On the "small and angry" stereotype: Would you advise writers new to writing dwarfism not to write their little people with mental disorders that cause mood swings and outbursts to avoid the stereotype? Conditions like BPD, ASPD, Bipolar I or II, even Depression and PTSD come to mind, especially the first two seeing as they carry similar stigmatization about anger & aggression.
Hello! For anyone who may be new, I've used the "small and angry archetype" to describe the instances in media where a little person's anger is exaggerated for comedic effect. Some examples include Miles Finch in Elf (2003), Mini Me in Austin Powers (1999-2003), and Dr. Psycho in Harley Quinn (2019):
Because Small and Angry characters are presumed to be of no "real threat" due to their size, their anger is not taken seriously and thus seen as humorous, or in some cases even adorable:
Either way, this archetype lends itself to the real world notion that the anger little people feel is ridiculous, humorous, and not to be taken seriously - or the stereotype that little people are more hot headed.
To answer your question: Would I advise writers new to writing dwarfism not to write their little people with mental disorders that cause mood swings and outbursts to avoid the stereotype?
My short answer is yes - I would recommend avoiding giving your LP characters mental disorders that cause mood swings and outbursts, if you wish to avoid the small and angry archetype. The choice is up to the writer of course, but navigating such an intersection would be challenging with the existing stigmas.
