Paula Deen Fired - I guess its not always better with butter...

[renewed]

People change. I'm sure we would cringe at the skeletons in everyone's closets.

I'm not defending her in the sense that I know what's in her heart but I still don't see how a derogatory term being used 30 years ago can warrant her being fired.

I skimmed PinkyMacGodess's posts but there is a big difference in using a derogatory term ignorantly and killing people.

On a side note I still don't understand the double standard. I mean heck black people, unfortunately, use it when talking to each other. Why aren't they firing themselves? The word itself should just be lost in language altogether.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

What struck me was her response, when asked during her deposition if she had ever used the N word: Yes, of course. I wonder why she added the "of course," rather than something like "regrettably" or some other apologetic term.

As to the privacy of diabetes, true, until you negotiate with a drugmaker (Novo Nordisk) to endorse their diabetes drug - for a large fee, of course.

And, according to the rumors at the time, she had diabetes for quite a while, and only 'came out' after signing the no doubt big money deal with the pharma corp. Anthony Bourdain had a stroke over her 'coming out' and put her on a spit and roasted her over and over again for her hypocrisy and cashing in on her 'condition'. Especially after looking at her recipes for destruction... That's kinda off topic, but he had a valid point. She's an opportunist, and went for the cash and kitsch over practicality and health. I think he commented at the time if Deen and her big cash prize for coming out would help her fans afford their medicine...

 

[SwiftLives]

It's really different in the South. Racism is a very complex and nuanced thing. There are certain well-respected people down here who hail from a very different era. When you take this into account, you can justify - and even excuse Paula Deen's actions.

Also, anyone who ever tells you this is either lying to you or trying to rationalize his or her racism.

 

[edwinmharris]

Still finding our way

As an African American, I can say that this was not the best course of action. Every white person that lived in the South pre 1980 has used the "N" word, and most have used it since. People do change, and it is impossible to erase one's past. She was honest, and said it was a long time ago, and was more honest when she said "of course". When I was in high school (1970's), "******t" was thrown around like "dummy". Not anymore, but if someone asks me in ten years whether I've ever said "******t", I'd hate to lose my job for saying "yes, a long time ago" especially since I've probably said that about three times in my life and all before 1985. Yes we are individuals, but we are also products of our culture. Many decent southern whites look at me as less because I'm black, but I understand that they were raised that way and don't look at myself any differently.

 

[CrickettGrrrl]

Every time I skim the right side column, I read the headline as "Paula Deen fried in butter".

 

[notjustjay]

On a side note I still don't understand the double standard. I mean heck black people, unfortunately, use it when talking to each other. Why aren't they firing themselves? The word itself should just be lost in language altogether.

Yeah. The best example I know of is the scene in one of the "Rush Hour" with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. Chris goes up to a gang of black folks and greets them with "wassup, my n----!" and is greeted warmly. Jackie Chan, playing the fish-out-of-water, tries to fit in by saying exactly the same thing, and gets into a fight as a result. "What did you say?!!!"

In fact, this happened to me when I was little (and naive). I used that word in front of an older black kid who lived down the street. I meant no harm or hate by it, it was just a word that I had heard them use, and I repeated it. Suddenly I had a new enemy. I had no idea why, and I remember growing up hating him because he was always such a bully to me. It was a few years later before I finally figured out that I had actually started it.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Paula Deen is a liar. She told the Today Show she used the N word only once, but in the legal deposition she admitted using the word more than once.

I have a feeling much more will come out.

 

[famous600]

So she used the N word, big deal. You can't turn on the radio or the tv without hearing it 50 times. If anyone truly wanted the word to disappear then STOP saying it. I don't care if a white person says it or a black person says it. The double standard alone is outrageous. Obviously I do not condone the use of the word nor am I racist in any way but when you get to the point that having a college scholarship available to only someone that is white is racist , yet a scholarship available to a minority only is not racist. It's a problem. Everyone is created equal and that's the way it should be. NOTHING on this entire planet should have anything to do with someone's skin color or heritage.

 

[rdowns]

This was so blown out of proportion. The only thing Americans like more than their overnight stars is tearing them down.

 

[Policar]

So what? It was thirty years ago. A different time and place. "Of course" is the natural response if she was indeed living in an area in which racism was commonplace. She was answering a judge, not the public, and her answer was intended to be honest and not diplomatic.

She's being punished very unduly for being a product of her environment, despite having reformed since then. This is so stupid. If you condemn her and you've used a homophobic slur even ONCE, you should ask yourself if you'd think it fair losing your job 30 years from now just for having admitted you used it. Ridiculous.

 

[Jazwire]

I will sleep much better knowing that all these people vilifying this lady are so clean in their thoughts and words. A country of saints we are...

 

[GoCubsGo]

I think after the diabetes debacle she's already had her second chance. And this isn't about giving her a chance or not. It's about whether having her on is good for Food Network's brand or isn't.

What diabetes debacle? You mean where she was diagnosed with it and dropped weight because of it? Yeah, if that's a debacle that can be compared to saying the N word, then okay.

