Move overhot girl summer, it's short king season. From Dunkin to theOklahoma Department of Wildlife, short kings are seemingly everywhere you look as of late. 247 Chicago news stream: Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are. In anX poston March 19, Dunkin announcedthat they renamed their small iced coffee the Short King on the Dunkin app in honor of short king spring. . The Short King: Because sometimes you don t need a large or even a medium, you just need a Short King, the post read. The message is clear: It s short kings time to shine. The idea of being a short king aims to reframe small stature as a positive attribute. According toUrban Dictionary's top definitionfor the term, a short king is a man who realizes that his lack of height has nothing to do with his perception of his own self worth. . . In fact, some say that being shorter than average can motivate men to develop solid selfconfidence and a great sense of humor. If you identify as a short king, then you re in good company: Stars like Kevin Hart, Tom Cruise, Zac Efron, Mark Wahlberg, Bruno Mars, Josh Hutcherson, and Jack Black all measure below the average height for American men. Comedian Jaboukie YoungWhite is widely credited for coining the term in a viral 2018tweet. In said tweet, YoungWhite wrote that he s tired of short being used as an insult. . He lists several notable figures who stand under 6 feet, including Donald Glover 5 9 , Tom Holland 5 7 , Daniel Kaluuya 5 9 , and Bruno Mars 5 5 . Short kings are the enemy of body negativity, and i ll be forever proud to defend them, he concludes. Since YoungWhite's tweet, the term has exploded in popularity. The hashtag shortking currently has 1.4 billion views on TikTok. The videos under the shortking hashtag are largely positive, with a healthy dose of humor. TikTok user graces.tiktoks posted a video herself singing along to American Boy : I just met this fivefootseven guy who's just my type. . so basically if you're shorthmu she captioned the video. Many videos feature couples with height differences, demonstrating that stature doesn t have to be a limiting factor in finding a partner. TikTok user arliaah posted a video showing her partner jokingly standing on his tiptoes to appear taller. . We love a short king, she wrote over the video. Though theaverageAmerican man stands at 5 feet 9 inches, many feel that being under six feet tall puts them at a disadvantage. A2022 relationship studyconcluded that participants on average preferred tallerthanaverage male mates, and shorterthanaverage female mates. . On SNL, a skit titled Crown Your Short King parodied the concept with a Bacheloresque dating show. A post shared by Saturday Night Live nbcsnl. Despite forming emotional connections with the three short king finalists, bachelorette Tiffany Chloe Fineman immediately leaps at the chance to date tall guy Jackson, played by 6foot5 actor Jacob Elordi. Look, I loved my time with you guys, but with Jackson I won t have to weirdly bend my knees in photos, Tiffany explains. Romance isn't the only area in which tall men have an extra advantage. One study found thattaller men make more money, and another found thatCEOs tend to be tallerthan the average person. Given that it isn t possible to increase your height unless you re willing to undergo apainful procedure the stigma against shortness often feels unfair. Despite the stigma, short kings are bucking stereotypes and embracing their stature. Tom Holland and Zendaya are a popular example of a celebrity couple with a height difference, albeit a minor one: Zendaya is 5'10", while Holland is slightly shorter at 5'8". The couple expressed their frustration with gender stereotypes around height in aninterview. It's a stupid assumption, Holland said of the expectation that men should be taller than their female partners. Be yourself. Be who you are, Holland concluded. Spoken like a true short king. This story first appeared onTODAY.com. More from TODAY:
Short kings are embracing their stature, with celebrities like Tom Holland and Zendaya challenging height stereotypes. The term "short king" celebrates confidence and humor, with stars such as Kevin Hart and Bruno Mars standing proudly below average height. TikTok has popularized the movement, emphasizing positivity and inclusivity regardless of stature. The concept is gaining momentum and challenging societal norms around height and success.