I’m 6’1″, which is tall for a girl. In case I wasn’t aware of that fact, I have an endless supply of strangers who are happy to remind me about it on a daily basis by asking me the same inane questions repeatedly. Here they are, in order from mildly grating to downright bizarre.
4. How tall are you?
Although the question itself may seem innocuous, this one comes down to tone. For the most part, people don’t ask how tall I am with a friendly smile, like how the cute guy at Trader Joe’s asks me if I found everything I needed while I was shopping. No, people ask me how tall I am with an attitude, like, “How tall are you?” What do they think I’m gonna say? “I’m 27 feet and 35 inches, Ma’am.” Are they that bad at estimating? I’m 6’1″. It’s not that crazy.
I especially hate when people ask me how tall I am someplace quiet like in line at the bank or at CVS when I’m trying to snap up bags of discounted Halloween candy because then everyone in the vicinity stops what they’re doing to look at me and hear my answer. “6’1″,” I’ll mumble, hoping the inquisition will end. Usually, it doesn’t. Usually they’ll ask me this next question immediately after:
3. How did you get so tall?
Growth hormones. I drank a lot of milk as a kid. I closed my eyes and willed it to happen. I rubbed a lamp and a genie granted me my height as one of my three magical wishes. I have no idea how I got so damn tall. Spoiler alert: my height is a physical feature of mine that I have no control over. Next annoying question, please.
2. Do you play Basketball?
According to most strangers, this is the only acceptable way to use my height. No one asks me if I use my height to reach cereal boxes on the top shelf (which is what I actually use my height for the most). The other thing I use my height for is to hug shorter guys. Those are the top two uses, but this is a post about the top four questions, so sorry for all the numbers. I hope that it’s not too confusing.
For the record, I have never played basketball. Well, that’s not entirely true. I took a basketball camp for two weeks one summer before 9th grade and I hated it. I ditched the last day of camp, and my sister found out, told my parents about it and they grounded me for one day. That was the only time in my life my parents ever grounded me and they abandoned the grounding five hours into it when they got sick of me pestering them asking if I could watch television yet. Am I supposed to explain this story to every stranger who talks to me while I’m trying to snag coffee in a hurry at 7-11? Yeah, right. So no, I don’t play basketball.
Speaking of parents, we now arrive at the #1 most annoying question I get asked:
1. How tall are your parents?
I can’t think of any other situation in life outside of a medical setting–or if your last name is Kardashian–where complete strangers would ask a question about your family out of the blue. It has never occurred to me to go up to a short person and say, “You’re so tiny! Are your parents short?” Or, go up to a bald guy and say, “Get a look at that shiny dome you got there! Is your dad bald too?” But, being tall, everyone wants to know how tall my parents are. They need to know. They freakin’ demand it. They’re all little Barbara Walters and want to probe deeper into the investigation.
Honestly, my parents are sorta tall but whatever. They’re not giants or anything. In fact, I’m taller than both of them. However, vague answers are not good enough for this, the holy grail of dumb questions. Strangers want to know both of my parents’ exact measurements which is tricky because my parents are older and they’ve shrunk the past few years. What am I gonna say? “My dad used to be 6’ but now he’s around 5’10″. My mom is about 5’9″ I’d say, but maybe 5’8″ because she has the beginnings of scoliosis and it’s making her hunch a bit.” Sure, I can lie and just say that I come from a long line of strapping lumberjacks and both of my parents are 6’3″, but I’m a terrible liar and it honestly never occurred to me to lie until I wrote this sentence. I probably should just do that.
But I resent having to talk about my family with anyone who asks. What if I was adopted and had no idea how tall my parents were? What if they were both killed in a freak rollercoaster accident and it’s still painful to talk about? It’s weird, right?
So if you run into me and are wowed by my towering presence, just smile and/or nod politely. Sure you can marvel at my height in your head, but please leave these questions unspoken.
Image via Cobsy Show Caps
Wow…..I loved reading this. I am 5’11″ and not to long ago I had a man refer to me as a big woman. Really? I too get tired of all of the questions regarding my family going back at least three generations or so. The other thing that really irks me is being called “skinny”. I know that for the most part people think this is a compliment – it’s not. I know that alot is said about those who may be “overweight”, but one does not hear much about the “skinny” girl who works tirelessly at gaining weight. It has only been the last five years or so that I have embraced my height and finally feel comfortable wearing heels.
If I had a dollar for every time I was asked question number 1, I would be very rich indeed! I’m 6″1 (or 185cm in Aus) and have had to adjust to the looks, comments and my fear of heels so I know exactly how you feel. This was amazing to read, its good to see you’re not the only one
I’m 6″8, and suffer from the exact same questions in about the same order of regularity, although the height measurement takes the biscuit. I’ve thought about having T-Shirts made to save the hassle.
Aside from that, I share your frustration. I for one think that tall women are bloody brilliant, so thanks for being you and writing so eloquently and wittily about it.
you should say “i’m 6’1″ short” the way cheesy people say “i’m 32 years young.”
