Tina Fey has been making the media rounds to promote Sisters, her comedy with Amy Poehler. Over the weekend, she made a charming stop by The Graham Norton Show (you can see a clip here), and then on Monday, she stopped by Howard Stern’s Sirius radio show. Howard throws it down and asks Tina point-blank who called her the C-word. If you loved 30 Rock, you know why Stern asked her that – Tina devoted an episode to a coworker calling Liz Lemon the C-word and Tina has made past references to being called names by a handful of coworkers, especially at Saturday Night Live. Well, finally, at long last, Tina revealed the identity of the mystery C-bomb-dropper: Colin Quinn.
Not cool. Tina Fey has been given a lot of praise throughout her career, but she also endured the ultimate misogynistic insult when she was head writer on Saturday Night Live. In a new interview on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show on Monday, December 14, Fey revealed that one of her SNL costars once called her a “c–t.”
“We’ve since made up!” Fey, 45, insisted to Stern, 61, not wanting to give the person’s name. “This was [when I was a head writer]. I love him so much.”
Finally, the Sisters star — who was SNL’s head writer for about six years — admitted that it was Colin Quinn, a former Weekend Update anchor (though not at the same time as Fey), who had called her the derogatory name.
“I was trying to help him with a show that he was working on,” she explained. “I think his anxiety about the writing of the show spilled over. Because it was very random. I was like ‘What?’ He left me a message and he said that . . . I couldn’t even guess why. Usually if someone calls you that, you’re like, ‘I know what I did.’”
And though the shock jock quipped that fans wouldn’t be seeing Quinn, 56, in Fey’s new film, she insisted that there were no hard feelings, praising his work in Trainwreck.
“I asked Colin to be on 30 Rock like three times after [he called me that], and he turned me down every time. I saw him on Girls after that, and I’m like, ‘He’s dead to me!’” she joked. “We’ve since reconnected at the SNL 40th actually, and we’re good.”
Fans of 30 Rock will also know that Tina seems to have a great deal of affection for Irish men and their guff and nonsense. She put up with Alec Baldwin for all of those years and they never had a bad word to say about each other (publicly). Perhaps it was a situation where Colin Quinn overestimated their friendship and thought he could get away with calling her that in jest. Or maybe he was really pissed off about something, God knows. It sounds like they got over it. Do you think this is a situation where Tina felt pressure to “forgive” him just to go along and get along? Because if a coworker called me that name… well, I’m not sure I would be able to be so forgiving.
Colin also confirmed Tina’s story on Twitter. It really does sound like water under the bridge.
Statement: It's all true. I have used profanity when I've been angry at people. When I was wrong ( as with Tina) I've said sorry to them.
— Colin Quinn (@iamcolinquinn) December 14, 2015
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
Michelle Dockery’s boyfriend died – noooooo!!!
I saw that too, very, very sad for her. RIP.
Sisters is really funny, Her and Amy are great in it
That C-word is not just “profanity” and I’m sure Quinn knows how offensive it really is. I bet he didn’t call Chris Rock the N-word or various costars any Jewish epithets, but he thinks this is OK.
He can be funny sometimes but he often looks haggard and unhappy, so this just seems like he resented a woman [!] being in charge.
How are those words similar?
@Mark, because all those words, like the C-word, turn who people are (something they cannot change) into an insult. On top of being a reference to her female-ness, that word also reduces a woman to a body part, with reference to the shame and ‘unmentionable’ associations it evokes that continued to be vivid well into the 1980s. It’s one of those insults that’s more potent and reprehensible because it relies on centuries of oppression and second-class citizenship.
I have a mouth like a sailor when I’m mad, and truth be told, when I’m not mad. I have never uttered the C word towards anyone. Out of my colorful vocabulary I’d never call anyone that word, because I find it disgusting. If anyone ever called me that word, water would not be under the bridge, trust that!
I don’t get why the C word is considered so over-the-line in the US. Like, what makes it worse than any of the other four letter cuss words? In many other countries the C word is used quite commonly.
Americans get so pearl clutchy about that random sequence of letters. Makes me lol. I spoke with an Irish man who told me when he first came to the US, he would use the C word casually and people would give him death stares.
I don’t really get why it’s so terrible either. Is it much worse than calling a guy a dick?
That’s a good question. A swear is a swear. Maybe it’s the sound of the word. It sounds harsh coming off the tongue.
