Paula Deen racist?

[mhsjax]

It so does!

I'm originally from FL and then spent some time in TX. I know that I was raised to be tolerant and sensitive to race issues. (Not matter what race that may be.) I have never used the "N" word or anything like it. I don't make racial jokes or laugh when people do. It's a little shocking to me when I do hear it. Back home or in TX I'm looking around like "Oh jeez...What is going on???"

Here, in Schenectady, it is much more "relaxed". DH and his brothers grew up in a much more diverse area than I did. I had maybe twenty ethnic kids(any ethnicity other than white) in my schools growing up. Here, depending on the neighborhood, the white kids are the minority. I have been around a group of diverse people and heard a racial joke thrown out there. I freeze and wait for a fight and they just laugh!

What I am trying to say I guess, is that it really does matter where you live. Things are tolerated better in certain places, or maybe just not as stigmatized.

It really does.

 

[tvguy]

Don't know her, have no way of knowing. Don't care.

Just know she's worth about $10 million, and that Food Network really needs her now more than she needs them.

Embarassing situation, certainly, but Paula's laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Maybe in your experience, but not from where I stand or what I see.

Yup.

And it's sad because the overuse of the race card where it has no business actually diminishes those instances where it IS an issue.

 

[ariel71]

i'm in my late forties and was born in south carolina. there were race riots in my older siblings high school. i've lived in new england, the nyc area, the deep south and now south florida. i'm white and our last house we owned was in a primarily black neighborhood. we loved that subdivision dearly, and i was affectionately known as the kid's "cracker mom". my dear next door neighbor who i adored even called me that, and she was a retired black woman in her 60's.

we have had so many discussions about all of this nonsense regarding the use of what boils down to A WORD, and i will tell you that i don't think your average joe who is surrounded by a variety of races and backgrounds really gives a toot. we are all on this earth in a beautiful variety of colors and shapes, but if we were all put in a dark room, no one would know who was who. you peel back all of our skin and we are red blood, pink muscle, yellow fat and whitish bones. throughout the history of mankind, people of all races have done heinous things to each other. i find it truly amazing that in this day and age, a single word is so polarizing and creates so much drama.
and i'm not downplaying racism, because it exists FOR ALL RACES AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS, but i don't care who calls anyone what. if let yourself be defined by a single word, then i'm sad for you.

That "single word" has 300 years of ACTION and MEANING behind it. To me, it denotes slavery, lynchings, and segregation, which are truly sins against humanity. I see little comparison to a word like cracker, which, while it may be perjorative, hardly brings to mind a systemic subjugation of white people. This world can be crappy enough. I'm not going to use a word that causes great offense to many people just to prove some point.

 

[Zandy595]

Kind of off topic, but didn't the word cracker come from old Florida cowboys who used to crack a whip to get the cows to move? At least that's what I heard on the show How to Do Florida.

 

[Luvchefmic]

LOL, I was born in 1956, too and take it from me, Brooklyn wasn't much better. We didn't have laws on the books but the hatred and the bigotry was way more blatant and in yo' FACE.

Both of my parents were born in the South and told me the difference. My Dad really informed me the importance of being humble just to stay alive. My Mom, on the other hand, fought the good fight and didn't allow anyone to tell her what she was or what she couldn't do.

I understand Paula's time, she was raised in my Mom's age. It was commonplace then.

I was born in Bklyn NY 1954 and agree the attitudes were horrible in the north too BUT Paula is not in your Mom's time:

NAME: Paula Deen
OCCUPATION: Chef, Television Personality
BIRTH DATE: January 19, 1947 (Age: 66)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Albany, Georgia

No excuses for attitudes like this totally unacceptable

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I don't care how old she is. Age is not an excuse for racism, or sexism.

 

[Lemonademouth]

Personally I am not a fan of hers and could care less she was kicked off the food network. I have always wanted her gone due to her wonton use of sugar and butter, with a bit more sugar and butter. Those feelings have been multiplied exponentially since she came out and said she had diabetes and no longer eats the unhealthy foods she cooks. In regards to her slur, I thought that happened close to a year ago, or at least quite a few months back. Did she have another incident? Or is it just taking this long for The Food Network to address it?

