BS: The Seven Dwarves

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: aussiebloke
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 07:37 AM

A 'midget' is small (but in proportion) because of a deficiency of pituitary growth hormone - a condition generically known as hypopituitarism. A person with an abundance of growth hormone would be a giant.

A 'dwarf' is short and not in proportion because the condition ( achondroplasia ) is caused by a lack of growth of the long bones of the arms and legs - the trunk is normal sized.

These (and many more) definitions from the Little People of America web-site.

Achondroplasia Of the estimated 200 types of dwarfism, achondroplasia is by far the most common, accounting for approximately half of all cases of profound short stature. Achondroplastic dwarfism is characterized by an average-size trunk, short arms and legs, and a slightly enlarged head and prominent forehead. Most achondroplastic dwarfs are born to average-size parents, and account for somewhere between one in 26,000 and one in 40,000 births. Adults, on average, are four feet tall. Young children, especially, should be examined for such potential problems as central apnea, obstructive apnea, and hydrocephalus.

Growth-hormone deficiency Also known as hypopituitary dwarfism, hypopituitarism, pituitary dwarfism, and panhypopituitarism. Children with growth-hormone deficiency often grow normally until they are two or three years old, then fall behind their peers. Growth-hormone deficiency affects an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people in the United States. Difficult to diagnose, it can be treated with regular injections of human growth hormone. Unlike skeletal dysplasias such as achondroplasia, diastrophic dysplasia, and SED, growth-hormone deficiency causes a short-stature condition in which a person's head, trunk, and limbs are in the same proportion as an average-size person's. A person with this appearance used to be known as a midget, although that term is now considered offensive.

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Kaleea
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 02:34 AM

My neighbor is quite adamant that there IS a difference between a dwarf & a midget! He says a midget has normal body proportions, and a dwarf is usually deformed in some manner, or out of proportion, often very small with a large head. He will correct anyone in a BIG way (just had to get in the pun, huh) who tries to say otherwise. I did not think of it before he told me. He also told me that if I were a mere 1/4 inch shorter I could be a member of dwarfs international, and 3/4 inches shorter, I could be a member of the US dwarfs organization! I'm not sure why, but I thought that was interesting. He also says that when a new member of "little peoples' community" find out that there is a new little person born, they go visit the family, and then as the child gets older, they stay friends so that they can assist with the horrible prejudice & dealing with the difficulties of being small in a big world.

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: DMcG
Date: 10 Aug 02 - 03:45 AM

The names of the seven dwarves: The book by Peter and Iona Opie is "The classic Fairy Tales" (figures!) and the drawing was by John Hassall in about 1921. In that, the dwarves are named Stool, Plate, Bread, Spoon, Fork, Knife and Wine

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: open mike
Date: 10 Aug 02 - 12:07 AM

i don't remember but it is a nasty one-don't open it//! is it happy . .or something like that?

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 06:00 PM

All I know is I've been getting The Seven Dwarves (and Snow White!) in the subject line of several eMails recently. What was that virus called again?

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Den
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 05:55 PM

Snow White and the seven Dwarfs were in the bath feeling happy but he got out so they felt grumpy. Den

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 02:19 PM

Sorry about that, Ghost, you are right.

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: MMario
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 12:16 PM

And what , might I ask, do you have against Rosie the robot maid? Huh? She could whup Kirk with one duster tied behind her chassis! AND she sings better!

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 12:02 PM

Yeah, Disney's penchant for cuteness was his biggest liability, I think. Still, his creations had more going for them than competitors like Hanna-Barbera. I still get the creeps thinking about the Flintstones and the Jetsons.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: GUEST, Ghost
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 11:55 AM

Um, that was Walt Kelly, not Al Capp.

Ghost

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 11:48 AM

NPR just mentioned that "The 7 Dwarves Skit" will be on as part of a retrospective on Sid Ceasar's TV highlights on Public Television at 8 PM this Sunday.

I knew about the 1988 electoral tie in but I wonder whether we ought to consider looking at Bush's cabinet in the same way.

Needless to say, Disney [not so crypto fascist that he was] had to make everything cute. Al Capp of "Pogo" fame was one of the artists on "Dumbo."

