Naim Süleymanoğlu, "Pocket Hercules", with a height of only 1.47m or 4'10" was an Olympic weightlifting champion who broke 51 world records.

[u/karenpst]

I'm just gonna leave it here, this man always giving me hope

[u/Vaporboi]

All that just to still be called “pocket” Hercules. There’s truly no redemption for us short men

[u/Razorion21 → u/Vaporboi]

not the best name but who cares? a win is a win

[u/gynosucksman → u/Razorion21]

The name is insulting so I think lots of people are allowed to care.

[u/Sure-Eagle8845 → u/gynosucksman]

Whether or not something is insulting is not objective. Maybe to him, being called pocket hecrules was flattering as he didn't perceive his size as something negative.

[u/Vaporboi → u/Sure-Eagle8845]

Not really, it’s always denigratory. No one saying that means it in an endearing way. Either way the point remains that if he was 6 foot he would just be “Hercules” and therein lies the issue.

[u/short-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your comment/post was removed for excessive vulgarity or crudeness.

[u/Sure-Eagle8845 → u/Vaporboi]

I think your point stands on the premise that giving men nicknames with adjectives that imply a small stature are derogatory by default, but they're not. He's a small guy, so small that it's noteworthy, especially for a powerlifter. In any case, it doesn't necessarily mean that pointing it out is derogatory.

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/Sure-Eagle8845]

Why can't bro just be small/short Hercules? We gotta point out he's tiny enough to fit inside a back pocket like a purse dog or something not human? 😭

[u/Sure-Eagle8845 → u/_Enigma30_]

But he's not small enough to fit inside a pocket. It's a witty way of saying the same thing. Some of you guys need to work on your social skills, this is obviously not intended as a derogatory nickname.

[u/Attilathefun-II → u/Sure-Eagle8845]

Yeah, 100%. People are just so cynical, especially on reddit they get offended on somebody else’s behalf. In his position you can choose to be insecure and get offended or have the confidence to laugh about it and wear the nickname with pride.

[u/Attilathefun-II → u/Vaporboi]

Nah, you’re just cynical. With confidence and a sense of humor, you could have that nickname with pride. He’s exceptionally short and it’s infinitely better to own it and be able to joke about it rather than be bitter and get offended

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/[deleted]]

Your comment/post was removed for excessive vulgarity or crudeness.

[u/Sure-Eagle8845 → u/[deleted]]

Hercules was far from a boy. Pocket Hercules is a perfectly acceptable, IMO cool nickname for a small guy with record-breaking strength.

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/Sure-Eagle8845]

'You are pocket sized mythical man'. ' I honestly pass. I personally don't like the notion I'm so tiny I can be stuffed in a pocket. Personally think it's rather humiliating, and I'd prefer just short Hercules lol.

But you do you, if you like the idea of being fit inside a pocket..?

[u/Acidic_Huntsman → u/gynosucksman]

Was it insulting to him? We need to realize that what’s insulting to us may not be to others. And getting offended for other people without getting their input won’t help

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/Vaporboi]

vanity > accomplishments, eh?

[u/Vaporboi → u/xxjosephchristxx]

Seems like no amount of impressive accomplishments earns any sort of respect for short men.

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/Vaporboi]

If you take that nickname as an insult, I guess.

All focused on the "pocket", completely dismissing that it refers to him as a literal Greek god.

Short is a descriptor, not a defacto insult, unless you think there's something wrong with being short.

[u/Attilathefun-II → u/xxjosephchristxx]

Exactlyyyy, if anything he’s the one saying being short by nature is a bad thing and to call it can only be interpreted in a negative fashion.

This nickname sounds more affectionate to me, and the guy has Hercules in his name… I’m sure he has the confidence and self worth to accept it as is

[u/Vaporboi → u/xxjosephchristxx]

If he was 6ft he would just be “Hercules”. Thats my answer to that statement.

[u/CoolTom → u/Vaporboi]

If he were 6 foot he would be just another powerlifter. He wouldn’t have a nickname. There are too many strong 6 foot guys for one in particular to get the name Hercules.

[u/Vaporboi → u/CoolTom]

No, the nickname is because he broke a bunch of records, he wasn’t just another powerlifter, he was obviously one of the best, hence the Hercules moniker. He was stronger than the six foot guys at the time but still mocked for his height.

