Paula Deen racist?

[Southern Bell]

Well, I just read that what she said was 30 years ago, & of someone who had her under gun point?
Who cares what she said 30 years ago! Especially under those circumstances!

I'm sure there are more important people in politics than Paula , LOL! that we could go back and find 30 years ago, that said something even more to our dislike to talk about!

 

[PizzieDuster]

I would dare to say Paula is probably close if not the most popular chef on Food Network, I say give it a couple of months and Food Network will be groveling at her feet for her to come back.

I hope not. But I'm sure there will be other networks out there for her.

This was not 30 years ago.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/paula-deen-racism_n_3480720.html

"By far the strangest, most awkward moment of the whole talk, however, is when she talks about a black employee of hers named Hollis Johnson. She says that he's become very dear to her in the 18 years she's known him, which is plenty sweet. But then she says points to the jet-colored backdrop behind her and says he's "black as this board." She proceeds to call out to him in the audience and ask him to come on stage, telling him, "We can't see you standing in front of that dark board!" The audience roars with laughter. Severson, shocked, says, "Welcome to New York." And Paula, characteristically, responds, "Welcome to the South."

If "color has nothing to do with it" why did she say he's "black as this board" and "We can't see you standing in front of that dark board!"? And I don't get the "Welcome to the South" comment.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Oh never mind, I don't need the points.

Oddly enough, I had a pretty basic reply that demonstrates my point, but edited it out for the same reason

 

[java]

QVC is reevaluating their "relationship" with her.

 

[mhsjax]

I hope not. But I'm sure there will be other networks out there for her.

This was not 30 years ago.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/paula-deen-racism_n_3480720.html

"By far the strangest, most awkward moment of the whole talk, however, is when she talks about a black employee of hers named Hollis Johnson. She says that he's become very dear to her in the 18 years she's known him, which is plenty sweet. But then she says points to the jet-colored backdrop behind her and says he's "black as this board." She proceeds to call out to him in the audience and ask him to come on stage, telling him, "We can't see you standing in front of that dark board!" The audience roars with laughter. Severson, shocked, says, "Welcome to New York." And Paula, characteristically, responds, "Welcome to the South."

If "color has nothing to do with it" why did she say he's "black as this board" and "We can't see you standing in front of that dark board!"? And I don't get the "Welcome to the South" comment.

Well so what. It is true, he blended in. Just like someone who is very pale would blend in next to a white back drop, but no one would get all up in arms over that. THis is what I am talking about when I say that real racism doesn't stand a chance of being heard because of comments like that. She was talking about the color of skin, nothing to do with anything else. I swear, it is getting so you can't say anything without offending anyone. It was a joke, some people have a wicked sense of humor about everything. Here is the south, we love to make of people and OURSELVES. white black or any other color.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Well so what. It is true, he blended in. Just like someone who is very pale would blend in next to a white back drop, but no one would get all up in arms over that. THis is what I am talking about when I say that real racism doesn't stand a chance of being heard because of comments like that. She was talking about the color of skin, nothing to do with anything else. I swear, it is getting so you can't say anything without offending anyone. It was a joke, some people have a wicked sense of humor about everything. Here is the south, we love to make of people and OURSELVES. white black or any other color.

Yeah, I wouldn't call that outright racism. Rather a real lack of awareness on her part - which seems to fit with her character.

As I said before, Paul Dean is a bit of a kook. I'm not sure some things really register with her.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Paula Dean's show is supposed to be on right now - it's not. They've yanked it, apparently

 

[happygirl]

It looks like not only did Food Network cancel Paula's contract, they also are pulling her shows. They have been playing Pioneer Woman in place of.

 

[kimmyann]

I hope not. But I'm sure there will be other networks out there for her.

This was not 30 years ago.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/paula-deen-racism_n_3480720.html

"By far the strangest, most awkward moment of the whole talk, however, is when she talks about a black employee of hers named Hollis Johnson. She says that he's become very dear to her in the 18 years she's known him, which is plenty sweet. But then she says points to the jet-colored backdrop behind her and says he's "black as this board." She proceeds to call out to him in the audience and ask him to come on stage, telling him, "We can't see you standing in front of that dark board!" The audience roars with laughter. Severson, shocked, says, "Welcome to New York." And Paula, characteristically, responds, "Welcome to the South."

If "color has nothing to do with it" why did she say he's "black as this board" and "We can't see you standing in front of that dark board!"? And I don't get the "Welcome to the South" comment.

