developed, modern country for some time now. So saying it is all a matter of nutrition and wealth just isn’t right.

The elephant in the room, and the most straightforward answer: Genetics.

As for thought experiments, try this on for size: Who is taller on average, whites or blacks in America?

Just about everyone would say, why, blacks of course! And just about everyone would be wrong! Whites are actually taller on average. Want the proof? Here you go:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/08/13/GR2007081300036.html

kaltes on December 21, 2007 at 2:03 AM

Well, I know I’m “short” due to genetics (I’m average height for a woman, but that’s considered short for some reason). I drank nothing but milk, and ate plenty of meat, when I was a kid.

When I visited Japan, the generation that was my age or younger were =huge= compared to their baby boomer parents, in all senses. It’s because they’re not eating the fish-and-rice diet as much as the Big Mac-and-milk diet. Fish is good for you, natch, but it does miss out on some micro- and macro-nutrients you get from dairy and beef.

I think for most groups throughout the world, the U.S. has lost the boost to height (though not weight) once your family moves here, simply because the American diet has moved to almost all over the world, and due to the Green Revolution (the real one, which boosted crop yields, as opposed to the ersatz let’s-subsidize-ethanol-from-corn-and-make-food-more-expensive). Food has never been so cheap from a historical perspective.

meep on December 21, 2007 at 5:29 AM

It’s required viewing for every self-pitying American beta male in need of a stiff shot of perspective.

That would be me, but I’m still tempted. Weird, huh? I’ve got a hot wife, a decent job, and the love and respect of hundreds of Hot Air commenters, and I’m taller than all four Hobbits from LOTR; but…

It helps to think of myself as Tom Cruise-sized, but much less gay.

saint kansas on December 21, 2007 at 5:48 AM

And this phenomenon just sprang up overnight. They were fine being short for thousands & thousands of years. Which YouTube video was responsible?

Coronagold on December 21, 2007 at 7:10 AM

Here’s a thought experiment for you, kaltes. Two Asian immigrants come to America and have children. Their children are 6-8 inches taller then they are. It’s quite common. Now why do you think that might be?

Spirit of 1776 on December 20, 2007 at 9:34 PM

How tall is the mailman?

right2bright on December 21, 2007 at 8:24 AM

What America has lost in height, we have made in in breadth. Same container, just a little different shape.

right2bright on December 21, 2007 at 8:25 AM

I met Margaret Thatcher, she was not much over 5′ plus a couple of inches. I am 6′1″ 215 lbs, and she towered over me and all of the other men in the room.
It ain’t the height that demands respect. There was no doubt who the “Alpha Dog” was in that room, it was a room filled with powerful, influential people (the one exception was me). And her presence commanded respect, one of the highlights of my life (and my daughters), never felt such a commanding force in a room…and she was so small.
A giant of a women…

right2bright on December 21, 2007 at 8:40 AM

Here’s a thought experiment for you, kaltes. Two Asian immigrants come to America and have children. Their children are 6-8 inches taller then they are. It’s quite common. Now why do you think that might be?

Spirit of 1776 on December 20, 2007 at 9:34 PM

Oooo Oooo! I know! She cheated on him with an American….

Tim Burton on December 21, 2007 at 10:39 AM

Here’s a thought experiment for you, kaltes. Two Asian immigrants come to America and have children. Their children are 6-8 inches taller then they are. It’s quite common. Now why do you think that might be?

Spirit of 1776 on December 20, 2007 at 9:34 PM

Fluoridation? Wheaties? I don’t know, why?

traderdfw on December 21, 2007 at 1:22 PM

I met Margaret Thatcher, she was not much over 5′ plus a couple of inches. I am 6′1″ 215 lbs, and she towered over me and all of the other men in the room.

Okay, Mitt. We get it. You “met” Maggie Thatcher in the figurative sense…

ScottMcC on December 21, 2007 at 1:24 PM

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