The Onion Refers to 9 Year Old Oscar Nom as C-Word

[greek_chorus]

Apparently someone at The Onion thinks it's funny and ironic to refer to 9 year old best actress nominee, Quvenzhané Wallis, as the C-word. I honestly have no words for this. I read The Onion and I've been known to drop the c-word now and again, but to use it in this context and towards a young child who brought her puppy purse to the awards ceremony is appalling.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... -cunt.html

ETA: The Onion has finally issued an apology

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/ ... ne-wallis/

[Freyacat]

Ew. I have on rare occasion called people a cunt (although I prefer more creative and non-gender specific insults, personally). But never, ever a child. That's beyond the pale.

[Burris]

The "c-word"? I'm not trying to derail the thread, but this is something I don't get. This is like people who star out the 'i' in nigger, as if that makes the word itself less offensive; or the 'u' in fuck, ot the 'a' in fag.

I hate to be a dick, but...cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt. I just used the term ten times and it has no power of its own.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Seriously? Why would anyone think calling a child a cunt is funny?

[Burris]

Seriously? Why would anyone think calling a child a cunt is funny?

It's not. It's dumb.

It's The Onion.

ETA: I actually found the host's joke about it being 16 more years before she's too old for Clooney to be more offensive.

[punkiepie]

I don't get how that could even be thought or considered as satirical. She has been nothing but nice, adorable, well spoken, and appropriately innocent for her age. During my college years, as I was finally escaping my IFB upbringing, I was inspired to Reclaim the C**t after reading the vagina monologues. http://books.google.com/books?id=G74c4i2SUmAC&pg=PA101&lpg=PA100&ots=gbD67I6uS5&dq=reclaiming+cunt+vagina+monologues&output=html_text But no matter how liberated I've become or how many times I've tried to rid the word of its power, I still just don't like it. If someone calls me a C U Next Tuesday, I'm going to take offense, because even if it no longer has power over me, I'm 99% certain the person calling me it wants to offend or insult me- the word still had power to them. I don't think there is any other word in our language that is meant to degrade a woman more than C**t and to call a 9 year old one, even under the guise of satire, is cruel.

[J'ean Skirt]

The CEO apologized today.

www.theonion.com/articles/the-onion-apologizes,31434/

" On behalf of The Onion, I offer my personal apology to Quvenzhané Wallis and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the tweet that was circulated last night during the Oscars. It was crude and offensive—not to mention inconsistent with The Onion’s commitment to parody and satire, however biting."

I don't think they would have apologized had there been a meaningful bit of parody or satire in there. But this was just mean and wholly inappropriate sexualization of a 9 year old girl. Not to mention being mean for no other reason then to be mean.

[Burris]

If someone calls me a C U Next Tuesday, I'm going to take offense, because even if it no longer has power over me, I'm 99% certain the person calling me it wants to offend or insult me- the word still had power to them.

He wants to offend you.

You get offended.

He wins.

Any guy who calls you a cunt in earnest is a loser. He doesn't deserve to win.

I don't think there is any other word in our language that is meant to degrade a woman more than C**t and to call a 9 year old one, even under the guise of satire, is cruel.

I seriously want to know something: What makes 'cunt' so special? Why is 'bitch,' for example, any better?

And satire is often cruel. I am not defending it. I'm glad they dumped the Tweet. But that girl has a bright future; it doesn't matter what some desk-jockey at The Onion calls her. She'll surely hear that and worse as she ages, and hopefully she recognize just how pathetic it all is and laugh it off.

[Swamptribe]

Actually, in the UK, and Australia I believe, the c-word is used as a term of affection. Learned this a few years ago when an actor I like referred to a teenage co-star using the c-word in an interview. It's a difference in culture and slang.

[Sky_Diamond]

Actually, in the UK, and Australia I believe, the c-word is used as a term of affection. Learned this a few years ago when an actor I like referred to a teenage co-star using the c-word in an interview. It's a difference in culture and slang.

