As Dwarf Wrestling Comes To The Wenatchee Convention Center, One Man Speaks Out
"The managers of these troupes are a disgrace," Bob Stowell said, and little people don't exist to be abused for the entertainment or amusement of the public
Trigger warning: this article contains a direct quote that includes a slur used to denigrate little people.
Two weeks after the Wenatchee Convention Center announced the groundbreaking of a $17.5 million taxpayer-funded expansion project, the center will host an event that has some questioning the wisdom of the community’s investment.
“A total waste of tax dollars if you ask me,” Bob Stowell said.
Stowell isn’t questioning the need for improvements to the convention center as much as the management of the publicly-owned facility. On Sunday, May 19 the convention center will host “Mirco-Wrestling All Stars: Little Mania,” which is billed as an “itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the world's most talented wrestlers in action” by Year Round Talent Agency, one of the companies marketing the event.
“Watch as these mighty midgets, tiny titans, and wee warriors take to the ring and battle it out for the championship title,” the website reads.
The event ticketing website features the convention center logo, but Linda Herald, the Wenatchee Convention Center Executive Director, declined to comment about the show “out of respect to our client,” she wrote in an email.
Some of the other traveling shows Year Round Talent stages include “Micro Maidens: The Show ‘Must Be This Tall to Ride’” and “Handsome Heroes: The Show ‘Not All Heros Wear Capes, Some Heroes Wear Nothing!’”
Critics say dwarf wrestling is exploitative and dangerous and that it fuels public harassment and glorifies a derogatory slur. Folks in Northern California spoke out about a similar event last summer at the Sonoma County fairgrounds, but promoters dismissed the criticisms as “gaslighting,” according to the LA Times.
A representative of Year Round Talent responded to an initial request for comment on May 3 but stopped communicating after my first question. On May 4, they posted this meme featuring retired MMA fighter Connor McGregor to the Little Mania Micro Wrestling Facebook page.
In Stowell’s estimation, the folks who put these shows on rank slightly lower than something you’d scrape off your shoe after taking a walk on a hog farm.
He said they’re exploiting little people for personal profit, and he knows something about being exploited. He’s a little person, and what follows are his remarks on the matter in full, with slight edits for spelling and punctuation:
“Imagine having a child with dwarfism. You've spent many a night trying to comfort them as they've spent their day at school be teased for being short. You encourage them not to let ‘em get ya down and that no matter what, you can achieve most anything. Years later, that child is now an adult and managed to push through so many stigmas and stereotypes that he's become a successful community member. Only to have a circus-esque troupe and their promoter throwing the m-word all over the place. Showing our community that the little people are here for your entertainment and laughter.
Now I have no problem with amateur wrestling. I grew up watching the original WWF with Hulk Hulgan, Rowdy Rodney Piper, Andre The Giant and the others. Their performances were spectacular. But it makes me very upset when I see wrestling events promoted as 'M***** Wrestling'. I have spent the last 20+ years trying to remove the m-word from people’s mouths. It’s deemed as derogatory within the majority of the Little People community. We've worked hard at getting away from the stereotypes that we're just sideshow gimmicks for everyone else's amusement. Whether it’s dwarf wrestling or dwarf tossing, it’s damaging and demeaning to me and mine.
The managers of these troupes are a disgrace. They're nothing more than a backwoods P.T. Barnum. They act like they have the troupe in their best interest. But the reality is the wrestlers are just dollars to them. If you really supported and understood these athletes, you'd know that this type of activity is beyond dangerous to their health. More dangerous to the little people because we're not made the same as average-height people. Speaking from someone who already has major spinal compression issues, it makes me cringe to think someone would suggest a little person risks their health for financial gain.
Every time these troupes come to town, I’m reminded of a gentleman from New Zealand by the name of Martin Henderson. He was visiting England for his 37th birthday. While he stepped outside of the pub for a smoke, a group of rugby players who had just been to a dwarf tossing contest saw Martin and proceeded to pick him up and throw him. He suffered major trauma to his spine and legs, leaving him wheelchair-bound. 5 year later, he passed away from his injuries… Now I bring this story up because I can’t tell you how many times some drunkard has picked me up and dropped me. Lucky for me, I never sustained any major injuries. I've seen the comments made from people on these Dwarf Wrestling adverts and I feel confident in saying that a small majority of the ones making rude comments are also the type that if they saw me outside the pub, would attempt to pick me up as well. And if not that, they'd be sure to holler the m-word at me.
