Has anyone else had enough of this Paula Dean buisness?

[sunshinehighway]

I'm sick of hearing about Paula Dean. I think she needs to stop with the apologies. They are just getting more awkward. Her sons need to stay out of it too. "My mom's not racist because she bought me Hank Aaron pjs" doesn't do anything to help. They just need to let it go and stop trying to fix it.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

How much longer are we going to dwell on her for? Aren't there bigger fish to fry?

If the media dwells on her it does not have to acknowledge any of the really big life threathening issues that face all of us. For example, HEATHCARE. I find that the media sacrifices certain people ( of couse when I say media I also mean the government upon which it reports) to hide mounmental issues.

She made a mistake...what about all the others who make mistakes that involve national security etc they are shielded by storys like this.

The media is not fickle ....is is beyond biased. And when the shoe is on the other foot they look away.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

She made a mistake...what about all the others who make mistakes that involve national security etc they are shielded by storys like this.

The media is not fickle ....is is beyond biased. And when the shoe is on the other foot they look away.

Okay, first of all, she didn’t make one mistake. She made a lot of mistakes. And for those mistakes, she was deservedly dropped by all of her sponsors.

And secondly, the media is biased? Maybe, but I am pretty glad they are biased against racism.

 

[LiveYourLife]

And am I the only one that finds the irony in someone being tired of all of the Paula Deen coverage posting a thread about Paula Deen?

No, you are not alone.

I thought it was not allowed to start a new thread with the same topic, or similar to one that has been locked (or even vanished)?

This is just a regurgitation of the previous PD thread.

And to answer the OP's question, to get back on topic: I'm glazing.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Okay, first of all, she didn’t make one mistake. She made a lot of mistakes. And for those mistakes, she was deservedly dropped by all of her sponsors.

And secondly, the media is biased? Maybe, but I am pretty glad they are biased against racism.

If anyone thinks the media in this country does not have a double standard in ALL things they should examine the issues NOT just the issue with Paula D.

 

[minnie mum]

If anyone thinks the media in this country does not have a double standard in ALL things they should examine the issues NOT just the issue with Paula D.

If the media was guilty of having a double standard regarding racism, it would be decrying it in public but privately condoning it or being guilty of it in the workplace. Is that really what you are saying?

The number of apologists for this woman is amazing. And I do not mean that in a good way. I never would have thought in this day and age that there would be this many people who think that this kind of behavior was in any way excusable.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

If the media was guilty of having a double standard regarding racism, it would be decrying it in public but privately condoning it or being guilty of it in the workplace. Is that really what you are saying?

The number of apologists for this woman is amazing. And I do not mean that in a good way. I never would have thought in this day and age that there would be this many people who think that this kind of behavior was in any way excusable.

I have to agree with you on this. The defenders on the FN Facebook page are disgusting. It is shameful that they live in the United States.

 

[luvsJack]

So I've pretty much stayed out of the entire PD fiasco as I don't follow the women at all. So here are a few thoughts in general.

1) I am African American, I do not speak for the entire Black race. Please don't ask me why Blacks do XYZ. lol all I can give you are my thoughts.

2) these are general overall thoughts, as with any topic on the dis, some one will have an example of the total opposite.

Now.

The age of the person doesn't matter. It's an offensive word but as some one else pointed out, there is more to the issue that just calling some one some thing offensive. From testimony some of Ms Deans actions have been a bit questionable (to put it politely).

Paula is a cook, her endorsements are about business. Businesses that depend on brand recognition have a right to distance themselves from scandal. If my business endorsed her we would have cancelled also. To pretend that these businesses are now persecuting her is idiotic. They are doing their job. no more no less.

Yes it is unfair that whites seemed to get slapped on the wrist for using the term while AA do not (for the most part). It is also unfair that African americans are still feeling the reprecussions of over 200 years of ingrained, institutional and government approved racism. Sorry no we really don't feel sorry for you because the bottom line is my sons are still 4X's as likely to get pulled over by the police than a white kid for nothing more than the color of his skin.

Paula dean will come out of this absolutely fine. she will hire a PR firm to handle her public image and go rolling right along. She is a public figure and as such is at the mercy of the public image.

Eliza, I quoted you because I have a question. Please, please, please don't take this the wrong way.