Um for the most in England it isn't. It is actually considered to be the worse swear word and least socially accepted even than fuck

[valsa]

I like the word "cunt". I use it, quite like bitch, in both insulting and empowering contexts.

However, I would never use it for a child and I have issues with men (going out on a limb here because I don't know for sure that a man wrote it) using it in general.

[Rachel333]

Actually, in the UK, and Australia I believe, the c-word is used as a term of affection. Learned this a few years ago when an actor I like referred to a teenage co-star using the c-word in an interview. It's a difference in culture and slang.

It can be in Australia and NZ (shocked me a bit at first how easily they use that word), but only to friends and definitely never to children.

[punkiepie]

He wants to offend you.

You get offended.

He wins.

Any guy who calls you a cunt in earnest is a loser. He doesn't deserve to win.

I seriously want to know something: What makes 'cunt' so special? Why is 'bitch,' for example, any better?

And satire is often cruel. I am not defending it. I'm glad they dumped the Tweet. But that girl has a bright future; it doesn't matter what some desk-jockey at The Onion calls her. She'll surely hear that and worse as she ages, and hopefully she recognize just how pathetic it all is and laugh it off.

I think any word that was used to demean a subjugated class of persons will always hold a negative connotation and a certain power. It's not the 4 letters, it's the history behind it. Much like the n- word (and no, I'm not going to write that out either) fa**ot, colored, etc. African Amercans have reclaimed their word, but only amongst themselves- if a white person were to call them that, it would be incredibly offensive to them. I have no problem with a woman calling me a cunt- but coming from a man- the only purpose would be degradation. And I think any woman, no matter how much they want to deny it, is going to feel some kind of negative emotion if a man calls them a cunt.

[Minerva]

I get that it's the Onion, and I get that their tweets are supposed to be jokes. But what's the joke here? Were they making fun of the type of person who would call a 9-year-old a cunt?

[LostSamurai]

I saw this earlier.

I use the c-word at times(especially when I"m mad), but THATS A CHILD!

[norabrie]

He wants to offend you.

You get offended.

He wins.

Any guy who calls you a cunt in earnest is a loser. He doesn't deserve to win.

I seriously want to know something: What makes 'cunt' so special? Why is 'bitch,' for example, any better?

And satire is often cruel. I am not defending it. I'm glad they dumped the Tweet. But that girl has a bright future; it doesn't matter what some desk-jockey at The Onion calls her. She'll surely hear that and worse as she ages, and hopefully she recognize just how pathetic it all is and laugh it off.

I dislike this word, but I think calling any nine-year-old a name of any kind would be offensive.

[Shirley MacLaine]

I get that it's the Onion, and I get that their tweets are supposed to be jokes. But what's the joke here? Were they making fun of the type of person who would call a 9-year-old a cunt?

I think the joke was meant to send up how the larger conversation was actually about how adorable and awesome Quvenzhane Wallis is.

[Minerva]

I think the joke was meant to send up how the larger conversation was actually about how adorable and awesome Quvenzhane Wallis is.

Ah, I get it now.

[Burris]

I think any word that was used to demean a subjugated class of persons will always hold a negative connotation and a certain power. It's not the 4 letters, it's the history behind it. Much like the n- word (and no, I'm not going to write that out either) fa**ot, colored, etc. African Amercans have reclaimed their word, but only amongst themselves- if a white person were to call them that, it would be incredibly offensive to them. I have no problem with a woman calling me a cunt- but coming from a man- the only purpose would be degradation. And I think any woman, no matter how much they want to deny it, is going to feel some kind of negative emotion if a man calls them a cunt.

I think any word aimed at someone - anyone - with the aim of belittling them is demeaning. I understand the special tensions behind the use of certain words as opposed to others, and I agree that it was right of The Onion to pull the Tweet.

