http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/02/25/the-onion-ceo-apologizes-for-quvenzhan-wallis-tweet Comments On: <em>The Onion</em> CEO Apologizes for Quvenzhan&#233; Wallis Tweet by Paul Constant en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Sun, 19 May 2013 14:00:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Posted by undead ayn rand]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:44:41 -0800 The Stranger Posted by clashfan]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:05:37 -0800 The Stranger Posted by woof]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:34:00 -0800 The Stranger
Now, I also know that the whole point of the joke was to go over-the-top. The problem with going over the top is that sometimes you go too far.

The Onion is not known for its willingness to back off a joke, or apologize for its humor. That they did so here is a sign that they realize they went too far.
Posted by clashfan]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:23:32 -0800 The Stranger Posted by TreGibbs]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 22:12:06 -0800 The Stranger Posted by sirkowski]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:16:04 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Amanda]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:57:27 -0800 The Stranger Posted by scratchmaster joe]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:42:15 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Matt from Denver]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:41:55 -0800 The Stranger
And if they were intending to mock the Hollywood celebrity culture, there are more creative, actually-humorous, not-stupid ways to do that, too.

Posted by this guy I know in Spokane]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:41:08 -0800 The Stranger
Also, what @47 said.
Posted by this guy I know in Spokane]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:36:50 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Reverse Polarity]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:59:05 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Lissa]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:43:16 -0800 The Stranger me why you think it was appropriate. Explain it to the little girl who got called a cunt.
Posted by Lissa]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:41:41 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Humorless Scolds]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:59:46 -0800 The Stranger actually apologizing instead of pulling one of those bullshit "if anyone was offended" apologies, which is how these things usually go.

I'm not saying they should have or shouldn't have, but once they chose to, I think they did it right.
Posted by lopes]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:32:05 -0800 The Stranger Satire is punching up. Calling a little girl a cunt is punching down.

A. If you think the little girl was the target of this joke, then you must have missed a turn somewhere.

B. Your definition is incorrect. Satire is the use of humor to expose or ridicule any human folly. "Punching up" accounts for just a fraction of it.
Posted by seandr]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:16:51 -0800 The Stranger
2. Inappropriate to address a woman (or man) that way as an insult anyway.

3. Too Soon (tm) to use one of the most derogatory insults against a young Black girl for being strong and assertive.

4. Not funny.

Calling her a "bully" could have been debateably funny and would have been PG language.

And Free Speech isn't so fragile that it's obliterated when someone dares to criticize you for what you said or when you retract something you said. You're allowed to say it, but others are allowed to call you out for it.
Posted by MemeGene]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:10:02 -0800 The Stranger Posted by ortolan]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:36:04 -0800 The Stranger
I think they ran into trouble both because Wallis was too young to 'deserve' such treatment, or be able to shake it off, and was also too old for it to be a parody.

As mentioned above, 9-year-olds frequently get called worse, and are aware enough to feel the insult. So the Onion's joke didn't go far enough to be parody.

Next time they should just call a toddler a "dick", or a fetus an "asshole".
Posted by dirge]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:24:41 -0800 The Stranger Satire is punching up. Calling a little girl a cunt is punching down.
Please tell me how one might go about explaining to this little girl that calling her a cunt speaks truth to power.
Posted by Lissa]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:22:09 -0800 The Stranger Posted by quinkygirl]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:46:41 -0800 The Stranger Posted by onion]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:30:35 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Prettybetsy]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:24:19 -0800 The Stranger Posted by bleedingheartlibertarian]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:23:52 -0800 The Stranger