Paula Deen racist?

[tvguy]

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

Well put.

Doing a quick scan of some of the other forums on the internet, seems like a lot of folks are willing to forgive Paula, and those same folks are livid at Food Network.

 

[mhsjax]

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

My statement disturbed you that much? Wow. Sorry you take offense to my experience.

 

[Jen77]

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.

 

[Acklander]

I know there are recent incidents, but the thing that people seem to be talking about the most is her use of the N word (years and years ago)

Are you all really okay with judging and reprimanding people based on something they may have said decades ago? If someone has used the N word in their life, they are firable? If we were all to be judged on something less than PC we may have said in our lifetime, we'd all be out of jobs.

over.

The difference is, she's a public figure, not just any old Joe going to work. And a bigger difference is - she's a public figure who relies on advertising dollars for her income. The bottom line, is its the bottom line. The reason why most celebrities have a morality clause In their contract is that if you do anything questionable, your value goes down. You can say her job was cooking, but lots of people can cook - her job wasnt cooking it was marketing her cooking skills into a multi million dollar empire. She didn't protect the product.
Advertisers can't afford controversy. If the advertisers don't pay the bill, she has no product to sell to the networks. Thats why she lost her job.
You can point to comedians or hip hop artists or whatever and wonder why the double standard - its because those people don't earn their money from advertising dollars, they earn it from ticket/album sales.
Look at the problems Rush is having now - he crossed the line with the **** shaming incident last year. If his radio program was a subscription service, he probably would have gotten away with it, but the revenues are collected by advertising, not subscription - so now his market value has dropped substantially. Bill Mahr had the same problem with his network show - his advertising value went down drastically after 9/11. So he swapped to pay TV. Voila- problem solved.
The question is, does Paula Deen have enough draw to go it alone with a subscription type program? My guess is no - and that's why shes out of a job.

 

[pigletgirl]

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.

She sure has her following. Food network is probably following policy and if not it could be grounds for a lawsuit.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Martha Stewart made a comeback. Paula can too, assuming she has the right P.R. people helping.

 

[Lynne M]

The difference is, she's a public figure, not just any old Joe going to work. And a bigger difference is - she's a public figure who relies on advertising dollars for her income. The bottom line, is its the bottom line. The reason why most celebrities have a morality clause In their contract is that if you do anything questionable, your value goes down. You can say her job was cooking, but lots of people can cook - her job wasnt cooking it was marketing her cooking skills into a multi million dollar empire. She didn't protect the product.
Advertisers can't afford controversy. If the advertisers don't pay the bill, she has no product to sell to the networks. Thats why she lost her job.
You can point to comedians or hip hop artists or whatever and wonder why the double standard - its because those people don't earn their money from advertising dollars, they earn it from ticket/album sales.
Look at the problems Rush is having now - he crossed the line with the **** shaming incident last year. If his radio program was a subscription service, he probably would have gotten away with it, but the revenues are collected by advertising, not subscription - so now his market value has dropped substantially. Bill Mahr had the same problem with his network show - his advertising value went down drastically after 9/11. So he swapped to pay TV. Voila- problem solved.
The question is, does Paula Deen have enough draw to go it alone with a subscription type program? My guess is no - and that's why shes out of a job.

That's exactly it. If I used that word in the office, among my coworkers, that worst that would happen would be a severe reprimand by my boss, and probably by an HR rep as well.

If I used it when speaking with a customer, I'd be packing my desk and walked out the door by security before the day was out.

Companies can't afford to have their customers offended. Broadcasters can't afford to have their advertisers offended. She was toast as soon as she got into that long winded justification for why it was ok to say the word, and only dug the hole deeper with all the chatty discussion of wanting 'slave' waiters at the wedding, and little black boys in white shirts and straw hats tap-dancing.

The only thing that could have saved her was if she said "yes, I said the word, I know it's an ugly word, painful and demeaning to many of my fellow Americans. I shouldn't have said it, and I apologize." And then shut up.

The Food Network will be fine. There'll be a new flavor-of-the-month chef in her time slot before you know it.

