‘Manlet’ And ‘Hiplet’: The Body-Shaming Terms Taking Over Social Media

This week I came across the terms “manlet” and “hiplet” for the first time online – and I felt genuinely deflated for the youngest generation.

For those who haven’t come across the terms, “manlet” is a derogatory term that’s been used online for years as a way to height-shame shorter men and boys.

But now “hiplet”, which seems to be newer, is about body-shaming women and girls for having ‘hip dips’ (inward curves located below the hips and just above the thighs) as a retaliation to ‘manlet’ abuse. 

Some claim the “the hiplet movement is an allegory to heightism” – basically, men are using the term “hiplet” to make a bigger point about prejudice against sho...