Andrew Denton In terms of people's responses to you outside of your industry. People are often awkward with those who are different.
Female voice 1 Oh look we've had weird stuff, people bow down to us on the street it feels like an omen or something.
Female voice 2 It's like being prayed to. I don't know how to respond to. I've had this discussion; it's like being famous but without the perks.
Female voice 1 Without the money, without the money and the perks. People come up and they will ask you personal questions that, you kind of think, would you ask them that?
Andrew Denton What sort of things?
Female voice 1 Like what size shoes do you wear? Like, they'll come out with some really intimate stuff like, "so do you have sex?" Occasionally, a bit and it's hard because you're kind of going, "I don't want you to not know because I don't want you to, but why should I have to answer these questions and be out there?"
Andrew Denton Why do you think people are asking those questions though
Female voice 1 Because people have weird ideas, its part of the reason Emma and I don't describe ourselves when we are describing ourselves as dwarfs but well say a short person or short statured. And I think it's because when you actually look at the terms used to describe people of short stature, they're associated with magic, fairy books, mischief you know so
Andrew Denton Oh, I see so pixie, elf, all that stuff.
Female voice 1 Yes, and I think people actually bring a lot of that when they first meet us and they kind of, not everybody like the majority of people are sort of, you know, handle it fine but every now and again you meet someone that you just kind of thinking God I don't quite know how to deal with this?
Andrew Denton Because you're small do people expect you to some how expect you to lead child's lives. Is that what they think of you?
Female voice 1 I think so
Female voice 2 Maybe, they kind of ask you, what kind of a house do you live in? I mean it's like you haven't got a gingerbread house or something like that or how big is your bed? And I'm thinking I just don't use the bottom half I mean like it's just you know, it's just interesting
Female voice 1 You're right; you do get this kind of fairy connotation. It never ceases to amaze me which is actually kind of nice.
Andrew Denton So it's kind of entertaining?
Female voice 2 Sometimes
Female voice 1 Well! it depends because it's I think that because you sometimes get bombarded with it that it takes a lot of energy to deal with that and to go, okay and I think the key is to really recognise when something is your problem and when something is someone else's issue. And to not take it onboard but that's a fairly intellectual decision and not always easy to actually do particularly as a young woman growing up and that kind of thing can be tricky.
Andrew Denton Well because you often respond to things emotionally not intellectually
Female voice 2 Yes, true
Andrew Denton Every time you walk out the door you're faced with a world that's going to respond differently.
Female voice 1 That's the thing is that when you talk about it and, you know, I remember a friend of mine who, a fairly ordinary young woman and she got a zit and she's like "God everyone's going to be looking at my zit and I'm like you're out there with me on the street, they're not going to be looking at you at all and it's true, I mean like you are actually getting stared at and I think that's why I attribute it to; in a way it's like being famous but without the freebies.
Andrew Denton Is that also tiring? That you just can't be yourself?
Female voice 2 Yes it takes energy.
Female voice 1 That's why it was so nice when Kiah and I met each other because we don't have to deal with that when we are together.