Oh please. I can't begin to count how many times I have been referred to as "Casper", especially in the winter. People need to realize that we are humans, not robots. To me it is just a slow progress of stripping away freedom of speech.

 

[Bob NC]

Well so what. It is true, he blended in. Just like someone who is very pale would blend in next to a white back drop, but no one would get all up in arms over that. THis is what I am talking about when I say that real racism doesn't stand a chance of being heard because of comments like that. She was talking about the color of skin, nothing to do with anything else. I swear, it is getting so you can't say anything without offending anyone. It was a joke, some people have a wicked sense of humor about everything. Here is the south, we love to make of people and OURSELVES. white black or any other color.

Last year there was a big dust up about the Fox NFL pregame show.

The cast of this show is Kurt Menefee, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson.

During one show Jimmy and Michael Strahan were debating who would win a certain game.

Jimmy said something to the effect of "Well, if XXX loses you'll have to buy me some fried chicken."

Everyone went crazy about Jimmy's obviously racial comment.

Nobody paid much attention a couple days later when it came out that Jimmy eats take out chicken on the set EVERY.SINGLE.SUNDAY.

PC and people looking to take offense when none is intended is going overboard.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Last year there was a big dust up about the Fox NFL pregame show.

The cast of this show is Kurt Menefee, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson.

During one show Jimmy and Michael Strahan were debating who would win a certain game.

Jimmy said something to the effect of "Well, if XXX loses you'll have to buy me some fried chicken."

Everyone went crazy about Jimmy's obviously racial comment.

Nobody paid much attention a couple days later when it came out that Jimmy eats take out chicken on the set EVERY.SINGLE.SUNDAY.

PC and people looking to take offense when none is intended is going overboard.

Yeah, I think anyone who gets bent out of shape when a white guys says, "buy ME some fried chicken" is obviously just looking for a problem. Had he said, "I'll buy YOU some fried chicken", well maybe. But, then the latter part of the story would negate that as well.

 

[Nancyg56]

Have you read the deposition? The n-word was used frequently and recently at her restaurant, often by her brother, and she is responsible for ensuring a physically and emotionally safe environment for her employees. She did not.

As for your last question, she is not like us normal folk. I wouldn't expect an average Jane or Joe to be judged on statements from 30 years ago. However, she is in the public eye and is held to a different standard. The huge salary and other perks of celebrity come with those strings attached. And as others have pointed out, she could have handled this much better and perhaps the penalties would not have been as harsh. I'm not so sure about that though now that I've read the deposition. There's a lot in there that's making the whole story look much worse than the few soundbites I'd previously read.

I have not posted on this thread but I have followed it. I agree that there is way more going on here than the little pits and pieces that are starting to filter out. Celebrities are able to create this mythical character when they are in the public eye, before the cameras and in control of their surroundings. The celebrities on the Food Network are especially trained to have a story line for their shows, weaving personal information throughout any demonstration. Paula Dean was good at this. Years ago, she was funny and chatty, and convincing in how she delivered her public persona, creating what was probably a fictional character along the way.

Well, now that veil is starting to become unraveled. As the owner of a restaurant, she was not held to any standard other than the quality and value of her menu. As a Food network star, she needs to "Be" that character she created, and the woman who is chatting about her family, laughing over her food, and pretty much embracing all of her fans is not the same person who has overseen a huge conglomerate of Paula products. That is her problem, she did not do a very good job of merging her public and private character, her damage control was half-hearted at best, she has already played fast and loose with her diabetes debacle, and now a lot of people are not sure who she really is. It is a problem when the product she sold is herself and she failed the truth in advertising portion of her marketing strategy.

I do not think that it is possible to compare Martha Stewart and her comeback to Paula Dean. There were no illusions about Martha Stewart's character or her personality. If anyone believed she was a sweet gal who played nicely with others, they were clearly not reading anything other than her magazine. It was common knowledge that she was a very difficult woman to deal with, paid as little as she could manage, had her neighbors in a tizzy more often than not, and made no efforts to soften her tough business persona. No matter what your personal opinion of Martha was, you knew who she was, and more importantly, who she was not. Paula Dean masked her background in that she used the portions of her life that would appeal to viewers, and buried the parts that would not make her shine.

I am not sure how far back "regular" folks need to go back before they can be excused for poor judgement, but in Paula's case, she is not "regular" and even if she has never used slurs in recent years, she did not ensure that her workplaces were free from derogatory comments. She should be accountable for that.

