<p>I could never really understand the popularity of this woman. The first time I came across one of her recipes I was looking for a new bread pudding; hers was made with donuts, 2 cans of fruit cocktail, sweetened condensed milk and a rum sauce made out of sugar, butter and rum. Who would eat that? </p>
<p>I was not surprised to learn she had type 2 diabetes. I did think it appalling of her to continue to make money with a TV show and cookbooks that promoted fatty, sugar-laden foods at the time time she was shilling for a diabetes drug company. </p>
<p>I’m glad you started this thread about her. My reaction: I really don’t care about this woman at all – her cooking, her diabetes, or her alleged use of the N word. To me, it’s much ado about nothing. I no more care what she does or thinks about things than I care about – oh, Miley Cyrus.</p>
<p>ETA: I wasn’t being sarcastic when I said I’m glad you started this thread. I’ve been thinking about her a lot, but only because I don’t know why the media think we care.</p>
<p>I don’t care for her food (although I do like some of the recipes on her son Jamie’s show), but I don’t think she is wrong in what she said in the transcript. Isn’t it Oprah who says “when you know better you do better” which to me implies having actually done/said things that were not perfect the first time?</p>
<p>I’m quite confident that many people in the south and elsewhere of Paula’s age range have used the N word. Hopefully they do better now.</p>
<p>She knew for three years years that she had diabetes and didn’t go public until she started representing the drug manufacturer. I think she could have done better sooner. She’s got a following many of whom would have benefitted from her honestly sharing her experience.</p>
<p>While the use of the “N” word was not a stellar moment, her comments regarding wanting to host a wedding dinner using black people dressed as slaves (and the rest of the story) was when I firmly became disturbed.</p>
<p>The transcript is appalling, IMHO. I don’t think she does “know better”. Somebody dropped the ball prepping her for that deposition, and the fact that she has been a no-show on the Today show for the past two days demonstrates that no one has confidence that she can issue a believable mea culpa.</p>
<p>Honestly, I really don’t care about Paula, but she’s playing right into stereotypes of Southern people. Sad.</p>
<p>I don’t know, it sounds to me from reading the excerpt (i didn’t read the whole transcript) like she had been to a restaurant where there were black men dressed in white jacket and black tie and she liked the look and “their professionalism” but was concerned that there would be misinterpretation if she had that at the wedding. I can see how some folks would raise an eyebrow at this but I do not think her intentions were racist. Yes she was commenting on race but what I read sounded not racist. I thought what she said about jokes was iffy but overall I guess I had to agree (about not knowing what makes jokes funny and they’re usually targeting a group of some sort). Is it illegal to joke in the work place? Pretty much yes these days. However it was not always like that, that is for sure. If her brother was watching porn with other ppl around why then that is cause for workplace harassment lawsuits and he should have known it and she should have, too … may be it’s just a too loose environment all together. I like to watch her on TV b/c she’s a card but I would never ever cook or eat her desserts or most of the recipes! They do look good though, lol. Sometimes I see them all chomping down at the end of the show and one bite of that stuff would send me to the cardiologist. Whew!</p>
<p>I never knew much about her but I hate overly rich cooking (it seems to be a crutch to get good results) and I felt that whole southern charm thing was just overdone by her and insincere. And then she became a spokesperson for Smithfield. Ugh, two peas in a pod.</p>
<p>How is Paula use of the dreaded word news? Years ago she wrote about her perspective and behavior regarding race…and it was no surprise to learn then that her attitude was absolutely typical of most white southerns, if not most of white America at large. I don’t condemn her for it. If fact, I thought she spoke from the heart with deep regret when she told of the time her father ordered the arrest of little Paula’s Black babysitter. Paula maliciously hurt the babybsitter’s own child, and in short order was punished by the babysitter with an old-fashioned country whippin. In her adult mea culpa Paula wrote "I had it comin.’</p>
<p>I think the best level-headed, blunt and straightforward statement I ever heard from a white American about his use of the infamous racial insult was from Senator James Webb of Virginia. Unlike his creepy election opponent George Allen Jr., Webb was quite direct and didn’t whine or obfuscate when asked if he ever utter the insult. To paraphrase, Webb said matter-of-factly that at one time in the South and elsewhere, use of the word was common and he probably used it like everyone did. No one believes it should be used today, said Webb.</p>
<p>As for the comments about Deen’s use of racial slurs and other remarks, please do not believe that everyone in the South talked like that even decades before Deen said them in the '80s. Part of my family has lived in the South since the 1700s. My late grandmother, who was born in the 1890s, made it clear to me over 50 years ago that such language would result in soap in my mouth. </p>
<p>My father was a Yankee who couldn’t leave the bitter cold and snow behind quickly enough; he even requested to be stationed in Alabama after WW II. It was in Alabama where he was previously sent for Army Air Corps training in the late '30s/early '40s that he met a black man for the first time. I spent part of my childhood in Alabama during the time of the Civil Rights struggles, where I was taught to address all adults as Mr. or Mrs. Lastname (or by rank, if they were AF) no matter what the color of their skin. I have no doubt there were some who used such language, but they learned quickly not to talk that way around my dad. </p>
<p>It would be a shame if anyone thought that Paula Deen presents a true image of a typical Southern woman.</p>
<p>As a 60-something white Southerner, I am appalled by comments (not just here) that excuse Paula Deen with “all white Southerners have used that language . . . it was common down South until recently.” I assure you that is not the case. Yes, some white Southerners are racists who use language about Blacks, Jews, Hindus, etc. that would make your hair curl. But in my experience, most white Southerners do not, and have not, used such language and do not hold such beliefs. In my college years in Boston I heard more racist language than I have ever heard here.</p>
<p>I’ve never been a fan of Paula Deen and I hope her more than 15 minutes of fame are now over.</p>