The same thing happens to short people. I’m only 5’1″, and almost all of my friends make fun of me.
One of my friends is my height, and when our other friends realized that, they all started saying they wanted us to fight, just to see which one would win.
I get asked if my parents are short (my dad is short for a man, but my mom is normal height for a woman), and I get asked if I’m the shortest person in my family (I am).
My boyfriend puts things on shelves up really high in the kitchen, so if I need it, I have to climb on the counter to reach it. He thinks it’s hilarious.
Plus, short girls rarely get called “sexy”. We get called “cute” all the time.
I think that “sexiness” is acquired only between the heights 5’7″-6’2″.
Next time someone asks how tall your parents are, you should look offended and tell them that your parents are both dwarfs, and that you were a miracle child for them, and that you don’t appreciate their questions.
That would be pretty funny.
I’m 6’5″ and have absolutely had ALL of these things happen to me!!! The best by far was when I wore heels (and pretty sizeable ones at that) out in the city one night… I was at least 6’8″… Based on the looks and stares and comments I got, you would have thought an elephant escaped from the zoo!! Being tall is beautiful so to all you tall girls out there, walk tall!!
I’m 6′ as well and the most annoying thing is when people look down at my feet to see if I’m wearing heels…nope definitely wearing flats, and definitely just caught you judging me.
I love this! All these awesome tall girls! I’m 6′ and love being tall! It took a long time to love it, but it’s what makes me different. Tall girls rock!
This article absolutely made my day. I’m 6’3” myself and not a day goes by that I’m not asked one of these questions. My favorite is when I’m in my Navy uniform and people ask me if I play professional basketball.. yeah this whole military thing is just a side job, dumdum. It’s definitely worse in other countries though. Every Asian country insists you’re famous and wants to take pictures with you and touch you.
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!! I am 6′ myself and I have heard all of this! in high school, one of my teachers was reading the morning announcements and announced the freakin girl’s basketball tryouts and asked me if I got that….still makes me angry just thinking about it! yeah I got it, I also got that the cafeteria is not serving french fries today….WHAT’S YOUR POINT!!!!! thanks for this
I love hearing about other tall lady woes!
Oh my gosh. I know EXACTly how you feel. I’m only 16 an d 6’0″, and it all happened at once. Freshmen year I was only 5’7″. All the time kids at school and even teachers will just look at me like I am the tallest thing they have every seen. And I get asked ALL of the same questions all the time. The basketball one is one of the worst, that and volleyball. I get asked all the time and I’m just like, trust me you don’t want to see me on any type of sporting court.
And the whole asking about the parents thing, I totally agree. It always leaves me entering into an awkward story of “Well, actually my mom is only 5’5″.. and I have never met my father. But my mom tells me he is really tall!” Which leaves them to give me a sad pitiful look and mumble a quick “I’m sorry,” before the bolt away.
love it! 5’11″ and was subject to the pick-up like, “So, are you on the college volleyball team?” this weekend.
a.) I’m clearly beyond college-aged and b.) No.
Umm, yes and every year when I would go watch the guys at a basketball tournament I would have at least two coaches try to recruit me.
Yay to you for writing this piece a.k.a. “the story of my life.” Ha! Both of my parents are a good bit shorter than me and my great grandfather is the next closest relative that I would’ve gotten it from. Add to that that my grandmother is 4’11, so most folks are pretty clueless, even the ones that know us.
I hate the questions, mostly the basketball one! Oh, man! nope. I played WATER POLO. ha! take that! I just tell people I’m 5′ 12″ it’s so much easier. You don’t the the look of astonishment. I also love that people like to argue my height if I tell them I’m 6″. NOOOO! You’re taller than that! Sure, buddy. Whatever you say, just let me pick out a pineapple.
Great post and looks like a lot of us can relate!
My response when people ask if I play basketball: “Do you play miniature golf?” The responses I’ve gotten have been everything from laughing out loud to looks of confusion… try it.
I’m 5’10″ and I never thought really of myself as tall except the last 4 or 5 years. Then I started getting those questions. I’d like to think of it more as “I’m not really that tall, you’re just really that short.” My sister is 6’3″ and I find it funny how all the tall girls I know, including myself LOVE heels!
i’m 5’11 and i get asked the basketball question all the time! it is so irritating and annoying..i feel that question is only aimed at women/girls that tall. i can’t ever rememeber asking a guy taller than me if he plays basketball.
This is very true. I’m 6′ tall and a restaurant server. I’ve had probably 60% of the tables I’ve had over the last few years ask me these very questions. And in the service industry, you’re obliged to answer! I’ve had to have far too many private conversations about my family background.
The other annoying thing to me is that it’s kind of just understood in the social pact of our society that we exist to retrieve things for short people. I’ve gotten more demands than requests for things up on high shelves, whether by strangers in a grocery store or coworkers at a restaurant. We’re just there to hand them this or that. But god forbid we ask for something from them close to the ground.
my best friend is 6’1, and people do stare at her. she’s tall. long red hair and she’s definitely a presence. i’m 5’4, and i think she’s amazing in every way!