And she'll be fine. Some people will stop buying her cookbooks and the gazillion other gadgets she sells. But there are plenty of people who think just as she does, and even more people who don't even pay attention to the news and have no idea what she said. They'll still turn out for her appearances and buy her stuff.

 

[Mad4Mickey]

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

 

[mmackeymouse]

That's exactly it. If I used that word in the office, among my coworkers, that worst that would happen would be a severe reprimand by my boss, and probably by an HR rep as well.

If I used it when speaking with a customer, I'd be packing my desk and walked out the door by security before the day was out.

Companies can't afford to have their customers offended. Broadcasters can't afford to have their advertisers offended. She was toast as soon as she got into that long winded justification for why it was ok to say the word, and only dug the hole deeper with all the chatty discussion of wanting 'slave' waiters at the wedding, and little black boys in white shirts and straw hats tap-dancing.

The only thing that could have saved her was if she said "yes, I said the word, I know it's an ugly word, painful and demeaning to many of my fellow Americans. I shouldn't have said it, and I apologize." And then shut up.

But, here is the difference. Would you be expected to be called into HR and be reprimanded for a word you used 25 years ago? No. That would be insane.

Yes, she dug her own hole, but at the same time, she was honest. She could have easily said, "No, I've never used that word, I find it rude and disgusting." The fact that she pointed to a specific incident that she recalls using that word leads me to believe that it's not something that was in her regular vernacular.

 

[luvgoing2disney]

I think a lot of (white) people get very upset when (black) people use the same word; i.e, "why is it okay for "them" to use it but not okay for "us" to use it?".

But, "they" aren't using the same word. It is a completely different word: different spelling and different meaning.

N***er is a racial slur used to denigrate and demoralize. N***a is used as a colloquial/slang term for a member of your peer group.

Feeling incredulous at that? Do you remember that huge dust up over the DC staffer who used niggardly and subsequently quit because people were offended? In case you don't remember, here's a link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/jan99/district27.htm

I remember so many (white) people upset that "they" (black people) were offended. I remember hearing, can't "they" tell those are two different words? Well, now I'm going to throw it back at those (white) people. Can't "you" tell ****er and ****a are two different words?

So, please stop with the phony outrage over the "injustice" of the inequality of who gets to use certain words. It's just not there.

Sorry to disagree with you but yes it is. A few weeks ago a very close friend and co-worker of almost 20 years said that was what she called her husband over the weekend. And the word she used was n ending in r. When I told her I was shocked at what she had just said she told me she called him that because that was how he was acting. Didn't know quite what to say or how to,respon!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

But, here is the difference. Would you be expected to be called into HR and be reprimanded for a word you used 25 years ago? No. That would be insane.

The comment from 25 years ago was not why she was fired. The discrimination lawsuit complaint details discrimination from 2005-2010.

The waitress at Paula Deen's restaurant was called "my little Jew girl" by Paula's brother. She was denied promotion and a raise based on her gender. Deen's brother brought in printouts for his staff that said "Why Gay Marriage Should be Legal" and featured women having sex with each other. The "southern plantation" wedding was in 2007. At Paula and Bubba's restaurant, African Americans were required to use a separate entrance and a separate bathroom.

On page 16 of the complaint there are NUMEROUS comments about the management of Paula's restaurant recently using the "n" word and referring to the President as the "n" word. This is not even to mention the entire section of violence in the workplace.

As owner, Paula Deen is the one responsible for making sure these horrific things do not happen in the workplace. That is why she no longer works for Food Network.

 

[mmackeymouse]

The comment from 25 years ago was not why she was fired. The discrimination lawsuit complaint details discrimination from 2005-2010.

As owner, Paula Deen is the one responsible for making sure these horrific things do not happen in the workplace. That is why she no longer works for Food Network.

I disagree. Look at forums. Look at articles.

She was fired by FN to save face in the court of public opinion. The court of opinion isn't talking about the recent incidents. They are only minimally talking about the slave dress. They majority of the chatter is about her use of the "N" word. The people that are outraged because she used that word.

But, take away the actual firing part of it....who among us would want to be judged by people based on something we may have said two or three decades ago?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I disagree. Look at forums. Look at articles.

