What a weird country is the US. Many of its conservative citizens think nothing of launching a war that kills maybe half a million Iraqis but are profoundly scandalised when an actress uses plain language on television.

Middle America is none to pleased with veteran thespiatrix [sic] Jane Fonda who yesterday entertained viewers of NBC’s Today show with “a four-letter word for female genitalia”.

Host Meredith Vieira had asked Fonda about her appearence in stage play The Vagina Monologues, which contains a section entitled “Cunt”. In her answer, the actress referred to the segment by name, and the rest is history.

Vieira offered a swift on-screen apology, saying: “You know, before we go to break, in our last half-hour we were talking about The Vagina Monologues and Jane Fonda inadvertently said a word from the play that you don’t say on television. It was a slip, and obviously she apologises, and so do we. We would do nothing to offend the audience, so please accept that apology.”

No wonder they tried to keep Ulysses out.