The Onion apologizes for C-word about actress, 9

While the top awards were being handed out Sunday at the 85th Oscars, The Onion, a satirical news organization,  sent out a message on its official Twitter account calling 9-year-old best actress nominee Quvenzhane Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”)  the C-word, which nowadays is a derogatory term for women.

The tweet:

Everyone else seems afraid to say it, but that Quvenzhané Wallis is kind of a c--t, right? #Oscars2013
— The Onion (@TheOnion) February 25, 2013

The tweet, sent out around 11:42 p.m. Eastern time, quickly made the rounds on the social media website.

Quvenzhane Wallis

An hour later, the message was deleted from The Onion's feed. CEO Steve Hannah issued an apology Monday morning and promised to discipline the writer.

In 1230 and earlier the C-word was not obscene. It was merely an English word for a female’s private parts.

In The Canterbury Tales (1380-1390), Chaucer uses the word in a normal descriptive manner.

By the time Shakespeare came along the word was considered offensive and obscene and Billy boy had to use it on stage in covert form in puns and acronyms.

And it’s remained a derogatory term ever since.

By the way, Quvenzhane Wallis is pronounced kwuh-VEN-zhuh-nay.

To read the Hollywood Reporter article on the uproar, click on http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/onion-calls-quvenzhane-wallis-c-424113