 

[Klismania]

I am a black man and I forgive Paula. I think that most people have said or done something that is prejudiced toward someone or some group of people. I applaud her for admitting it and I think those that begrudge her for her honesty are hypocrites. She should not have been fired. I'm disturbed by what has come out, but I refuse to give a word that much power.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I'll put an "AMEN" to that. Paula's learned the hard way about what being honest will cost you, but I also applaud her value of honesty.

Furthermore, in reading this entire thread (and many like it) I'm reminded of this line from one of my new favorite shows:

“No one’s ever gone broke in America serving up a woman who makes other women feel superior.”
— Don Keefer, The Newsroom

If this had been a 60-something-year-old man who said the same things that Paula Dean said, I doubt very seriously the backlash would have been so emotional and furious.

 

[LisaR]

I'm confused. Is ALL of this over things that were said 30 years ago? I keep seeing posts saying that this happened 30 years ago. I thought the way this whole thing came about was because an employee was accusing her of making racial comments over the past five years? During the deposition, they asked Paula about things she said in the past, but aren't some of the references to things she has said recently?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I'm confused. Is ALL of this over things that were said 30 years ago? I keep seeing posts saying that this happened 30 years ago. I thought the way this whole thing came about was because an employee was accusing her of making racial comments over the past five years? During the deposition, they asked Paula about things she said in the past, but aren't some of the references to things she has said recently?

Little to none of this is about what happened thirty years ago. As usual, people don't read the information put out by the media, and make up their own minds about what to be mad about.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm confused. Is ALL of this over things that were said 30 years ago? I keep seeing posts saying that this happened 30 years ago. I thought the way this whole thing came about was because an employee was accusing her of making racial comments over the past five years? During the deposition, they asked Paula about things she said in the past, but aren't some of the references to things she has said recently?

My understanding is that Paula admitted to making slurs many years ago but the accusations of recent events are still just accusations. A lot of these accusations seem to involve others too. Nothing has been admitted when it comes to these and also nothing has been proven.

 

[Wendy31]

I read Paula Deen's deposition & the official complaint filed by Lisa Jackson.

Although I'm southern & fond of southern cooking & traditions, I've never really held all that much love for Paula Deen.

From things I've read & heard, Paula Deen is not exactly like her TV persona.

There was a Woman's Expo in our city, & Paula Deen was one of the scheduled speakers/presenters. l didn't go, but my mom & sister did. The event was extremely crowded because everyone had come to see Paula, & Paula's "vibe" was just different. She was not as "friendly" or as "down-home chatty" as she makes herself appear on TV. She cancelled her book-signing, & there was some other "stuff" of which I can't remember all the details - I was pregnant w/ our younger DS at the time. LOL! Anyway, if I remember correctly, there were a lot of upset & disillusioned women in our city; a couple of angry letters to the editor were even written.

I know someone who sang at a benefit auction that was held at Uncle Bubba's restaurant. The benefit auction also happened to be on Paula & her husband's anniversary. So the person sang some kind of song in honor of & celebrating their anniversary while Paula & her husband danced together. After the song was over, Paula brusquely thanked the singer & quickly moved on.

Just little things like that...

Anyway, after having read the deposition & the complaint, I'm not so sure Paula Deen is a racist. Instead, I think she is turning a blind eye to her brother & has been for many years. I absolutely think her brother is a racist & is guilty of harassing his employees.

Paula is 7 years older than her brother & still calls him her "baby brother." In the deposition, she continually makes excuses for him. Apparently, at one point some years ago, he was in rehab for alcohol & cocaine addiction. She blamed that on his wife (who he divorced). She didn't know he was also addicted to cocaine until he went to rehab. He still drinks a lot, & she said something to the effect of "all the men in my life drink socially." In regards to the pornography on the computer, pics passed around at meetings, & the sexual jokes told, her replies basically say, "boys will be boys."

And I really think that's what it comes down to. She, as the official head of Paula Deen Enterprises & the two restaurants, didn't pay close attention to what was going on &, many times, turned a blind eye.

When Kyle Schumaker, her accountant or business manager (I'm not really sure what/who he is), came to her & said, "You need to do something about Bubba," she chalked it up to Kyle being "judgmental" & said he was the "moral police."

In her traditional Southern world, "boys will be boys," & she learned to play the game w/ the boys & expected Lisa Jackson to do the same. She turned a blind eye to the pornography & racial/sexual jokes & couldn't understand why Lisa Jackson wouldn't do the same.