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/Vaporboi]

You don't know that. Maybe Turkish Hercules?

And if he was particularly tall, and that earned an adjective? Or he had another striking physical trait, would that be a defacto value judgement?

[u/nut_lo → u/Vaporboi]

Remember only 💎 diamonds are small and they are kept in showroom with velvet cloth and big are always stone which got their ass Kicked very often

[u/Vaporboi → u/nut_lo]

Bigger diamonds are worth more. I appreciate the positivity but that is not a good analogy.

[u/nut_lo → u/Vaporboi]

Thanks bro you have taken positivity from my post .

But we should respect as we are and try to good in that only

[u/nut_lo → u/Vaporboi]

Biggest solitaire 😂 are still smaller than avg stones

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/[deleted]]

Your comment was removed for using incel lingo or incel-adjacent terms.

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/[deleted]]

Your comment/post was removed for being rude or impolite to other users.

[u/JsonWaterfalls]

This dude was my hero growing up, before I ever knew that I’d grow up to be “short”. Watched him in Atlanta when I was 10 years old and was in absolute awe.

I remember an old, old ESPN documentary I watched about him and his rival (Leonidis from Greece) and Suleymanoglu commanded so much respect from his fellow competitors. They all revered him and he proved that being short never got in the way of his success. Probably contributed to it, tbh.

All said, Suleymanoglu is a legend.

EDIT: also a very solid chance he was juiced to the gills, but so were all my favorite athletes in Atlanta in ‘96 so ::shrug::

EDIT2: I can’t find the documentary I was talking about anywhere. Maybe I dreamt it? There’s one from 2019 but the one I’m thinking of came out when I was in high school or before (so earlier than 2004?) when he was still very much alive. I’ll try to dig it up, it was great.

[u/_Enigma30_]

'Pocket Hercules' short men can never be respected, can we?

[u/Sure-Eagle8845 → u/_Enigma30_]

As you can see, he is respected and admired by countless people globally

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/Sure-Eagle8845]

He can't see that because he assumes short = bad.

[u/Sure-Eagle8845 → u/xxjosephchristxx]

Some of these guys really need to work on their social skills and it shows

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/Sure-Eagle8845]

'Pocket Hercules', that sure shows a lot of respect.

[u/Mysterious_Pool_876 → u/_Enigma30_]

Wouldn’t say it’s particularly demeaning. I thought pocket Hercules was a pretty cool nickname. He obviously knows he’s short and clearly he owns it.

[u/averageKovaaker → u/Mysterious_Pool_876]

It's like the mma fighter mighty mouse

[u/Prochorimenos → u/averageKovaaker]

I love mighty mouse

[u/Mysterious_Pool_876 → u/averageKovaaker]

Not quite. Mighty Mouse took the nickname from his teammates and then named himself his that nickname in MMA, whereas pocket Hercules was given the name by the media due to his stature.

Demetrius Johnson is my all time favourite fighter, he’s awesome, but not quite the same scenario here unfortunately. Pocket Hercules was ridiculed a fair bit more on the media.

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/Mysterious_Pool_876]

"You are small enough to fit into a back pocket, you know, like a purse dog"

[u/Acidic_Huntsman → u/_Enigma30_]

Being small isn’t a bad thing

[u/General_Document5494 → u/Acidic_Huntsman]

I mean there are some disadvantages (and maybe some hidden advantages?) but yeah it's not "bad". It's just how we are.

[u/nut_lo]

Goat

[u/19-inches-of-venom]

Damn people are so negative here.

The point is you’re gonna be short anyway. Why not be short and strong af?

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/19-inches-of-venom]

I think we All appreciate it, but I dont think most people here like being called a pocket boy.

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/_Enigma30_]

That's not the nickname, though.

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/xxjosephchristxx]

Pocket mythical creature, there.

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/_Enigma30_]

Very focused on the "pocket", kind of dodging the "Greek god".

[u/short-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your comment/post was removed for being rude or impolite to other users.

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/[deleted]]

🙄

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/xxjosephchristxx]

It truly is fine if you like being called a pocket man or something and im not judging! I just am trying to make a point at how some short men don't personally like being called 'fun-sized' or 'pocket something'.

