The Onion forced to issue grovelling apology after using C-word to describe nine-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis in shocking tweet during ceremony


Spoof website The Onion called Quvenzhane Wallis a c*** on Twitter

Offending tweet was deleted an hour later amid a storm of complaints

CEO Steve Hannah has said he is 'deeply sorry' for 'offensive' tweet


Viewers also vented fury over broadcasters' failure to use star's full name

E!

Fashion Police co-host Kelly Osbourne singled out for criticism

Osbourne was branded 'stupid' on Twitter after calling actress 'Little Q'


By Kerry Mcdermott
Published: 12:18 BST, 25 February 2013 | Updated: 20:41 BST, 25 February 2013

















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[/img] 'Racist': Twitter was awash with complaints after best actress nominee Quvenzhane Wallis was referred to as 'little Q' in coverage of the Oscars ceremony










In a statement posted on Facebook Mr Hannah said he and everybody at the Onion were 'deeply sorry' for the remark.


'No person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorless comment masquerading as satire,' the statement said.


'Miss Wallis, you are young and talented and deserve better.'


The tweet was met with a storm of angry comments and demands for an apology across social media.

Actor Wendell Pierce, who stars in Treme, described the tweet as an 'abhorrent verbal attack of a child', while another critic called for the writer behind the post to get 'exactly what they deserve.

From both the law and the street'.

Blogger Elizabeth Hawskworth suggested there was a racist undertone to the deleted post, tweeting: 'Quvenzhane Wallis is a nine year old woman of colour.
Let's let what @TheOnion did sink in and remember that Dakota Fanning never had this.'


Fans of the spoof website were among those expressing their distaste and disappointment at its use of the expletive in reference to the child star.

'Oh boo to the Onion. I generally find them hilarious but I draw the line at calling 9 year olds ugly names, even in jest,' said one tweet, while another read: 'I know the Onion jokes about everything but this is inappropriate'.

The Onion website features satirical articles based on national and international news.

Its Twitter account has more than 4.5 million followers.



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One disgusted viewer posted: 'It is rude, unprofessional and borderline racist to not even try to pronounce her name properly.'

Another tweeted: 'Not learning her name is racist.
Calling her Annie is racist. Saying she says her name the best is racist.'

Kelly Osbourne was among the broadcasters singled out in the row, with one critic tweeting: 'Aren't you paid to be a host? Do your research and practice her name.

Stupid Kelly Osbourne.'







'Stupid': Viewers complained after E!

Fashion Police co-host Kelly Osbourne, left, referred to Quvenzhane Wallis as 'Little Q'










It was one of a host of angry tweets posted by enraged Oscars viewers, who insisted the media should have been prepared to pronounce Louisiana-born Quvenzhane's name in full.

'Seriously though, the media need to learn how to pronounce Quvenzhane Wallis' name.

Resorting to little q is disrespectful,' Lauren Karlisle said on Twitter, omgomg while another user tweeting under the handle @crushabledotcom posted 'OMG are they calling her little Q because they can't be bothered to learn how to pronounce her name!?!'


It isn't the first time Kelly Osbourne has come under fire for her Oscar night commentary.



Last year she raised eyebrows with a remark about Jennifer Lopez's Zuhair Murad gown, which Ms Osbourne referred to as 'kind of like if she was hosting the Latin Grammys - like what she would wear as her wow dress'.

Quvenzhane was nominated for an Oscar for her starring role as Hushpuppy in critically acclaimed drama Beasts Of The Southern Wild.

The rising star lost out to Jennifer Lawrence, who won for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook.












 VIDEO  Quvenzhane stars in Beasts of the Southern Wild 

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