I don’t get it either.
Funny you say that I had a conversation about this with my friends, we were talking about the C word & how people get offended by it. My best friend says it a lot, it’s he’s go-to curse word. Instead of saying what a b%&$% he says the C word.
To me it depends on the situation, I obviously don’t know how that conversation went between Tina Fey & Colin Quinn. It did bother her being called that & he has apologized.
I curse in Spanish , it’s my first language so it’s easier plus cursing in Spanish is cool. I like to walk away into the sunset wearing cool sunglasses after it.
Oddly enough we talked about this in the office this morning.
Yeah, I have a bad sailor mouth, and it’s one of my go to exclaimations when in the kind of company that I can get away with it. I really don’t understand why this is the one that’s off-limits – I’m Canadian, and I know a lot of people hate it. I used to as well.
Yes, it’s derogatory, and should I use it? Probably not. But for that reasoning we shouldn’t use the word bitch jokingly either. But I think it’s kind of a generational thing to a degree – I’ve never said it in front of anyone who I need to watch my language around – nor will I. I’ll say it jokingly with friends. But if someone called me one and SERIOUSLY say it with venom, I’d be ticked.
The thing is – people can use the word bitch like nothing, say they’re taking it back. How often do we hear man-whore, or whatever other word with sexist backgrounds and say it’s okay. I think c-u-next-tuesday brings up such a reaction from people because it’s suuuuch a sharp sounding word.
I agree Erin. I said so up above. I think it’s the way it sounds. It’s a sharp sounding word.
I was born and raised in the US and I don’t know why it’s considered to be such a bad word. I *can* say that I rarely hear it here in the US, not even in porn. In fact, the times I do hear it, it has always been from someone with a connection to a British Commonwealth country, like England, Ireland, Trinidad, Barbados, some place like that. It doesn’t seem to be a part of American culture to say it (at least the parts of America I have lived in).
People I know use it really casually in London. I’m glad that I know now not to say it if I go to U.S!
Other countries get ‘pearl clutchy’ about other words and slurs. Just because something is commonplace in one region doesn’t mean it’s not insulting in another.
I agree with Bridget, it seems like different words carry different weight depending on where you are or are from. I called someone a spaz in front of a friend of mine from London, and he took me to task like I had just used the n-word.
It’s just a cultural difference. All cultures or countries have quirks like that.
I say c*nt a lot. Didn’t know it was so offensive. I hate tw*t the most, though.
I actually asked my pastor about this same thing a few weeks ago, because I just moved and cussing is, like, scandalous among the older people. I have a mouth like a sailor and don’t understand why, say, the word “ass” is any different than “butt” or “sh!t” is any worse than “poop.” I asked him if there was anything scriptural about it and got the answer I was expecting – there’s not. It’s just a form of showing respect, so friends who cuss, I let it fly. Friends I know don’t like it, I hold back. In the same respect, I don’t see “c-nt” being any worse than “bitch” – I wouldn’t like to be called either in anger, but the word itself wouldn’t upset me much.
What Bridget said.
I don’t know what it means in the UK but in the US it’s a slang word for the female anatomy. If you don’t get why using a slang term for vagina as a way to say that someone is inferior/weak/less than or a jerk is offensive then I don’t know what to tell you except that maybe you’ve never actually thought this through. Is it ok to use “homo” or “retard” as an insult too?
If I ever had a son, he would NOT be allowed to use that word or p*ssy or any other derogatory reference to a woman’s reproductive parts.
I’ll tell you why it’s so offensive. Call me a bitch any day. A bitch is about a personality. But calling my a c— is equal to deminishing me to nothing more than the hole between my legs. That is why it’s offensive. It’s not the same as any other curse word. And calling a man a D— is different because it means he’s a jerk, not a penis. Calling me a c— is not calling me a jerk. It’s saying I’m merely a vagina good for nothinig more than f—–ing.
I don’t mind it either, and sometimes it is just the right word. However. In a situation where a man is saying it in genuine anger to a woman… yeah. I have a problem with that. I’ll use it all day in jest, describing the actions of strangers, etc. But for the exact reasons that JenniferJustice is describing, it can be incredibly offensive.
It’s funny, we recently had a similar conversation on here, regarding Jeremy Renner’s claim that it is his favorite curse word. I came out in support of it in that situation, because I do think it is a very satisfying cuss. But it’s all about context.