She was fired by FN to save face in the court of public opinion. The court of opinion isn't talking about the recent incidents. They are only minimally talking about the slave dress. They majority of the chatter is about her use of the "N" word. The people that are outraged because she used that word.

But, take away the actual firing part of it....who among us would want to be judged by people based on something we may have said two or three decades ago?

I disagree with you. It sounds to me like the FN decision was already in the works before the deposition was made public.

 

[Planogirl]

The comment from 25 years ago was not why she was fired. The discrimination lawsuit complaint details discrimination from 2005-2010.

The waitress at Paula Deen's restaurant was called "my little Jew girl" by Paula's brother. She was denied promotion and a raise based on her gender. Deen's brother brought in printouts for his staff that said "Why Gay Marriage Should be Legal" and featured women having sex with each other. The "southern plantation" wedding was in 2007. At Paula and Bubba's restaurant, African Americans were required to use a separate entrance and a separate bathroom.

On page 16 of the complaint there are NUMEROUS comments about the management of Paula's restaurant recently using the "n" word and referring to the President as the "n" word. This is not even to mention the entire section of violence in the workplace.

As owner, Paula Deen is the one responsible for making sure these horrific things do not happen in the workplace. That is why she no longer works for Food Network.

Is there proof of this or are these just allegations made by the party that filed the lawsuit? I'm not clear on whether any of this has actually been proven.

Wasn't it a son that allegedly was into pornography too? Of course, the buck always stops with the boss.

 

[TinkerBelled]

I disagree. Look at forums. Look at articles.

She was fired by FN to save face in the court of public opinion. The court of opinion isn't talking about the recent incidents. They are only minimally talking about the slave dress. They majority of the chatter is about her use of the "N" word. The people that are outraged because she used that word.

But, take away the actual firing part of it....who among us would want to be judged by people based on something we may have said two or three decades ago?

Ignoring everything else, if she came out and said (as a PP mentioned), "look, I said these things three decades ago, and I'm not proud of them, and I'm really sorry. I'm being honest because I'm required to by law, but I wish I never had said these things, and I recognize that they were and are offensive," I think there would be a lot less fussing.

Instead, she fueled the fire with some terrible PR which, on top of the terrible PR surrounding her shilling for diabetes medication, made her a toxic property for the Food Network.

There's a really good, even-handed article in the Times about this: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/u...g-to-forgive-deens-racial-misstep.html?ref=us

It touches on a lot of the issues discussed in this forum, and I think it's nicely balanced.

 

[roseaster]

Okay, so it seems from the arguments that it is okay to use a racial slur or tolerate the use of that slur if:

1) You were born in the 1950s.
2) You are from the south
3) Some people of that race have used that slur
4) You only consider some people of that race fit the slur, but not the ones you are specifically referring to.
5) Your race has been discriminated against, too.

 

[tvguy]

Okay, so it seems from the arguments that it is okay to use a racial slur or tolerate the use of that slur if:

1) You were born in the 1950s.
2) You are from the south
3) Some people of that race have used that slur
4) You only consider some people of that race fit the slur, but not the ones you are specifically referring to.
5) Your race has been discriminated against, too.

Regarding number 2, my FIL lived in a town in the south where the KKK chapter was run out of town for being too liberal.
No, in my book, the comment is not okay. But I do understand that in 2013 there are some places in very diverse nation were some people might say it is.

 

[CPT Tripss]

My statement disturbed you that much? Wow. Sorry you take offense to my experience.

No offense taken, just sugesting that where one stands and how one looks at something determines what one sees . . .

 

[Southern Bell]

I never watched her show, but one would think that anyone in the public eye would be very carefull of what they said or did!

As far as if she is racist I have no idea, because I don't know her! But her actions don't show her to be very considerate or smart for sure!

 

[CaliBear]

I disagree. Look at forums. Look at articles.

She was fired by FN to save face in the court of public opinion. The court of opinion isn't talking about the recent incidents. They are only minimally talking about the slave dress. They majority of the chatter is about her use of the "N" word. The people that are outraged because she used that word.

But, take away the actual firing part of it....who among us would want to be judged by people based on something we may have said two or three decades ago?

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.