Lisa Jackson was the first woman to have any kind of authority in any of Paula Deen's businesses. According to the complaint, the other men resented her & all had salaries higher than hers. At one point, there was talk of having Lisa Jackson manage or oversee both restaurants, & the comment was made that the manager of Lady & Sons & Paula Deen's sons would NEVER cooperate w/ a woman in a position of authority over them. The manager at Lady & Sons, who is reportedly a best friend of Jamie Deen (her son), is also apparently not a very nice man.

Just like when she came to our town & she was too busy & rushed to really meet w/ the women, she was "too busy" to read the report that the human resources consulting firm left for her & she was "too busy" to oversee the operations of Uncle Bubba's & Lady & Sons.

In fact, at the beginning of her deposition, she says something like, "It's all my fault. If I had worked more closely w/ Bubba & helped him more, this wouldn't have happened." She goes on to say that "running a restaurant is hard work" & she didn't help Bubba enough. It's almost like she realizes she wasn't there to "cover" for Bubba & blames herself. Again, she thinks of him as her "baby brother" & continually makes excuses for him & defends him.

The thing that is most disturbing to me, if it's true, is that African Americans were not allowed to use the front door at Uncle Bubba's & were not allowed to use the regular restrooms & had their own restroom facilities.

Regarding the N-word, she admitted she said it years ago - when a black robber held a gun to her face.

The "Southern Plantation" wedding was for Bubba's wedding in 2005, I think. After she spoke her "idea" out loud, she admitted it wouldn't go over very well. Was it a stupid idea? Yes! Was it a racist idea? Yes! But, in my mind, it's no different than a party at the Playboy mansion where the servers are in bikinis & bunny ears. Exploitation is exploitation regardless of skin color or gender. And is wrong.

Growing up in the south, have I heard the n-word? Yes.

A Brazil nut has another really bad nickname using the n-word. I remember, at Christmas time, my mom would have a bowl of mixed nuts setting out w/ a nut-cracker. My daddy told me what the Brazil nuts used to be called.

My daddy is from Georgia, & my mom is from Alabama, & I've never heard them refer to or call anybody the n-word. I also never heard my grandparents (the ones from Alabama & the ones from Georgia) refer to or call anybody the n-word. I'm sure, at some point, in their lives, they may have used the n-word - not in a derogatory way, but more in a story-telling or reference way, if that makes sense, especially my grandparents because of the time period. However, by the time I was born (1973), they all had realized it wasn't a nice word & had stopped using it in any connotation. I think it took a while for people (especially older people) to realize how inflammatory the word is & to stop using it, even in reference.

On the other hand, my FIL is racist,& I have heard him use the n-word. I once had to leave the room. After our kids were born, I told DH that I would NOT let our children be around him if he continued to use the n-word. My MIL must have said something to him, because, to my knowledge, he has never said the n-word in front of our kids.

I guess I said all that to say - just because someone is from the south doesn't make him/her a racist. Also, just because someone is older & from the south doesn't mean they haven't learned that the N-word is not a nice word.

So, despite Paula Deen's age & southern heritage, she should not still be referring to anyone as the N-word, & she should know & be aware that someone w/ her celebrity status is going to be scrutinized far more than your typical 66-year-old southerner. Age or heritage doesn't excuse racism.

That said, I do applaud her for being honest. I do not think she should be persecuted for something she said many years ago. I'm actually surprised that the Food Network was so to quick to dismiss her.

I'm not sure that there are many people her age that could say that they've never used the N-word in their lifetime.

Anyway, I think her downfall is going to be her lack of oversee of her businesses & her blind defense of her brother.

 

[Planogirl]

Thanks Wendy31 for summing up this case so well. I thought at first it was more about her sons but I see that it's the brother. She is ultimately responsible for her brother's behavior while he worked for her.

 

[TeresaNJ]

All you playing judge and jury, and hanging Paula Deen, are someday most likely going to find yourself in the same position, offending the wrong person, since so many people are so offended at the littlest things, "words" among them, unless, of course, you're part of the "protected groups" category. You are all giving away your freedom of speech, and your rights. Be careful what you wish for.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

All you playing judge and jury, and hanging Paula Deen, are someday most likely going to find yourself in the same position, offending the wrong person, since so many people are so offended at the littlest things, "words" among them, unless, of course, you're part of the "protected groups" category. You are all giving away your freedom of speech, and your rights. Be careful what you wish for.

For the millionth time, this is not about words. I am pretty sure I will never find myself in a position where I own a restaurant that makes its Black employees use a different entrance.