I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of the whole “I don’t get why Americans make such a big deal of(fill in the blank)” because the subtext I’m getting is “Oh provincial Americans, you’re so gauche”. I’m sure that no one here is actually being offensive, but this is just how it comes across to me. Every culture has it’s harshest, most offensive insults. Some don’t translate, some do.
In Australia it’s practically a term of endearment these days. Young guys will call their friends a ‘mad c**t’ or a ‘sick c**t’ and it’s considered quite a compliment. In a way it really has taken a lot of steam off the word. If somebody called me that now in anger I wouldn’t be any more offended than if they’d used any other insult.
Agreed. When I lived in Ireland and England, it just wasn’t considered offensive in the same way as it is here. Bullocks seemed to be much worse over there!
I call my husband a c**t quite often and he reciprocates, but it is never done in anger. When I am angry I never call people names, unless I am hurling abuse at someone on the TV. I have been known to use mild insults at coworkers, but that again is just for fun and only ever to their face; ‘You old Slapper’ and ‘Dick’ tend to be me my favourites at those times, but they are not used in any gender specific way.
Canadian here, and generally I don’t pearl clutch when it comes to swearing, BUT I have a serious problem with this word and bit*h as well. Maybe because they are the first put downs used by males to name check a woman – because she is ambitious or tough or doesn’t back down, or won’t put out after he bought her a drink, or any of the many reasons some men feel it is okay to verbally abuse a woman.
I have a son and I have warned him that I will not tolerate these two words in my house. Just no. And I would absolutely not get “over it” if a co-worker called me that. In fact, to tell you the truth, that would be immediately reported to HR. There is zero reason, in a professional work environment, for anyone, male or female, to call their colleague that. What would be next, a slap on the bottom?
YES! Wish I had seen your comment before I posted.
Thank you, Vauvert.
+10000
That doesn’t sound like it was said in jest. At all.
Colin Quin use to call into Howard Stern regularly. He never came across as a kiss ass nor did he seem to care to be a Hollywood player. He never seemed bitter and I never heard him bad mouth anyone.
He admitted to being molested and cheating on his first wife during the entire marriage. It’s sounds like he has a lotof issues.
I was just surprised the author thought Quinn was joking when it was pretty clear that wasn’t the case. As for the rest – sometimes people get mad and say bad stuff, and if it was for The Colin Quinn Show I can guess that it was a pretty high pressure situation for him. If Tina Fey has no problem moving past it then I certainly am not going to judge.
Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Seems like Tina is just not really willing to spend negative energy on a random outburst from years ago.
Colin apologized ,Tina forgave him. What now?
I didn’t know we were accepting Baldwin as an Irishman now? Seriously, you guys can keep him, I insist. -_-
🙂
Colin who??? Tina has last laff on this one. I wasn’t aware he was even in Trainwreck.
I don’t find the word any more offensive than any other curse word. How is it any different than calling some guy a dick?
I think it might be because when a man is calling a woman the c word it’s basically reducing her to just a vagina and nothing more. I think it’s different than dick because of general societal gender imbalance – you know dicks are these great things we should all be *thrilled* about…vaginas are not. That’s just a guess though. I don’t see anything all that insulting about being called a vagina, but if a man called me a c-word (particularly in a professional setting) I’d be furious – and I’m pretty liberal about swearing.
FYI: see you next Tuesday isn’t gender specific. Meaning that whilst in this scenerio it was a man saying it of a woman, it’s an equal opportunity swear word said of both genders if indeed they are (or being) a see you next tuesday.
If they’re being a…vagina? 😉 I know it can be used for both genders, but I just think its meaning (or I suppose, the severity of the meaning) changes depending on the circumstance. For me, there’s something uncomfortable about a man calling a woman that, but for you that can be different.
No man has ever called me a b***h or c**t in anger. If anyone swears at me for whatever reason it is up to me to make a judgement of their intent and decide upon my response, If I had a problem in the work environment I would clearly state my opinion, make sure they understood where the line was and if they stepped over it I would make it official. The few true misogynists I have dealt with would never have used those terms, they were far more subtle and undermining than that.
Seriously. People always take these arguments out of the historical context, as if men and women have always been equal..smh.