The whole deal where she made the comment that the guy (employee, co-worker, colleague, ???) blended in to the back drop--do you, as an AA woman take offense to that?

I mean no offense, but he DID. In fact this is exactly what one of my black co workers said--"how is that racist? she was just telling the truth!"

The other stuff, she really should have picked her words and actions more carefully; but this one just seems silly to me.



As for that same old question that always comes up about "well if Li'l Wayne can say it why can't Tim McGraw (not that he ever did, just throwing out a name there); I cannot for the life of me figure out how people cannot answer that question for themselves. Personally, I think its just an excuse to debate the issue that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I find it interesting that this hoopla is happening in advance of her book release - it has pushed pre-sales to #1. I wasn't all that into this topic prior to realizing this. Does anyone know who let out this old info in the first place. Was this her own people's attempt to create a stir for book sales - and then it backfired in other areas?

Thoughts?

 

[fairestoneofall]

i'm not a fan of PD. i don't think what she did was right, by any means.

however, i'm amazed at how she has been treated when we have athletes and celebrities who commit (sometimes horrific) crimes and yet are still glorified.

 

[eliza61]

Eliza, I quoted you because I have a question. Please, please, please don't take this the wrong way.

The whole deal where she made the comment that the guy (employee, co-worker, colleague, ???) blended in to the back drop--do you, as an AA woman take offense to that?

I mean no offense, but he DID. In fact this is exactly what one of my black co workers said--"how is that racist? she was just telling the truth!"

The other stuff, she really should have picked her words and actions more carefully; but this one just seems silly to me.



As for that same old question that always comes up about "well if Li'l Wayne can say it why can't Tim McGraw (not that he ever did, just throwing out a name there); I cannot for the life of me figure out how people cannot answer that question for themselves. Personally, I think its just an excuse to debate the issue that shouldn't be an issue.

Luv, absolutely no offense taken whatsoever. I actually love with folks ask me my take on race. Usually I do start always with the fact that I don't speak for all black folk but I figure a question asked is the only way to get an answer.

I'm with your coworker, it was more of a statement on how the scene "looked". what' so interesting about that comment is that my sister has said that many times to me. She's works in the fashion industry in manhattan and unfortunately she was born with a sister (me) who works in an industry where jeans and lab coats are the normal. She's always yelling at me about my fashion sense or lack of it and refuses to buy me anything brown because she says with my coloring I'll fad into the woodwork.

 

[penn19]

NOT that I think she represents all AA, but Natalie Cole was on Hoda and Kathie Lee this morning and she basically said it was the white people getting more upset it than AA. She also said in the era it was said, it was very common back then to say it. Its not verbatim, but that was the gist of what was said. Again, I'm not saying she represents all of her race obviously, but for those who said that during that era (and I know there is more to the story then just saying the N Word) not all said it, someone of color summed it up as yep that was the climate back then.

 

[luvsJack]

Luv, absolutely no offense taken whatsoever. I actually love with folks ask me my take on race. Usually I do start always with the fact that I don't speak for all black folk but I figure a question asked is the only way to get an answer.

I'm with your coworker, it was more of a statement on how the scene "looked". what' so interesting about that comment is that my sister has said that many times to me. She's works in the fashion industry in manhattan and unfortunately she was born with a sister (me) who works in an industry where jeans and lab coats are the normal. She's always yelling at me about my fashion sense or lack of it and refuses to buy me anything brown because she says with my coloring I'll fad into the woodwork.

Thanks!

 

[eliza61]

If the media dwells on her it does not have to acknowledge any of the really big life threathening issues that face all of us. For example, HEATHCARE. I find that the media sacrifices certain people ( of couse when I say media I also mean the government upon which it reports) to hide mounmental issues.

She made a mistake...what about all the others who make mistakes that involve national security etc they are shielded by storys like this.

The media is not fickle ....is is beyond biased. And when the shoe is on the other foot they look away.

LOl. you guys talk about the media as if it's some hard to understand entity.
The media reports the way it does BECAUSE that's what gets the ratings.

TV news and tv in general are a income business. The reason we have shows like the "housewives industry" the kardasians, bridezillas, cops or any reality tv where people are behaving badly or tv news that are more like tabloid magazines is because THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO WATCH.