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: DMcG
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 07:35 AM

Traditionally, the names of the dwarves are unknown of course. Its just that Disney fella inventing stuff again. One of Peter and Iona Opie's books - perhaps the Language and Lore of Schoolchildren, but perhaps not - has a woodcut of the dwarves pre-Disney and they all have quite different names and characteristics. I'll try to dig it out over the weekend and give you a proper reference.

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 07:25 AM

Dave Bryant: The term is still Dwarves (or dwarfs) as else there is no way to distinguish from midgets.
The difference is not always made clear(even in dictionaries), but IIRC a midget is a human who is smaller, but in the 'normal' proportions; whilst a dwarf appears to have a head out of proportion to the reduced size of his body.

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 04:43 AM

Snow White thought that 7-up was a soft drink before she discovered the dwarfs.

Are we still allowed to refer to them as Dwarfs ? - isn't the PC term "Vertically Challenged Persons" ?

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Kaleea
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 03:16 AM

I have a neighbor who has the seven dwarfs & Snow White in her front yard. (Whatever floats yer boat!) I don't get it. I have an old RV for music festivaling in mine. Then I have --this is the truth--a neighbor who IS a dwarf. He says he is NOT a midget, he is a dwarf. He has made no comment on the neighbor's Snow White & her 7 boyfriends. I haven't either, till now. Doesn't anybody have any pink flamingos anymore? Does anybody have a LEAST favorite aka: most hated yard decoration? The alleged decoration which sends you over the edge-- the thing that forces you to get out of bed in the night & search & destroy kind of most hated yard decoration (or lack thereof)?? When I was a teen, it was the jockey statue & the guy with the donkey cart. During the "peace, baby"; "make love, not war" days, when we were just learning to embrace all flavors of folks as our brothers & sisters, I told some of my friends that those were racist statues. Then the "white boy vigilante guys" was born. Some of the kids from school went around at night, painting all the jockeys holding the lantern & the guy walking along with the burro/donkey cart which they could find. They painted them . . .why, white, of course!

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Chip2447
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 01:20 AM

Everyone forgets the 8th dwarf...Horny.
Chip2447(what is red and has 7 little dents in it?)

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 09:40 PM

Actually, thier names were Moe, Larry, Curley, Shemp, Joe, Curley Joe and Throckmorton.

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: open mike
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 07:24 PM

speaking of those dimnuative guys-- anyone remember all their names? Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, Sneezy, Doc, Sleepy (or was it Snoozy) and Bashful

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 04:26 PM

Actually EB, the Seven Dwarves were indeed a political statement in the Democratic run-up to the 88 Presidential elections. The seven Democrat potential candidates for President included such luminaries as Gary Hart, Joe Biden, Lyndon LaRouche, et al. The papers called them the Seven Dwarves, and eventually Mike Dukakis sorted himself out of the pack, for the tank ride of his life, against Geo. Bush Sr.

The current outbreak may be part of a subtle commentary on the current crop of Democrats, a warning from the KKK for Dwarves to stay in their place, a poor families version of a bobble-head doll, a recognition sign for the Gay Dwarf Underground, or a drug pusher (ie. "You want some Happy, Sneezy, or Snow White?") Go figure...

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 02:49 PM

The Seven Dwarves: A Short Joke Where is 'Thread Names' when you need it?

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 12:41 PM

They come free in boxes of Rice Crispies!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 11:42 AM

You have to send in ten more boxtops and a money order for $3.95 to get the Snow White figurine. Most people can't swallow that many Corn Flakes.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: The Seven Dwarves
From: MMario
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 11:40 AM

I think they are actually freedom fighters from the Gnome Liberation Army.

Subject: The Seven Dwarves
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 11:39 AM

Twice in the last 2 days I have noticed hanging figurines of the Seven Dwarves [a la Snow White and...] in the rear windows of passing vehicles. The styles of figurines were different from each other but Snow White was not in the group in either case. Is there a new fad building? Some sort of political or marketing statement? Has anyone else noted this? Can they explain it in a larger context?