Definition of the word child from Encarta Dictionary: English (*Puberty is defined as the state in human physiological development when somebody becomes capable of sexual reproduction.) So when an Onion staffer tweeted the following about 9 year old actor Quvenshané Wallis, star of the movie, Beasts of the Southern Wild: “Everyone else seems afraid to say it, but that Quvenzhané Wallis is kind of a c–t, right? #Oscars2013,” it read. He or she was attacking a child and should have been fired. The fact that an adult felt it okay to attack a child in this matter is reprehensible and inexcusable. The tweet was taken down after stirring controversy (but not immediatelly) and an apology was posted on Facebook.
There are dozens of articles about this on the Internet. I’ll only link to two:
Oscar 2013: The Onion comes under fire for calling 9-year-old nominee Quvenzhané Wallis the C-word
The Onion Apologizes for Calling Quvenzhane Wallis C-Word tweet
For an appropriate article about Quvenshane, read this one by Kam Williams (whose interviews are often featured in the Bay State Banner) Crazy about Nazie.
Another 9 year-old child, the rapper Lil’ Poopy (real name Luie Rivera Jr.) is being exploited by his father. That’s nothing new. Many child entertainers are championed, managed, and sometimes exploited by their parents. In this case, law enforcement is investigating because of inappropriate sexual behavior of the 9 year old with grown women in the video. In a series of videos that have just been removed from YouTube, the 9 year old is seen doing many distasteful things that adult rappers do. He’s not in charge of choices – his father is. Repotedly, the young rapper earns $7500 per appearance.
Brockton police have filed an abuse case against the father of the rapper. I think that the adults in the video with him should also have charges filed against them. The videos are not explicitly pornograpaphic but they are exploitative and inappropriate. If a 9 year old girl was touching an adult man in the same manner, there’d be no question if was abusive and the child would have been removed from the home. Luie Rivera Sr ought to be ashamed. The father (and mother) should be receive parenting education to learn about child development and what’s appropriate and inappropriate for a child.
Note to parents: Three young rappers in their early teens, Lil’ Bow Wow (in 2000) and the two rappers who formed Kris Kross, Chris “McDadddy” Kelly and Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith (in 1992), made a boat-load of money without suggestive lyrics or sexualized videos, so if money is your motive, there is an age-appropriate way to have encouraged your child’s rapping in an appropriate way. All of these rappers were in their early teens, however.
Parents are supposed to protect and guide and Lil’ Poopy’s father isn’t doing so. Read about this controversy in Lil Poopy’s Dad: Claim of Abuse a Bad Rap! by Gayle Fee of the Boston Herald.
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It really is amazing how stupid and insensitive people can be.
That girl is adorable, btw
You are right but I think it goes beyond incensitivity. I have never in my life thought of calling a child that sort of name so I’m just amazed that someone things it’s alright and would put it in print!
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.