History Main / LittlePeopleAreSurreal

* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic references this trope in his [[Recap/TheNostalgiaCriticS2E52 review]] of ''Film/ErnestSavesChristmas'' when Creator/PattyMaloney and [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0234975/ Buddy Douglas]] appear as ChristmasElves: "We're here to shoot a Creator/DavidLynch film!"

** He did play a traditional fantasy dwarf in ''Film/PrinceCaspian'', but likepy accepted the role because Trumpkin defied this trope. The fact that normal people find him surreal is a point of criticism towards ''them'', and he's also a badass without having any kind of magical agility. He has been affectionately called "Proto-Tyrion" by some fans for this reason.
** PlayedWith in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', where Dinklage ''does'' play a Dwarf... [[spoiler:but it's one who's roughly [[OxymoronicBeing three times the size of Thor]]. So basically, in the Marvelmovieverse Dwarves are just [[OurGiantsAreBigger giants]].]]

** PlayedWith in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', where Dinklage ''does'' play a Dwarf... [[spoiler:but it's one who's roughly three times the size of Thor. So basically, in the Marvelmovieverse Dwarves are just [[OurGiantsAreBigger giants]].]]

%%* Creator/PattyMaloney in the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS2E23TheThaw The Thaw]]".

** Tyrion, the most notable dwarf character, is never played for surreal effect -- ditto in the TV adaptation, ''Series/GameOfThrones''. In-universe, however, dwarfs often find work as "mummers" (actors and entertainers), usually in farce. Penny and her brother, for example, perfect a routine in which they "joust" while riding a dog and a pig, playing up the absurdity and painting their shields with the sigils of their audience's political opponents. In the continent of Essos, it is believed that rubbing a dwarf's head brings good look.

* Tyrion of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the most notable dwarf character, is never played for surreal effect -- ditto in the TV adaptation, ''Series/GameOfThrones''. In-universe, however, dwarfs often find work as "mummers" (actors and entertainers), usually in farce. Penny and her brother, for example, perfect a routine in which they "joust" while riding a dog and a pig, playing up the absurdity and painting their shields with the sigils of their audience's political opponents. In the continent of Essos, it is believed that rubbing a dwarf's head brings good look.

* In ''Manga/TriGun'' (the original manga version), Grey the Ninelives is revealed to be nine dwarfs in a suit.

%%* Creator/PattyMaloney in the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "The Thaw".
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': "Encounter At Farpoint" has a whole gang of little people as part of the audience in Q's post-apocalyptic KangarooCourt, plus a more snazzily dressed one who punctuates the prosecutor's reading of the charges with a cowbell for no good reason. In ''All Good Things'', the first sign something's wrong is when they show up again to jeer at Future Picard.

%%* The Man From Another Place in the Black Lodge in ''Series/TwinPeaks''.

--> But most of all I'm taking you back because it will give me the opportunity to make your life a LIVING HELL! You think you're a tough customer? Well, move over, Buster! Because I'm the toughest, I'm the meanest, I'm the nastiest little man God ever put on this earth! I'm going to make you run, I'm going to make you jump, I am going to make you slither on the ground like a snake!
* In the ''Series/MastersOfHorror'' episode "Imprint", one of the pimps on the [[WretchedHive hellish island]] is a dwarf with a missing nose, signifying how the episode is gonna be one long decline into surreal horror and insanity.

* ''Series/{{Jackass}} used Wee Man for several pranks that ran on this, like "Poo Switcheroo", where Preston Lacy -- a tall, fat guy -- going into a port-a-potty in a public plaza, you hear a lot of loud farts...and Wee Man emerges wearing the same outfit, to the confusion of onlookers.

* In ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', the Munchkins are the first people that Dorothy meets in [[DreamLand Oz]] after Glinda. All the Munchkins were played by little people -- who got paid less than the dog who played Toto. No, [[http://news.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/the-actors-who-played-the-munchkins-in-the-wizard-of-oz-were-paid-less-than-toto really]]. ([[ValuesDissonance Contrast that with the 2010s]], when the aforementioned Peter Dinklage became one of the highest-paid stars on ''Series/GameOfThrones'', and you'll see that we really have come a long way.)

* Tyrion of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the most notable dwarf character, is never played for surreal effect -- ditto in the TV adaptation, ''Series/GameOfThrones''. In-universe, however, dwarfs often find work as "mummers" (actors and entertainers), usually in farce. Penny and her brother, for example, perfect a routine in which they "joust" while riding a dog and a pig, playing up the absurdity and painting their shields with the sigils of their audience' political opponents. In the continent of Essos, it is believed that rubbing a dwarf's head brings good look.

->''"Have '''you''' ever had a dream with a dwarf in it? Do you know '''anyone''' who's had a dream with a dwarf in it? No! '''I''' don't even have dreams with dwarfs in them. The only place I've seen dwarfs in dreams is in stupid movies like this! "Oh make it weird, put a dwarf in it!' Everyone will go 'Woah, this must be a fuckin' dream, there's a fuckin' dwarf in it!'" Well I'm sick of it! You can take this dream sequence and shove it up your ass!"''

* Music/PeterGabriel's music video for "Shock the Monkey" features a scene where several little people start dragging him down to the ground. They appear out of nowhere, and never show up again afterwards. And that's hardly the weirdest thing in the video...

