Monday night is especially big on little people (pun intended), with 'Little People, Tricky Fridge' at 7, and 'Dwarf Hoarders' at 10.
Is 'Dwarf Hoarders' about dwarfs that are hoarders, or people that hoard dwarfs? The latter would be much more entertaining. Then again, wouldn't that just be a replay of 'Snow White'?
In all seriousness, though, is it just me or do the Discovery Networks, which include TLC and Animal Planet, have a fascination with little people?
For the record, I'm not going to post video of any of the shows that I'm going to mention. The above video was made as satire, but I think that it makes a valid point. At some time within the last five years, TLC has realized that little people attract viewers. Viewers attract advertisers, and advertisers generate revenue. Millions and millions of dollars of it. TLC, and their parent company, Discovery, have gotten rich exploiting, let's face it, a disabled segment of the population.
It all started with the Roloff family being filmed in 2006 for 'Little People, Big World'. The show featured little people parents, a set of twins (one of which was a little person), and two younger siblings. The final episode aired in December of 2010.
Then came 'The Little Couple'. It debuted on TLC in October of 2009. It features a dwarf couple by the name of Bill, who is 4' tall, and Jen, who is 3' 2" tall, and is a neonatologist at Texas Children's Hospital, in Houston, Texas. The show's fourth season is supposed to premiere on May 31st.
Then on January 31, 2010, 'The Little Chocolatiers' debuted on TLC. This show mixed the two popular genres of little people shows and cake/cooking shows. It features chocolate shop owners Steve Hatch and his wife Katie Masterson, who are little people, and the goings on in their Salt Lake City shop. It was canceled after one season.
Let's not forget 'Pit Boss', a show on Discovery owned Animal Planet, which crossed the popular little people and Pit Bull rescue genres. It debuted two weeks before the "Oh how cute. Little people are making chocolate" show, on January 16, 2010. It follows Shorty Rossi and his group of little people Pit Bull activists, as they rescue, steal, and care for Pits at Shorty's Rescue, his personal Pit Bull rescue facility. It's currently in it's third season.
At least they're not TruTV. The network, which is owned by TBS, has signed a contract with former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan to develop and star in a show tentatively titled Micro Championship Wrestling, or 'Hulk Hogan's MCW'. It will feature Hogan "serving as a mentor to the wrestlers -- who also happen to be little people -- in a new professional league." Really? Really.
So pull up a chair people. Grab a beer. Let's sit back and laugh at the midget wrestlers on TruTV. Check your local listings.
Is 'Dwarf Hoarders' about dwarfs that are hoarders, or people that hoard dwarfs? The latter would be much more entertaining. Then again, wouldn't that just be a replay of 'Snow White'?
In all seriousness, though, is it just me or do the Discovery Networks, which include TLC and Animal Planet, have a fascination with little people?
For the record, I'm not going to post video of any of the shows that I'm going to mention. The above video was made as satire, but I think that it makes a valid point. At some time within the last five years, TLC has realized that little people attract viewers. Viewers attract advertisers, and advertisers generate revenue. Millions and millions of dollars of it. TLC, and their parent company, Discovery, have gotten rich exploiting, let's face it, a disabled segment of the population.
It all started with the Roloff family being filmed in 2006 for 'Little People, Big World'. The show featured little people parents, a set of twins (one of which was a little person), and two younger siblings. The final episode aired in December of 2010.
Then came 'The Little Couple'. It debuted on TLC in October of 2009. It features a dwarf couple by the name of Bill, who is 4' tall, and Jen, who is 3' 2" tall, and is a neonatologist at Texas Children's Hospital, in Houston, Texas. The show's fourth season is supposed to premiere on May 31st.
Then on January 31, 2010, 'The Little Chocolatiers' debuted on TLC. This show mixed the two popular genres of little people shows and cake/cooking shows. It features chocolate shop owners Steve Hatch and his wife Katie Masterson, who are little people, and the goings on in their Salt Lake City shop. It was canceled after one season.
Let's not forget 'Pit Boss', a show on Discovery owned Animal Planet, which crossed the popular little people and Pit Bull rescue genres. It debuted two weeks before the "Oh how cute. Little people are making chocolate" show, on January 16, 2010. It follows Shorty Rossi and his group of little people Pit Bull activists, as they rescue, steal, and care for Pits at Shorty's Rescue, his personal Pit Bull rescue facility. It's currently in it's third season.
At least they're not TruTV. The network, which is owned by TBS, has signed a contract with former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan to develop and star in a show tentatively titled Micro Championship Wrestling, or 'Hulk Hogan's MCW'. It will feature Hogan "serving as a mentor to the wrestlers -- who also happen to be little people -- in a new professional league." Really? Really.
So pull up a chair people. Grab a beer. Let's sit back and laugh at the midget wrestlers on TruTV. Check your local listings.