Look, as soon as we start seeing vagina-shaped buildings replace London’s Gherkin, the Washington Monument, the Bunker Hill Monument etc etc I think it’s safe to say that penises are still the reigning anatomical part in the world and vaginas are still seen as “something you get accused of having/being if you’re not strong enough”.
Also, guess who invented the slang word “d*ck”? HINT: It wasn’t a woman.
To take what Babadook said a little further – the c word and other terminology like it (“gash”) not only reduce women to just vaginas, but treat the vagina as though it’s just an open wound. It’s like distilling every awful tradition around women and menstruation and putting it into one word.
I get that but isn’t the meaning of a cuss word dependent on the user anyway? If I use the word dick to reduce the guy to a male body part only and that he has no brains and thinks with his dick, what’s the difference? Personally I use dick more and I’ve never used the c word to cuss unless I’m making some wordplay joke in the right context and with the right crowd. I guess some would say because the word dick reflects male superiority in a sense, but you also don’t have to think that if you want to cuss someone. I honestly suspect the c word is not used often and it sounds so sharp so it sounds more offensive. Technically, cuss words are meant to offend and / or demean, there’s no technical difference to someone who has zero tolerance towards cussing. So I would say in terms of meaning and loadedness, this word is evolving and I agree with both sides of the argument. The best thing is to use the word within the right crowd.
I agree…I mean “c-word”? Just say cunt. I’m not offended by it, but no one talks to me like that anyway.
I feel like swear words hurt more depending on the delivery. My friends & I have thrown that word around at times. We know each other well enough to know when it’s to be taken seriously as a crude remark towards someone or when we are just referencing. Nonetheless it is a derogatory term but I think delivery & intent hurts more than the actual meaning. If someone called me a big fat vagina, I’d be like uhh ok! Lol
@KittenFarts….love the name. Gave me the schoolgirl giggles.
Lena Dunham spilled some tea during a roundtable about a guest star dissing her on Girls in a similar way…everyone suspected it was Colin.
I always wondered if the 30 Rock episode was based on a real life experience of Tina’s. I bet it was very cathartic to write that episode and have time to craft the perfect response.
I can’t imagine calling a boss a horrible name in a voicemail and not being fired.
I kind of wish Colin’s tweet would have said “I can’t believe that c*&^ told everyone it was me!”
I love Tina, and don’t really like that word, but I still think that would have been funny as long as he was joking.
I must be weird because I find it laughable when some calls me a bitch. (No C yet.)
When I was younger I was so afraid how everyone perceived me that I let people walk all over me. I would be so sensitive to others feeling but they could give two craps about mine.
Now im almost fifty and F#$k You if you don’t like what I say or do. Now if some calls me a bitch I snort and say,”Yes, I am”.
I’m the same way, and it took me a long time. I finally realized that all strong women are called bitch, and I’m reclaiming the word.
Bitches get stuff done.
Calling anyone anything derogatory is awful, especially in the workplace. HAving said that, I feel like if Americans ( and english-speaking people in general) could understand swearing in other languages they would be appaled. Like, in my language we use god, jesus, family members and various animals, all in one sentence.
The issue isn’t the fact that someone is being insulting, it’s the fact that “c*nt” is an incredibly loaded word (I mean, if you ever want to hear some truly great idiomatic American insults, watch Veep or The League). Here in the US, it’s the worst insult you can call a woman, and to call a woman that, in anger, is to deliver the most offensive insult possible.
Why is that word so much worse than any other bad word? People won’t even spell the word out…just say “c” word but bitch and other words are ok to spell out. I don’t understand. Can someone please explain?
i dont know
i read the whole thread and i still dont know
Should be no derogatory words in the workplace, but I love using the C Word!
Whatever. You know who’s super famous and successful? Tina Fey. You know who I had to scroll down to look at a picture of because I couldn’t remember what his face looked like and could only picture Darrell Hammond? Colin Quinn.
Be wise, Colin is a notorious twitter troll.
I nevet used the c word when I wasyounger. I thought it wad truly over the top offensive sounding. And I swear like a s ailor !! Until one day, a friend of mine referred to a client as a. “Real cuntessa”. LOL I almost fell on the floor laughing. So I started saying that too. Ptetty soon, I just shortened it . LOL
This is so funny! Here in the Antipodes we use c^*t as a term of endearment – ie, he/she’s a good c^*t or hey c^*t! (When saying hi to a mate).
No shit. 😂