This was so blown out of proportion. The only thing Americans like more than their overnight stars is tearing them down.

I couldn't come close to putting it better.

 

[NewbieCanada]

What diabetes debacle? You mean where she was diagnosed with it and dropped weight because of it? Yeah, if that's a debacle that can be compared to saying the N word, then okay.

No, when she carried on for two years after her diagnosis pushing the same stuff she did before, until she bagged herself a fat drug endorsement deal.

I'm not saying the two are comparable, but:

1. You mischaracterized it.
2. She has little or no personal integrity and you get less of a break the second time you demonstrate it.

 

[rdowns]

Just read JC Penny dropped her too. Pretty sure she's been dropped by everyone except Obesity.

 

[Thomas Veil]

I will sleep much better knowing that all these people vilifying this lady are so clean in their thoughts and words. A country of saints we are...

Yeah, like Walmart has the moral high ground to criticize Deen.

This whole thing is now officially beyond ridiculous. Home Depot, Sears, JC Penney and others have hopped on the "drop Paula Deen" bandwagon. I'm really pissed at those companies right now...and I'm not even a fan of Deen. What a bunch of pompous, self-righteous blowhards.

 

[mscriv]

No, when she carried on for two years after her diagnosis pushing the same stuff she did before, until she bagged herself a fat drug endorsement deal.

C'mon, do you really not see how ridiculous this argument is? There is nothing wrong with the kind of food that Paula Dean and many other chefs like her "push". In fact, and entire region of the country, the South, commonly cooks and eats that way. Health is a personal responsibility thing. Southern food is fine in moderation. If someone chooses to consistently make poor diet choices that is not the fault of the chef, restaurant, or company that produces or advertises the food. Putting the fork down is only a choice the individual can make. Blaming anyone else is just silly.

As for the medication endorsement deal... uh... DUH! Tons of people have things in their life that they would choose to keep private, but when someone offers to pay them for it they change their mind. Additionally, lots of celebrities endorse products for conditions which they themselves don't have. They simply take the cash to "act in the commercial" or apply their "star power" to the brand. That's what endorsement deals are all about. I see nothing disingenuous about her having diabetes and making money by being a paid spokesperson. Do you get frustrated with every other celebrity who endorses a product?

----------

Yeah, like Walmart has the moral high ground to criticize Deen.

This whole thing is now officially beyond ridiculous. Home Depot, Sears, JC Penney and others have hopped on the "drop Paula Deen" bandwagon. I'm really pissed at those companies right now...and I'm not even a fan of Deen. What a bunch of pompous, self-righteous blowhards.

It's just how the celebrity endorsement game is played. She'll be back just like Martha, Robert Downey Jr., Kobe, and Don Imus. They have to drop her to look good in the eyes of any of their customers who may be "outraged" by her behavior. Then they can bring her back later after things die down or new companies will take her on all while claiming that they believe in "forgiveness" and giving people "second chances".

 

[anonpez73]

On a side note I still don't understand the double standard. I mean heck black people, unfortunately, use it when talking to each other. Why aren't they firing themselves? The word itself should just be lost in language altogether.

Well look at it like this:

You overhear me calling my wife a pet name. Something that is intimate between the two of us. Does that mean that you can come up to her and call her what I just called her?

Just because a word is used between a certain group does not mean that someone outside of that group can use the word without expecting some kind of consequence.

 

[chown33]

Yeah, like Walmart has the moral high ground to criticize Deen.

This whole thing is now officially beyond ridiculous. Home Depot, Sears, JC Penney and others have hopped on the "drop Paula Deen" bandwagon. I'm really pissed at those companies right now...and I'm not even a fan of Deen. What a bunch of pompous, self-righteous blowhards.

It's simple business, not self-righteousness.

From a purely business perspective, if you're associating your business with someone whose name might lead customers to stop buying from you, what business decision do you make? Do you keep the business relationship that might lead to lower future revenues, or even a vocal public boycott? Or do you sever that relationship and hope to minimize future damage? Remember, Wall Street doesn't reward business-to-business loyalty, only profits.

There's also a big unknown factor here, which is the amount of negative public reaction and how that will translate into sales over time. Predicting sales in the current economy is already difficult. Predicting public reaction means you have even less accuracy.

All I see here are the usual corporate business decisions avoiding controversy, especially when that controversy involves race. It doesn't matter when the event took place, all that matters is the potential for future sales losses.

I'm not saying I agree or disagree, just that interpreting it as anything but a controversy-avoiding business decision is a mistake.

 

[Thomas Veil]

Well look at it like this:

You overhear me calling my wife a pet name. Something that is intimate between the two of us. Does that mean that you can come up to her and call her what I just called her?

Just because a word is used between a certain group does not mean that someone outside of that group can use the word without expecting some kind of consequence.

I do understand what you're saying, but it makes a heckuva lot more sense if it's a pleasant word. You walk into the room and tell your wife, "Hey, gorgeous," but if I try to do the same thing with your wife, you'd probably slug me.

On the other hand, if your term of endearment for your wife is "fat ass", I doubt either one of us going to get away with it.

