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Toddler smack-talks Will Ferrell in viral video

Controversial online clip shows little girl cussing, clutching a beer bottle

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Does the Ferrell video go too far?
June 7: This popular online clip shows a 2-year-old cussing and holding a beer bottle. NBC's Maria Menounos reports.

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By Rina Raphael
TODAYShow.com contributor
TODAY
updated 7:05 p.m. ET June 6, 2007

We've seen Hollywood heavyweight Will Ferrell battle egotistical male supermodels, Santa skeptics and malicious skating couples, but a two-year-old girl?

In the popular viral clip "The Landlord," the comedian is featured pleading over the rent with his cranky and foulmouthed "landlord," played by the young Pearl McKay, daughter of film producer and former "Saturday Night Live" producer Adam McKay and actress Shira Piven (sister of "Entourage" star Jeremy Piven).

The heavily-downloaded, two and a half-minute video — posted on Funnyordie.com, a comedy website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay — shows the young McKay clutching a beer bottle and screaming obscenities; furiously demanding her money and claiming she needs to "get her drink on."

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The child's parents have been criticized for having introduced the toddler to cussing and alcohol, a move which some parents found about as funny and entertaining as "Bewitched." But is the clip actually inappropriate and offensive or are they over-reacting? Watch the video:

The Landlord

But Adam McKay, director of  "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," isn't too worried about corrupting his daughter for the sake of comedy.

"Fortunately she is in this great stage now where she repeats anything you say to her and then forgets it right away, which is key," said McKay in an interview with People.com. "She has not said the B-word since we shot the thing."

Shots of Shira Piven teaching the pint-size actress to mimic her cussing can be viewed during "The Landlord Out-Takes:"

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