Small Stature=Cute? I don't think so...

Recently I fulfilled one of my New Year's Resolutions. I auditioned for the AIMS Graz Vocal Program. It wasn't my best performance, but I felt ok about it. However my experience with the man who auditioned me , made me reflect on something that has bothered me for a long time. The man who auditioned me treated me like I didn't know what I was doing, like I was a "cutsie" little teenager. When I entered to Auditorium he said to me, (in heavy German accent),

"Now Karen, I'm going to be writing some things down as you sing, so don't think you know that I don't want to look at you, because you are very pretty and you know if I could look at you all day long I would. You pick the first song that you would like to sing and then I will ask you to sing the next thing."

Ok, besides the obvious CREEP-factor (he is the HUSBAND, of the artistic director), if I'm auditioning for a prestigious program, I KNOW how to audition. I was appalled at the informality of it and the way he treated me. Mainly because I was extremely professional and polite to him.


This led me to think of the way I am often treated by people, mainly women. Younger, older, doesn't matter, they tend to look at me and think "oh she's so cute" and they call me things like "Honey" and "Sweetie". They treat me like I'm helpless and that they need to mother me.

NEWFLASH! Not even my own Mother treats me like that!

Just because someone is small in stature and/or youthful looking does NOT mean they are in any way, childish, childlike, cutsie, or helpless.


I AM A FULLY FUNCTIONING INDEPENDENT YOUNG WOMAN...I'm an ADULT!

And for Heaven's sake people...TREAT ME LIKE AN ADULT!

And before you start making any assumptions about me, I will be upfront in saying that I make every effort not to feed into their behaviour and I do not, (from my own perception) act "cutsie" or like the damsel in distress. And if I need help I will ask for it!

PHEW....deep breaths...