Now some of your readers are gonna say: 'Well, it’s their life. If they choose to wrestle, let them.' And they're right. But consider this: a lot of the reason they chose to wrestle is because our society continues to echo the past. That a little person will only be nothing more than a gimmick.
In my 20s, I was part of a theatrical rock band. I was a guitar player, but more so, I was a gimmick. And for a short while, I loved it. The attention was awesome! I got to travel, meet famous bands and thought everyone loved me for who I was. It wasn't until years later (and some sobriety) that I realized that’s not who I was. But I had that urge to just fit in and be liked. At times, it cost me my dignity.
I'd like to think me and my son have some pretty thick skin, but why should we? It may seem like I’m just complaining or being overly sensitive, constantly trying to advocate for a better life for little people. But if I don’t, who will? We're not here to be your entertainment or to be your mascot. We're computer techs, doctors, lawyers, musicians, custodians, pharmacists, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.”
In addition to being the convention center’s executive director, Herald is also on Wenatchee City Council. The Wenatchee Convention Center is owned by the City of Wenatchee and managed by Coast Hospitalities, which in turn employs Herald. It took three attempts to get a comment from Herald and her staff and since she wouldn’t comment, the only thing left to do was to put in a public records request.
So I requested the contract between the City or Coast Hospitalities and the company responsible for the “Micro Wrestling All Stars” show on May 19, plus any communications between convention center staff and the company putting on the show.
There’s a reason I used the vague term “the company responsible” in my request. That’s because Year Round Talent Agency isn’t the only one selling tickets to the same event. The other is called Tristian David Events.
And the “Micro Wrestling All Stars” event isn’t the only one featuring little people wrestling at a public facility in Chelan County this month. On May 31, a company called Center Stage Entertainment LLC is bringing “Extreme Dwarfanators Wrestling” to the Chelan County Expo Center.
My Two Cents
I’d like to thank Bob Stowell for opening up in such a public way and sharing his story. One of the things that causes so much pain and strife in this world is our inability or refusal to understand what others are going through. I believe by listening to others’ experiences we can gain empathy and better understand the people we share the world with, and through that understanding, we can make things better for all of us. I hope that Bob’s perspective gives everyone, no matter how they feel about this issue, something to think about.
While writing this I couldn’t help but think about the exotic animals ban the City of Wenatchee passed last month which bars circus acts from bringing animals like elephants and camels within city limits. It was a move made after a group of organized citizens advocated against what they felt was inhumane treatment of animals by a company called Jordan World Circus, which puts on an annual circus at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee.
One of the arguments for barring companies from bringing these animals to town was that the companies do not respect their dignity. Another was that the animals are constantly on the road and don’t get enough rest or space to live once they arrive at the venue.
Yet other publicly-owned facilities in Wenatchee make deals with companies that profit from fetishizing female little people and making male little people “fight” for crowds of people every day of the year, according to Year Round Talent’s website.
Sure the folks who work for Year Round Talent, Tristian David Events or Center Stage Entertainment are humans who have signed contracts (we assume) to participate in these shows in return for payment. But I would like to know more about that, as well as how much these event companies make from an average show, and where the performers stay and how they are treated while they are in Chelan County.
I’d also like to know how much the convention center, and Coast Hospitality, make from the contract with whatever company is bringing “Micro Wrestling All Stars” to Wenatchee.
After putting my public records request in with Herald on May 8 I have not received the customary five-day notice that lets the requestor know the request has been received and is being processed. So I will follow up with her, as well as the representative from Year Round Talent with whom I had a brief email exchange, and ask if I can attend the event and interview some of the wrestlers.
More outstanding reporting! Keep working to get info from Herald and others: they need to know there is scrutiny to be had. Bob Stowell: what a hero. For him to share such intimate details is the key to increasing understanding. I loved that he could predict the response of people engaged in this work, and did the flip side for us. I had no idea of the struggles a little person might face, nor did I realize how often people treat them disrespectfully in a physical manner. Appalling and upsetting. Too bad a show like this most likely does nothing to promote understanding of such mistreatment.
Thank you, Dominick, for addressing this issue and exploring it from all sides. Thank you to Bob Stowell for succinctly telling of his own frightening experiences and explaining the physical risks little wrestlers are exposed to.
By contracting with vendors who sell animal and human “circus” acts, Herald and the city are making $$ while giving tacit approval to physical abuse and humiliation of the performers. Instead, Herald and the city should seek out acts that promote human talent, expertise, skill and well-being: musical groups, dance and theater groups, acrobatics, comedy, etc.
No act, in a taxpayer funded space, should showcase a group of people solely because they are “different”.