But - and I'm sure you saw that coming - I see no reason to act coy when discussing the use of these words. Whether some letters are starred out or not, those words are those words. Cunt. Nigger. Fagot. It doesn't matter if the spelling is truncated or not. It would be no less offensive for a racist to write, "I hate n*gg*rs," than it would be for him to spell it out fully.

You say so yourself: The letters are not the problem.

And I would add that context is the problem - and even then, this is just some guy with a Twitter feed - yeah, it was for The Onion – who called a girl a cunt. It's not funny. It's dumb. But a snort of derision from the girl is all the Onion's Tweeter deserves from her. I hope, assuming she even knows about it, that she's not offended. Remarks like the one aimed at her aren't even worth the effort at being offended.

[Funky Chicken]

It can be in Australia and NZ (shocked me a bit at first how easily they use that word), but only to friends and definitely never to children.

As a 6th generation Australian I'd like to say WTF???!!! Where did you read/see this?

If I called one of my friends a cunt, I suspect the friendship would be over (either because I had done so, or because I would have had a good reason to do so!). At least in the circles I run in, it's seen as the ultimate insult. Maybe it's taken on a different meaning in the younger set though (I'm 43).

Of course, my dad did use it somewhat explosively around the house - "Aaaarrrr ye fuckin' cuntofathing!!!) on dropping plates while washing up. It is sometimes used a bit in circumstances like that, but it would not be considered affectionate to call another fellow being one.

[JesusFightClub]

SkyDiamond, I think it just depends on where you are in the UK and on social aspects of class. I know plenty of people who use "cunt" freely and I do so myself (It is also kind of creepy that the word for a women's genitals should be the worst word anyone can be called. Are they the most disgusting thing in those people's eyes?)

I agree with Burris that the Clooney joke was nastier. But considering who it came from, I'm not surprised.

[YPestis]

I was neutral to the word, having rarely heard it (and never using it myself). However, early on in our relationship, I found out hubby hates the word, and considers it worse than any other epithet. It's been taboo in our household ever since. I think it was harsh to call a child this even though I understand it was The Onion and they were referring to her awesomeness. They were right to pull that tweet. The little girl will have a hard time as it is navigating the instant fame she's had conferred on her, I don't think she needs to have this conversation of the c-word with her parents too.

[lilith]

It can be in Australia and NZ (shocked me a bit at first how easily they use that word), but only to friends and definitely never to children.

It's a class thing within Australia. Nobody I am friends with would use it in a friendly manner, and most wouldn't use it at all. It is (entirely irrationally) the only swear I won't say.

But yes, there is a segment of the population who use it as an exclamation, and they certainly don't usually intend to offend when they do so. I've seen people give testimony in court, liberally sprinkled with the word, and female lawyers having kittens about it and the judge practically begging them to please refrain.

[bionicmlle]

In regard to The Onion: Definitely inappropriate.

In regard to the word cunt: It is regarded, in our society, as a "curse" or a "bad" word - certainly not something I would say at work or teach kids to say. However, I have changed my own personal opinion on it based on The Vagina Monologues - I love the cunt monologue. At the end of it, the word is actually sexy. (TO ME. I get that someone else may not agree).

Edited because I thought that Robin Williams, in response to the PIvot questions, responded "Cunt" as his favorite word. Nay, it was "Pussy".

[Rachel333]

It's a class thing within Australia. Nobody I am friends with would use it in a friendly manner, and most wouldn't use it at all. It is (entirely irrationally) the only swear I won't say.

But yes, there is a segment of the population who use it as an exclamation, and they certainly don't usually intend to offend when they do so. I've seen people give testimony in court, liberally sprinkled with the word, and female lawyers having kittens about it and the judge practically begging them to please refrain.

Yeah, since I mainly got to know people in uni, I suspect that's not a completely representative sample. It seemed also kind of tied in with the whole "bro culture" (or "bru" if you're in NZ :) ).