If people wanted real news MSNBC and FOX would not be on with sky high ratings.

Stop blaming the "media" as if we have not created the very thing we loathe. TV news works on revenue, revenue that comes from sponsers who depend on consumers (i.e us) to fund them.

Paula is a celebrity in a country obsessed with celebrities. Don't get mad because they are giving us what we asked for.

There is a very good book out about the history of tv news. I forgot who it's by I'll try to dig it up. Basically it says that in the days of Edward R Murrow and Walter cronkite the news department of a station did not bring in revenue. In fact for most broadcasting companies they cost money so back then the focus was on integrity and journalism. They way you distinguished yourself was through good and accurate reporting. Right about the time 60 minutes debut, stations figured out they could actually make money off the news stations and then the focus began to change. It was no longer "how can we get viewers with good reporting", "it was how can we get the most sponsorship"
combine that we our unsatiable obsession with celebrities and you're left with what we have now.

 

[frndshpcptn]

Methinks some have read the original complaint:

http://www.atlawblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Jackson-v.-Deen-et-al.-Complaint.pdf


and have confused it with Ms. Deens actual deposition:

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2013/06/entertainment/deen-deposition/


There's quite a difference between the two, and there is a lot of information that is NOT being reported in the main stream media:

http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-06-22/paula-deen-and-n-word#.Uccoyj5ATCk


Oh well. It is what it is.


I guess I just find it funny that so many people believe what the media sells them.

I've read both documents. And after reading her deposition, I even more firmly believe she turned a blind eye towards totally inappropriate behavior in the workplace. And that she makes off color remarks / jokes and thinks nothing of it. And that she either doesn't have a clue or doesn't really care that "jokes" or other such remarks can be offensive to the group that the "joke" is about. And I don't think these are knock-knock jokes she is referring to in her words.

Between this and the past cluelessness to public reaction on her actions, I'm not surprised that some companies have said enough.

I do think this is a very interesting case study, though, in media and public image.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

however, i'm amazed at how she has been treated when we have athletes and celebrities who commit (sometimes horrific) crimes and yet are still glorified.

Uh we can rip Paula Deen and rip them too. It's not like we have to choose to rip one and excuse the other. It's called multi rip tasking.

As for Paula Deen, the person keeping her in the spotlight negatively is
Paula Deen. If Paula Deen had come out and said I thought nothing of them at the time, but now I see how wrong those things were and I'm sorry, she'd still have her Food Network show, and this would have been a long since dead story. But I is what I is and I think people were out to get me is going to do nothing but keep her right in the spotlight in a bad way. For someone that is as media savvy as she is, her absolute tone deafness on this one is astounding.

 

[FergieTCat]

I think the problem is that Paula never sounded contrite. Maybe she does now, but in the beginning, her whole attitude was "Yes, I said it." At the very least, she should tried to sound appalled that she would ever use such a word, even in the heat of anger.

I don't know if she has a personal public relations team, but if she does, she needs to fire them.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I just find it very strange. Seems like a double standard. That word is in music and movies and it's used all kinds of ways. Same with "cracker". That's in music and movies too. Why do some get a pass on the use and others are destroyed? How is it offensive on one hand and acceptable/used as part of a product to make money on the other? For the segment of society that doesn't use that word, why aren't they as offended by the entertainment industry as they are by Paula Deen? It's odd to me.

 

[phorsenuf]

To me, the whole blending in with the blackboard is no different from the picture below that was all over Facebook. Why hasn't anyone had an issue with this? Because the person is white?

 

[frndshpcptn]

I just find it very strange. Seems like a double standard. That word is in music and movies and it's used all kinds of ways. Same with "cracker". That's in music and movies too. Why do some get a pass on the use and others are destroyed? How is it offensive on one hand and acceptable/used as part of a product to make money on the other? For the segment of society that doesn't use that word, why aren't they as offended by the entertainment industry as they are by Paula Deen? It's odd to me.

If you read the deposition, it's way more than one word used one time. It's a repeated pattern of looking the other way when offensive or stereotypical "jokes" are made at others expense. And making excuses for behavior that would not be tolerated in most companies.

I imagine that her business partners read the deposition word for word and then decided to part ways...