Eugene Robinson: Food for Thought on Paula Deen

[babylonsister]

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/17267-food-for-thought-on-paula-deen#.Uc6_nB3ZPZk.facebook


Food for Thought on Paula Deen
Friday, 28 June 2013 10:50 By Eugene Robinson, Washington Post Writers Group | Op-Ed


Washington, DC -- Paula Deen needs to give the self-pity a rest. The damage to her carefully built image is self-inflicted -- nobody threw a rock -- and her desperate search for approval and vindication is just making things worse.

Sorry to be so harsh, but come on. Deen is tough and savvy enough to have built a culinary empire from scratch, in the process becoming the most famous Southern cook in creation. She incarnates the whole "steel magnolia" archetype, with razor-sharp toughness beneath the flutter and the filigree.

"I is what I is," she said in her weepy exculpation on the "Today" show.

And that's fine. Go ahead, be what you be. Just don't try to make everybody else responsible.

snip//

The woman is 66, not 96. She was all of 7 when the Supreme Court issued its Brown v. Board of Education decision, which means she's had plenty of time to get used to it. She has spent her adult life in an America where black people are not compelled to be subservient to whites. She has made her fortune in an America where most people, white as well as black, consider warm-and-fuzzy nostalgia for the days of slavery and Jim Crow to be highly offensive.

I'll put it in terms that someone who missed the last 50 years might understand: "All" black people are uppity now. Every one of us, I'm afraid.

I hope she figures it out, because anyone that fond of the deep-fryer can't be all bad. A period of silence would be a good start. My advice: Eat some hushpuppies. And don't talk with your mouth full.

[Cirque du So-What]

1. I've followed Mr. Robinson's column for some time, and this piece may be the best I've ever read

I especially like the part where he obliterates the argument that Paula Deen is just a product of her era. She knew what she was doing, and I invite anyone still defending her to read the entire complaint filed by Lisa Jackson, her former employee. Even if only 1/3 of what she says is true (although I'm inclined to believe every bit of it), Paula Deen - either by commission or by omission - created Hell on Earth within her so-called 'empire.' Racists will undoubtedly support her 'empire' by purchasing her books and eating at her butter-fried, Bubba-fied restaurants, so I cannot shed a tear for all the endorsements that she's lost. They're digging their own graves with their teeth, however.

[mountain grammy]

3. Yes, there's way more to this story than a few remarks she made decades ago.

Our friend "the rude pundit" said it well:

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/

[bonniebgood]

14. Thanks for the link Grammy

Food network and others dumped Paul BECAUSE they read this damn law suit.
Pure and simple. Paula built her empire, and tore it down all by herself for allowing her family and friends to behave in such a despicable way.

[Skittles]

15. I'm betting most of her "rabid fans" are racist

that gal is a complete phony and utterly disgusting

[dem in texas]

2. From a Southern Girl

I am a product of the old south and I love to go Savanah and I like to watch Food Network. I even read Deen's book about her life and found it interesting. I think she was gutsy to tell the truth about what she racial comments. But - her food is too over the top, I only watched her show a few times, the last time, she fried a slice of pound cake in butter, too much for me. And she says ya'll every other sentence and, too much for me also. I totally agree with Eugene Robinson, the pity party needs to stop, she needs to go back to Savanah and go in her house and close the door - for a long, long time.

[DinahMoeHum]

8. Agreed. She should disappear for awhile. . .lay low. . .

. . .and take stock of things. Oh, and lay off the social media as well.

[Buzz Clik]

4. +1

[Grammy23]

5. When all of the hoopla about Ms. Deen began to unfold

I had questions in my mind about the situation. When I heard that Food Network had fired her (or cancelled her contract, depending on which article you read), I was curious since she, along with Guy Fieri and a few others are their TOP STARS. I just couldn't imagine that they would lightly cut someone loose who was an important source of revenue for them. I saw a reference to a law suit and somewhere on DU found a link to the complaint against Paul Deen and her huge empire. So I read it.

Yikes! As noted, if even a portion of that complaint is true, she has big trouble. Clueless does not even begin to cover her problem. And if the Food Network lawyers (and you have to know they have plenty) read that complaint and then heard her deposition, it's not a mystery why they decided to cancel her contract. And we do NOT even have a clue if there are other reasons behind their decision, such as behavior or language the show's producers have witnessed during taping of her shows or personal appearances.

The matter of her revealing her diagnosis of diabetes along with a simultaneous announcement of a deal to be a representative for a diabetes drug adds more to this drama. I was one of those people who was rather horrified that she had known for three years about her illness but only chose to reveal it AFTER her pharmaceutical deal was in place. Opportunistic is one of the nicer things I thought about that.

Paula Deen's wounds (and it appears there are many now) are primarily self inflicted. Being blind to your own prejudice is a common thing. Many people still say things such as "some of my best friends are black." Uh, for sure. But Paula Deen had issues brought to her about her brother doing things that were sexist, racist and homophobic and she evidently turned a blind eye to that, too. She even called in a consultant to find out why Bubba's restaurant was failing and THEN didn't personally read the report. She got an oral summary from another employee. Then did nothing.

I agree with Eugene Robinson that she needs to go back to Savannah and hang out there in her lovely, waterfront home and just try to regroup and regain her composure. Lord knows, the woman surely needs to do that! Her parting shot on the interview with Matt Lauer should be cringe-worthy enough ....... "I is what I is and I ain't changin'" ....to make her retreat to her home base to ponder what she has done to herself. And there is plenty for her to think about. Not saying she can be redeemed, but maybe she can at least stop the bleeding.

[durablend]

7. Her ratings were already slipping

So she wasn't quite the revenue source she used to be. Might've given FN an added reason to dump her.

[PatSeg]

6. "Eat some hushpuppies. And don't talk with your mouth full."

I love Eugene Robinson!

I've never watched Deen's show, but I saw her on an episode of Who Do You Think You Are and I couldn't barely get through the whole hour. She came across as so phony and annoying. Also her reaction to her ancestors owning slaves was so dismissive that it bordered on offensive.

I've been around women like this and I can easily see her turning into a super vindictive bitch when the cameras are off. That pathetic, tearless interview on The Today Show was enough to make one gag. If she is "sorry", it is only because she's ruined her career.

[LibGranny]

11. Well said! Thank you

[groundloop]

9. I'm ignorant in this matter - what exactly did Paula Deen do?

I'm not a fan of hers, I've never watched her show, and I just barely know who she is (and I gather I'm probably better off with it that way). But if Eugene Robinson (whom I have tremendous respect for) is getting involved then I figure maybe I should get myself up to speed on what this is all about.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. The money line: " "All" black people are uppity now. Every one of us, I'm afraid. "

You tell it, Gene. You tell it.

[senseandsensibility]

12. Go ahead. Be what you be.

Just don't try to make everyone else responsible. Perfect response to Deen's "I is what I is" quote.

[Skittles]

16. I is what I is

Who the f*** talks like that???

[aikoaiko]

13. I agree that the pity party has to stop.

It illustrates her continued blind spot on racial issues and her responsibility to maintain a harassment free work environment at her restaurants.

Ultimately I think the mass sponsorship abandonment is because Paula has become a symbol of something greater than her actual actions, but still she doesnt seem to "get it".