* Music/PeterGabriel's music video for "Shock the Monkey" features a scene where several little people start dragging him down to the ground. They appear out of nowhere, and never show up again afterwards. [[UpToEleven And that's hardly the weirdest thing in the video...]]

* Lampshaded, subverted, ''and'' played straight in ''Film/InBruges''. Dwarf actor Jordan Prentice plays a dwarf actor who is set to appear in a dream sequence that's being filmed in Bruges, which seems to cause Colin Farrel's character no end of delight ("They're filmin' midgets!"). Mostly, the surreal quality comes in from what a non-issue his dwarfism is; his character's defining trait is that he's an obnoxious coke-headed bigot.
-->'''Actor''': You have no idea how much shit I get from black midgets!\\
'''Ray''': That's... [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative undeniably true]].

* At the ball scene in ''Film/{{The Three Musketeers|1973}}'', the King of France is eating hors-d'oeuvres off plates balanced on the heads of dwarf servants. This is mainly to emphasize the decadence of his court, and is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_dwarf Truth In Television]].

* In ''Film/BladeRunner'', two of the genetically-engineered "toy-friends" created by J.F. Sebastian are dwarfs in outlandish outfits, one of which has an extremely long nose. Their presence certainly makes the already-surreal clutter of Sebastian's apartment seem even more bizarre.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* In ''Film/{{Birdman}}'', it's revealed through dialog that the play Riggan is working on includes a dream sequence with dancing dwarfs.

* The Oompa-Loompas in ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' and its many adaptations; therefore, they can usually be found in {{Charlie and the Chocolate Parod|y}}ies.

* Tyrion of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the most notable dwarf character, is never played for surreal effect -- ditto in the TV adaptation, ''Series/GameOfThrones''. In-universe, however, dwarfs often find work as "mummers" (actors and entertainers), usually in farce. Penny and her brother, for example, perfect a routine in which they "joust" while riding a dog and a pig, playing up the absurdity and painting their shields with the sigils of their audience' political opponents.

Compare and contrast with DepravedDwarf. For another disability that's often treated as an oddity, see AlbinosAreFreaks.

* In ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', the Munchkins are the first people that Dorothy meets in [[DreamLand Oz]] after Glinda. All the Munchkins were played by little people -- who got paid less than the dog who played Toto. No, [[http://news.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/the-actors-who-played-the-munchkins-in-the-wizard-of-oz-were-paid-less-than-toto really]]. ([[ValuesDissonance Contrast that with the 2010s]], when the aforementioned Peter Dinklage became one of the highest-paid stars on ''Series/GameOfThrones'', and you'll see that [[SocietyMarchesOn we really have come a long way]].)

* In ''Film/{{Birdman}}'', it's revealed through dialog that the play Riggan is working on includes a dream sequence with dancing midgets.

* Mr. Roarke, owner of the eponymous ''Series/FantasyIsland'' (which, as you can guess by the title, is rather surreal), has a dwarf sidekick named Tattoo who introduces each episode with a shout of "De plane! De plane!" Tattoo is played by Hervé Villechaize, who also appeared in a similar role in ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'' -- see the {{Film}} section above.

* In ''Series/NightCourt'', Dan's boss, Vincent Daniels (Daniel Frishman), at least for a few episodes:

* ''Series/TheLoneGunmen'': Part of the convoluted plot of "Madam I'm Adam" involved a female wrestler in a midget wrestling league, but it turns out her role in the whole thing is quite ordinary. [[spoiler: Driven away by her husband's anger management issues, she starts an affair with a appliance store pitchman. (Both gents are normal-sized.) Her husband gets a drastic procedure to curb his anger so he could try to repair his marriage, which caused him temporary amnesia, and the pitchman reveals himself as a first-rate {{Jerkass}} by making a creepy, fetishizing comment about the lady's height.]] The Gunmen, who are very used to the unusual (after all, Agent Mulder is a regular client), take the whole situation with barely a raised eyebrow.

* The videos for Music/OingoBoingo's "Little Girls" and "Nothing Bad Ever Happens to Me".

* Midget wrestlers and matches involving midget wrestling is a common novelty-type match, booked more for comedy relief.
* To cement his HeelFaceTurn Wrestling/DoinkTheClown was joined by his midget sidekick Dink. This led to several surreal moments, but the most notable was probably their appearance in [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CImbhQ8OxEA/VG_jiOpb3EI/AAAAAAAAFR0/j86yn2M7u-M/s1600/vlcsnap-2012-11-18-17h22m35s111.png a 1994 Survivor Series match]]. Doink teamed with Dink, Wink and Pink, against Wrestling/JerryLawler and his mini-kings Queasy, Cheesy, and Sleazy.

* The Mad Midget Five from ''VideoGame/GodHand'' are a ridiculous-looking {{sentai}} team with chipmunk voices, and they're mostly treated as comic relief. Averting MookChivalry, they attack you all at once. They are hard to beat the first time and even tougher the second. The game also features a psychic midget who is also ridiculous and difficult. Lampshaded both times: during the first battle with the Mad Midget Five, [[DeadpanSnarker Gene]] [[SarcasmFailure is too stunned to say anything more coherent than "Douchebags!"]], and the Psychic Midget is stated in-universe to be in the wrong game.
* The midgets of the VideoGame/{{Borderlands}} series are even weirder than is standard for enemies in those games.

* The video for "Dog Police" by Dog Police features a midget waiter. Given the video's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin subject matter]], this is pretty much an afterthought.