If you look up Kevin Hart’s height on YouTube, you’ll see videos of people bringing it up on movie promotions, talk shows, lie detector tests, and in amusement parks.
There’s a running joke which stereotypes him as the short guy used for comic relief but it’s not that funny. The comment section is filled with perhaps well-intentioned but underhanded comments. People prefix any compliments about his comedic talents or built body with the phrase “he may be short but…”. It’s as if his other achievements are reduced to being redeeming features for his stature.
Speculation
The internet has an obsession with knowing every detail of celebrities’ life. Especially if it is irrelevant to their own, they constantly ask him about his height because they want a precise number to the decimal point. This video attempts to place Hart beside many celebrities who have stated their height and uses the difference to compute a number. It feels demeaning because the experiment is conducted to prove that Kevin Hart was “lying” about his height when the man skirts around the topic. In other words, they want to prove that he is insecure, even when he may not be. It’s clear that Hart does not like making it a touching point of every conversation and only plays along because it has been brought up.
The internet as bullies
Hart has revealed that growing up, he was bullied for his height. This inspired him to be at the forefront of anti-bullying and self-love movements. He used humor as a defense mechanism, leading him to grow more confident in his body. As a result, he has inspired many others to feel comfortable in their bodies. This could be seen as a reason that the jokes are taken in good humor now. However, just because something positive has come off does not mean this cannot change. While this is about how Kevin Hart feels, it is also about what this means for us as a society. Do we really want to use this as a sign to continue the discourse?
By going on joking about his height, we are forcing a person to continue using defense mechanisms they have outgrown. We are making him relive traumatic memories forever. And we are not allowing him to change how he feels about it. In the internet’s eyes, Hart is happy to joke along, so they continue perpetuating unhealthy thought processes.
Double Standards
Kevin Hart’s treatment is an example of the harsh standards placed on men, which isn’t often addressed. The jokes are supposed to be funny based on the assumption that all men are supposed to be tall and buff. As a result, Hart is the exemption, the oddity, and the subject of ridicule. While celebrities receive flak for having say, unpleasant personalities, this is unfair because height is something one cannot change. And also something people should not feel that they need to amend to fit into a standard.
This debacle is an example of how society fixates on the desirable. Everyone should want to be desired in the specific ways it dictates. It is funny or pathetic when someone does not fit into this bracket. If we take away one thing from this, it should be that we need to reexamine the roots of our humor.
