Elisabeth Epps explains in a piece for her personal blog why she didn't share in the outrage when the satirical publication used profanity to slam a young black actress.
… Then — unlike the onslaught of misogynistic mockery — out of nowhere, came this baseless, asinine, universally offensive barb slung circuitously at an adorable little girl who is most definitely not a "[C—T]." And so, I laughed!
As folks boarded the virtual bandwagons, gathering pitchforks and calling for blood, I confessed I was not outraged. Though I was not alone, I was clearly in a none-too-vocal minority. "You'd be outraged if it were your daughter," they chided me. No, I wouldn't; I insist. Given my ability to inoculate her from it and her relative youth, I doubt I'd mention this brouhaha to her at all.
Indeed, had The Onion made such an off-color remark about my daughter last night, I'd let Quvenzhané, unaware of the hoopla, celebrate 'til her little 9-year-old self couldn't celebrate anymore. Then this morning I would give a tongue-in-cheek shoutout to The Onion from the Good Morning America couch as we kicked off our already planned interview circuit now reenergized thanks to our new friends at The Onion.
But no, I wouldn't be outraged. Granted, what I find meritorious and what most of my friends find entertaining often has very little overlap. So given our historically divergent tastes, I was none-too surprised that while I chuckled/cringed at The Onion's since deleted Tweet, they recoiled and did not laugh [or so they claimed]. What did surprise me — shock me even — was such swift and strong backlash at The Onion. Even more surprising? The Onion's failed apology issued this morning …
Read Elisabeth Epps' entire piece at Elisabethepps.com.
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