 

[asta]

I shouldn't even post with some of the things being said here but just a few thoughts. I don't want to be Paula Deen's defender and there are many times when you should just not say anything but here goes.

Almost everyone seems to agree that the n... word is an insult. In Paula's case she used it to describe someone who had just held her up at gun point. Anyone who would do that deserves to be insulted or called any bad name in the book. In context, I think she meant it as an insult but it was best left unsaid.

As far as the waiters, I find it curious that so many of you think that it is demeaning. I was a waitress once and it is hard work but it is an honorable way to make a living. I don't think anyone should be insulted at the concept of dressing your waitstaff in formal attire for a formal event. I know I live in the south, but it is normal for the waiters at the country club, formal parties and some nicer restaurants to have the look Paula was talking about. It should not have been restricted to race or referred to as plantation.

Please be kind in your comments. I am not defending her, just trying to put into words where she was coming from.

Off topic but this is such a hot button with some of you that I should warn you not to go see the new Anchorman movie. Saw the trailer last night and it featured Will Ferrill making some very racists comments. I know it is a comedy but I can't imagine that some of you would find it funny. More insulting than anything Paula Deen said.

 

[pumpkinmomma]

I shouldn't even post with some of the things being said here but just a few thoughts. I don't want to be Paula Deen's defender and there are many times when you should just not say anything but here goes.

Almost everyone seems to agree that the n... word is an insult. In Paula's case she used it to describe someone who had just held her up at gun point. Anyone who would do that deserves to be insulted or called any bad name in the book. In context, I think she meant it as an insult but it was best left unsaid.

As far as the waiters, I find it curious that so many of you think that it is demeaning. I was a waitress once and it is hard work but it is an honorable way to make a living. I don't think anyone should be insulted at the concept of dressing your waitstaff in formal attire for a formal event. I know I live in the south, but it is normal for the waiters at the country club, formal parties and some nicer restaurants to have the look Paula was talking about. It should not have been restricted to race or referred to as plantation.

Please be kind in your comments. I am not defending her, just trying to put into words where she was coming from.

Off topic but this is such a hot button with some of you that I should warn you not to go see the new Anchorman movie. Saw the trailer last night and it featured Will Ferrill making some very racists comments. I know it is a comedy but I can't imagine that some of you would find it funny. More insulting than anything Paula Deen said.

Read the transcript. The incident with the man who held her at gunpoint is not the only incidence of her using the word.

As far as the waiters go, it is not about wanting to have a formal event, it is about wanting to use black waiters dressed in a certain way to portray an old plantation theme, reinforcing the stereotype of the happy black man serving the white folk. If she just wanted to suggest formal attire for the waitstaff, that would have been fine. That's not what supposedly happened. The context as to why she wanted all black waiters dressed in a certain fashion is important here.

And as far as the movie goes, I think shock value in a movie versus how one behaves themselves as a business owner is an apples and oranges comparison. Allowing the use of racial slurs and telling of racist jokes in the workplace is NOT ok, and according to the transcripts released, she admitted to allowing this to take place.

She is the boss, she sets the tone, and from my view, the tone she set was one of racism and intolerance. Her age and where she was raised in no way excuse that.

Now, whether or not the work environment was as hostile as the plaintiff alleges, I can't say. But if it was as described in the lawsuit, Paula Deen has a lot to answer for.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Kind of off topic, but didn't the word cracker come from old Florida cowboys who used to crack a whip to get the cows to move? At least that's what I heard on the show How to Do Florida.

It's definitely a Fl/Ga thing.