 

[Jazwire]

Yeah, like Walmart has the moral high ground to criticize Deen.

This whole thing is now officially beyond ridiculous. Home Depot, Sears, JC Penney and others have hopped on the "drop Paula Deen" bandwagon. I'm really pissed at those companies right now...and I'm not even a fan of Deen. What a bunch of pompous, self-righteous blowhards.

Yup, think I am going to go buy something of hers on Amazon, just for spite.

 

[Mr. McMac]

Screw the food network and anyone supports them for firing Paula for what she said 30 years ago. I for one will never watch the food channel again. BTW, if you didn't like her show, no one was forcing you to watch it. F political correctness. It's destroying America...

 

[anonpez73]

I do understand what you're saying, but it makes a heckuva lot more sense if it's a pleasant word. You walk into the room and tell your wife, "Hey, gorgeous," but if I try to do the same thing with your wife, you'd probably slug me.

On the other hand, if your term of endearment for your wife is "fat ass", I doubt either one of us going to get away with it.

I guess that depends on whether or not my wife and I have mutually agreed to use that term between us. I expect that when two black people use the term between them there exists some form of unspoken agreement. That does not give me the right to use the term (speaking from a societal contract POV).

 

[NewbieCanada]

C'mon, do you really not see how ridiculous this argument is? There is nothing wrong with the kind of food that Paula Dean and many other chefs like her "push". In fact, and entire region of the country, the South, commonly cooks and eats that way. Health is a personal responsibility thing. Southern food is fine in moderation. If someone chooses to consistently make poor diet choices that is not the fault of the chef, restaurant, or company that produces or advertises the food. Putting the fork down is only a choice the individual can make. Blaming anyone else is just silly.

As for the medication endorsement deal... uh... DUH! Tons of people have things in their life that they would choose to keep private, but when someone offers to pay them for it they change their mind. Additionally, lots of celebrities endorse products for conditions which they themselves don't have. They simply take the cash to "act in the commercial" or apply their "star power" to the brand. That's what endorsement deals are all about. I see nothing disingenuous about her having diabetes and making money by being a paid spokesperson. Do you get frustrated with every other celebrity who endorses a product?

----------



It's just how the celebrity endorsement game is played. She'll be back just like Martha, Robert Downey Jr., Kobe, and Don Imus. They have to drop her to look good in the eyes of any of their customers who may be "outraged" by her behavior. Then they can bring her back later after things die down or new companies will take her on all while claiming that they believe in "forgiveness" and giving people "second chances".

Hey, regardless of what YOU think, there WAS a backlash to her diabetes announcement and subsequent endorsement. I don't really give a damn if you think it was justified or not - lots of things happen in the world that lots of people don't agree with, but they still happened. There was a backlash and it did damage her image. This has damaged it more. Can she recover? I couldn't care less - my interest in Paula Deen is is remarkably low.

 

[mscriv]

Hey, regardless of what YOU think, there WAS a backlash to her diabetes announcement and subsequent endorsement. I don't really give a damn if you think it was justified or not - lots of things happen in the world that lots of people don't agree with, but they still happened. There was a backlash and it did damage her image. This has damaged it more.

I think the bolded part above is something on which we both can agree. I don't recall stating that there wasn't a backlash or that people didn't get upset about it. I just shared that in my opinion it's quite a silly thing for anyone to get outraged over another person's private health information and the common practice of celebrity endorsement. However, based on your strong reaction it would appear that I've upset or offended you in the process of sharing my views. I apologize, as this certainly was not my intention. I mistakenly thought that we were simply conversing in the spirit of open dialogue on this here community forum. Next time I'll keep in mind that if my opinion differs from yours that it could lead to you:

- becoming noticeably aggressive in your communication style
- intentionally discounting me as a person
- unnecessarily cursing at me
- arguing against points that I never made

Again, I'm sorry if anything I did contributed to the above reactions in you. This getting worked up on the internet is such nasty business. Being from the south, like Paula Deen, I'm gonna exercise good manners and refrain from responding in any way that might cause further escalation or further perceived emotional injury. Rather, I'll just put a smile on my face and go have a nice piece of pie. (in moderation of course, gotta stay healthy you know...)

Can she recover? I couldn't care less - my interest in Paula Deen is is remarkably low.

It never ceases to amaze me that people have enough interest in something to voluntarily post in a thread regarding the subject. However, as soon as they get frustrated with the conversation they all of sudden claim to have little to no interest in the topic and all. This phenomenon is quite fascinating. It reminds me of common food item we have in the south... baloney.

 

[63dot]

When she said yes, of course, it may not have been the best choice of words. As to her plantation era party, that showed poor judgment.

I still don't see the Food Network's quick decision to drop her. I don't think she's a racist but someone like a Rush Limbaugh or Howard Stern seems more of one from what I have heard over the years and they get away with it. Maybe they do because of the shock jock image but Paula is a home cooking show host and given a lot less slack. I think Chef Ramsay could say quite a bit and not get fired due to his image but Paula has an Oprah like persona. This whole thing sounds like an unfortunate witch hunt unworthy of any more ink.