This afternoon The Onion published a piece that instantly ignited a storm of controversy.
The piece graphically describes Chris Brown being heartbroken about not being able to beat Rihanna to death:
"Despite all the ups and downs, I was so sure Rihanna was the one I'd take by the throat one day and fatally assault, and even toward the end I continued to hold out hope that we'd be together until the day she died at my hands from blunt-force trauma," Brown, 24, said in a radio interview this week.
The Onion has never been kind to Chris Brown, at one point suggesting he kill himself.
But the issue many are having though is with The Onion's decision to focus the article entirely on Chris Brown beating Rihanna to death.
I'm all for @theonion calling out Brown for abusiveness, but using Rihanna's imagined death as fodder is awful http://t.co/77i5Qxlj2x
Jessica Valenti
@JessicaValenti
I'm all for @theonion calling out Brown for abusiveness, but using Rihanna's imagined death as fodder is awful http://t.co/77i5Qxlj2x
That @TheOnion headline about CBrown is disgusting. The "article" is horrifying. They should be ashamed.
Rafe Posey
@ponyonabalcony
That @TheOnion headline about CBrown is disgusting. The "article" is horrifying. They should be ashamed.
Screw The Onion, seriously.
Sky [Hatta â™”]
@LillysTuck
Screw The Onion, seriously.
You know what? In case it hasn't been said often or loudly enough: #FUCKTHEONION @TheOnion
Rosie R.
@MMASammich
You know what? In case it hasn't been said often or loudly enough: #FUCKTHEONION @TheOnion
Feminist blog Make Me A Sammich, whose tweet is embedded above, thought the Chris Brown article is tied to a larger editorial misogyny.
Or at least, one can hope, because these assholes obviously haven't learned anything.
Hey, The Onion? Violence against women isn't funny. It wasn't funny at the Oscars, and it isn't funny now. It's time for you to sit the fuck down and take a time out. Forever.
Beyond that, I have far too much rage to form words right now. More later.
Users on tumblr, where the post was also published, were angry the post didn't carry any trigger warning, meaning unsuspecting users could stumble across it and relieve painful past experiences with domestic violence.
Many also point to the fact that The Onion's graphic depiction of Rihanna is not the first time they've been insensitive to women of color.
The Onion infuriated readers when they called Quvenzhané Wallis the "c" word during The Oscars earlier this year.
I appreciated the apology The Onion gave for the "cunt" tweet. Now this? Black women's humanity is clearly not something they care about.
Ashley
@avardvark
I appreciated the apology The Onion gave for the "cunt" tweet. Now this? Black women's humanity is clearly not something they care about.
#pleaserespond RT @nealcarter: What is it about the intersection of racism and misogyny that @theonion finds so funny? #femfuture #fem2
Daniel José Older
@djolder
#pleaserespond RT @nealcarter: What is it about the intersection of racism and misogyny that @theonion finds so funny? #femfuture #fem2
FUCK YOU THE ONION. you just keep making dem jokes abt black girls/women. you can totally be Those Shitbag "Comedians". #sideeye
Fancy Bitch Kat
@meadowgirl
FUCK YOU THE ONION. you just keep making dem jokes abt black girls/women. you can totally be Those Shitbag "Comedians". #sideeye