 

[Luvchefmic]

i'm in my late forties and was born in south carolina. there were race riots in my older siblings high school. i've lived in new england, the nyc area, the deep south and now south florida. i'm white and our last house we owned was in a primarily black neighborhood. we loved that subdivision dearly, and i was affectionately known as the kid's "cracker mom". my dear next door neighbor who i adored even called me that, and she was a retired black woman in her 60's.

we have had so many discussions about all of this nonsense regarding the use of what boils down to A WORD, and i will tell you that i don't think your average joe who is surrounded by a variety of races and backgrounds really gives a toot. we are all on this earth in a beautiful variety of colors and shapes, but if we were all put in a dark room, no one would know who was who. you peel back all of our skin and we are red blood, pink muscle, yellow fat and whitish bones. throughout the history of mankind, people of all races have done heinous things to each other. i find it truly amazing that in this day and age, a single word is so polarizing and creates so much drama.

and i'm not downplaying racism, because it exists FOR ALL RACES AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS, but i don't care who calls anyone what. if let yourself be defined by a single word, then i'm sad for you.

Amen to you....(FWIW an Italian that heard EVERY derogatory term regarding us) still think its unacceptable but there will always be ignorant & bigoted people can't define who we are should at this point roll of our backs like water off a duck

 

[TinkerBelled]

Off topic but this is such a hot button with some of you that I should warn you not to go see the new Anchorman movie. Saw the trailer last night and it featured Will Ferrill making some very racists comments. I know it is a comedy but I can't imagine that some of you would find it funny. More insulting than anything Paula Deen said.

There's a difference between satire and real-life bigotry. Will Ferrell in Anchorman is a parody of ham-fisted casual racism. You are laughing at the character, not the jokes; knowing that what he's saying is wrong is the entire point of the humor.

By the by, do I think Paula Deen is an active racist? No. I think she has some racist instincts and has said some racist things, but I don't think she's an active racist. However, I think she's handled this whole thing appallingly, and I'm not in the least surprised she's been dropped. (Both for this and for her atrocious and unethical handling of her health news.)

 

[Acklander]

I DO NOT agree with Paula Deen BUT as happy girl said, we all make mistakes. Why is hers so much more horrible than people like Kanye West or any of the other performers who even use the "W" word on stage?
I do think the reeactment idea was reprehensible.

Paula Deen isn't the first to lose a job this way. Michael Richards lost work when he used the N word and Mel Gibson with his drunken rant. The dixie chicks lost out with their vocal opinion about Bush. When you're a public figure trying to appeal to a mainstream audience, you're held to a higher standard and you have to be careful not to offend your audience.
She's paid a high price for her ignorant comments, but I'm sure she'll survive.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

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

 

[Disneyland1084]

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

 

[CPT Tripss]

Maybe in your experience, but not from where I stand or what I see.

Yup.

And it's sad because the overuse of the race card where it has no business actually diminishes those instances where it IS an issue.

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

 

[PizzieDuster]

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]

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.

In my opinion, either it is a word that needs to be extinct or it doesn't. I'm tired of "Well, for some people it's okay" or "It's a cultural thing." Here's a project: let's all start using the N word in daily conversations and see how that goes. And follow it up by saying, "I'm not using it derogatorily; Where no offense is intended, none can be taken. I'm just using it as a slang word to talk to friends." Again, let's see how that goes over.

 

[jt'smom]

That "single word" has 300 years of ACTION and MEANING behind it. To me, it denotes slavery, lynchings, and segregation, which are truly sins against humanity. I see little comparison to a word like cracker, which, while it may be perjorative, hardly brings to mind a systemic subjugation of white people. This world can be crappy enough. I'm not going to use a word that causes great offense to many people just to prove some point.

i completely respect your opinion, but the actual word itself has historical roots before slavery in america. yes, it's an ugly word in that context, but so are many others... equally so. as a young child i actually saw a cross being burned in a yard once, so THAT has way more of an impact on the mind and soul as opposed to hearing some dodo bird hurling a racial slur. also, my neighbor kids told me that the term cracker came from "the white slave owner 'cracking' the whip", so i always thought it was terribly ironic that these kids i loved and adored would nickname me their "cracker mom" as i was fixing them all a snack at my kitchen table. but everybody has their own moral compass to live by, and that's the way it should be

Kind of off topic, but didn't the word cracker come from old Florida cowboys who used to crack a whip to get the cows to move? At least that's what I heard on the show How to Do Florida.