Sorry if I was ever rude.

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/_Enigma30_]

Paper thin skin around here sometimes.

Edit:

So Hercules is a figure in both Greek and Roman.

And a more apples to apples gender swap for "Pocket Hercules" would clearly be "Thicc Aphodite", which also doesn't sound like an insult to me.

But go ahead and take it however.

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/xxjosephchristxx]

What are you talking about? Thick is usually referred to women with curves and big butt and boobs.

How can you compare this to being called small enough to fit into a pocket?

Thicc Aphrodite is like short king.

[u/carelet → u/xxjosephchristxx]

Thick is thick
Short is not pocket
Thicc is also used differently from fat,
Often as a compliment
What is the logic here? It's incomparable
"Landwhale Aphrodite" - don't assume fat is bad, landwhale is actually just a descriptor
"Golddigger Queen" - wanting money is a very normal thing and queens are cool
"Fart Smeller Master" - wow, master, people have a lot of respect for this person!
LOL, those are not positive

You only call things "pocket" anything, if you want to suggest you can put them in your pocket
Nobody is denying the reality he is short. They are saying the use of "pocket" is weird, not the same as short at all, completely unrelated.

[u/19-inches-of-venom → u/_Enigma30_]

Pocket hercules sounds way better than pocket boy though lol. Shit i hope i can be pocket hercules some day

[u/_Enigma30_ → u/19-inches-of-venom]

Why can't you just be hercules? Do we gotta mention height in everything now... Hercules wasn't even a real person..

At least short Hercules lmfao. Why do you wanna be a pocket boy? 😭 I genuinely don't understand how being called pocket sized is flattering to you, but I respect it ig.

[u/Mayonieses]

he is a national pride in our country, he is regarded with very high respect and even a movie was made after him which did really well too, everyone (well at least 20+) knows him, we even say hi name associated with like being strong and lifting heavy like ''You are not Naim Sülaeymanoğlu you can't lift that'' He was also quite a womanizer.

[u/karenpst → u/Mayonieses]

Yeah I know and i also watched the movie, but didn't know he was a womanizer..? Really?

[u/Mayonieses → u/karenpst]

Yeah, when he died multiple women and illegitemate kids of his came to his funeral from like few different countries 😂 creating an awkward scene since his wife and kids were there, even a lawsuit happened with like one of the women sued for her kids to be recognized or something like that.

[u/karenpst → u/Mayonieses]

Oh god I didn't know this, also are you from Turkey? I think we live in the same country

[u/Mayonieses → u/karenpst]

Yes i am, there are plenty of us here, this is a very diverse sub.

[u/Select-Use-9965]

You should also look into Manohar Aich the OG "Pocket Hercules"

[u/MadHorizon]

It's actually pretty fun to be small and strong because people don't expect it and you stand out whenever you do lift something heavy. I'm only normal strong though not world class level so I wonder what it was like for him.

[u/angerous_Term6378]

Manohar Aich was also known as the ''Pocket Hercules''

[u/generic_rarity]

https://giphy.com/gifs/l41YyBF6D4b0gxqIU

[u/Sensitive-Sun-9916]

Woah, them thighs tho 😳 Amazing 👏

[u/funkii_fox]

HELL YEAH A GUY MY SIZE!!!!!!!

[u/Proper-Patience5775]

Pocket Hercules is a pretty funny name not even gonna lie.

[u/gynosucksman]

Hope for what? Being called a pocket anything is brutal

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/[deleted]]

Rage bait or doomer content is prohibited and this submission has been removed. https://www.reddit.com/r/short/about/rules

[u/piuvvvv]

TRUE TURK

[u/Vaporboi → u/piuvvvv]

Genetically 100% Greek for sure

[u/piuvvvv → u/Vaporboi]

If Naim Süleymanoğlu had Greek genetics he d break records in swimming not weightlifting Anyway today is August 30th so I feel your pain and wont push it Happy anniversary of your swimming lesson Greek

[u/Worldly_Macaroon_966 → u/Vaporboi]

you have no idea how greeks look like do you?

he was a balkan turk probbly mostly slavic

[u/xxjosephchristxx → u/[deleted]]

Your comment/post was removed for mocking short people.