Is Paula Deen a hypocrite?
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As most of you probably know, Food Network star Paula Deen, well known for her fat- and sugar-laden Southern recipes, confirmed Tuesday that she has Type 2 diabetes.
She made the announcement on the Today Show during an interview with Al Roker. The news has caused a storm of controversy, with many criticizing Deen for promoting the kind of eating that is associated with Type 2 diabetes. Others are ticked by the fact that she apparently waited three years to make the news public, that she told Roker she has always preached “moderation,” and that she has already formed a promotional partnership with the diabetes drugmaker Novo Nordisk.
The Today Show clip can be viewed for free on Hulu.com. Here’s the link. I have also transcribed Deen’s exact words on the show and will paste them below for anyone to read.
What is your reaction to this news? Should Deen be ashamed of herself or should her critics lay off?
From “The Today Show,” January 17, 2012
Note: Deen’s words are exact. Al Roker’s questions are paraphrased.
Deen: I was diagnosed three years ago… during a regular physical exam with my doctor that I had type 2 diabetes and I am here today to let the world know that it is not a death sentence. I am working along with a very reputable pharmaceutical company, I am working on a new progam called “Diabetes in a New Light.” You can go to our website. I am going to be there for you and help you manage every day of your life with this because it can be done.
Roker: We should mention that you are a paid spokesperson for this pharmaceutical company (Novo Nordisk).
Deen: Absolutely. I have been compensated just as you are for your work, yes.
Roker: Why did you wait so long to make this public?
Deen: I intentionally did it, Al. I came home, I told my children, I told my husband. I said, “I am going to keep this close to my chest for the time being” because I had to figure things out in my own head. I had to give time to think about it, talk with my doctor. Because, Al, at the time – you know I tell everything. I could have walked out and said, “Hey y’all, I have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes” and walked away. I had nothing to give to my fellow friends out there.
Roker: How would you respond to allegations that you delayed the announcement for fear that it would damage your reputation or the industry you’ve built?
Deen: No. People are not going to quit eating. We quit eating, we are all outta here. I wanted to bring something to the table when I came forward and I’ve always been one to think that I bring hope because I’ve had lots of obstacles in my life, y’all. (Roker here mentions her agorophobia, poverty)
Roker: Talk about how fattening Southern food can be and can it lead to Type 2 diabetes, blah blah blah.
Deen: Certainly, Al, that is part of the puzzle but there’s many other things that can lead to diabetes. Certainly genetics, certainly your lifestyle, certainly what you eat, certainly stress. And last but not least is age. There’s a lot of us baby boomers out there and there’s a good chance that that will be one of the issues you have to face. But “Diabetes in a New Light,” along with my sons Jamie and Bobby, we are going to help you to work on still having a full life without feeling like you are being punished or you are not being able to taste the wonderful flavors that you like.
Roker here calls on Dr. Roshini Raj, asking her to talk about what causes diabetes. She confirms the factors mentioned by Deen, adding that certain races are more prone to getting diabetes and saying “being overweight in particular is probably the most defined risk factor for diabetes.”
Roker (back to Paula): Are you going to change the way you cook and eat?
Deen: Here’s the thing – you know I’ve always encouraged moderation. On my show, you know, I share with you all these yummy fattening recipes but I tell people in moderation. In moderation. You can have that little piece of pie. Here’s what I want to get across to people: I want them to first start by going to their doctor and asking to be tested for diabetes, and then get on a program that works for you. I’m amazed at the people out there that are aware they are diabetic but they are not taking their medicine, they are not doing anything.
Roker: OK, besides medication. Have you changed the way you eat?
Deen: I’ve always eaten in moderation. You know, people see me on TV two or three times a day[I think she means "week"] and they see me cooking all these wonderfully Southern fattening dishes. That’s only… that’s only 30 days out of 365 and it’s for entertainment. And people have to be responsible.
Roker: So you’re saying you can’t eat like that every day.
Deen: No, I never have. I never have. It’s like I told Oprah a few years back, I said, “Honey, I’m your cook, not your doctor. You know, you are going to have to be responsible for yourself.”
January 18, 2012 - 1:31 PM
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It wasn’t surprising to find out that she’s a diabetic. If she wasn’t already inclined to be, the way she eats would have precipitated it.
” Here’s the thing – you know I’ve always encouraged moderation.”
She’s a great cook, but that’s just funny.
I read Mary Elizabeth Williams article, “Paula Deen cashes in on diabetes,” on salon.com this morning. I tend to side with a Tony Bourdain on this. Link is: http://www.salon.com/2012/01/17/paula_deen_cashes_in_on_diabetes/
It seems like she waited until she had found a way to make a few bucks out of it before she made an announcement. I’ve never been a big fan of hers and even less so now.
I really want to rant about Paula Deen whoring herself out for a commercial gig – honest, I do, trust me, but my heart is not in it.
Dublin Dr. Pepper is dead. I don’t know… I just… don’t know… Sisyphus… I feel your pain. Dr. Pepper is dead to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoGSyFtrak4
When I first heard of this, I thought it was one of the least surprising developments I’d heard in a long while. Yes, moderation is the key. My grandfather, who was a doctor, preached that. He said people could indulge in certain things that were not healthy for them, so long as it was in moderation so they didn’t get hit by the negative health impacts of doing it all the time.
But, I would have thought that maybe such a life development would be an opportunity to take her cooking in a new direction, to teach people how to have that fabulous Southern food but do it in a more health-concious fashion. My grandfather (native Georgian like myself) was diagnosed with Type II diabetes several years ago, has had a quadruple bypass, has a pacemaker, and just had another surgery in December…all due to lifetyle/diet related health problems.
Much of the fattening Southern cuisine wasn’t so unhealthy when people were far more active than we are today. When you did manual labor, worked on a farm, etc and worked off the calories, the food made more sense and you didn’t suffer the excessive weight gain due to eating it, but being sedentary and eating it, you see obesity like we see today.
I know she’s working on the new project and with the drug company, but to me it seems like surface-level actions, rather than deep lifestyle adjustments to address the real problem. Maybe she’ll come around.
I should clarify…my grandfather doctor is a different one than the grandfather who has suffered the health problems. I didn’t realize I did not make that distinction until after re-reading the comment after sending it. The doctor grandfather was on my dad’s side, and lived in Michigan.
You know, with all the reruns on Food Network, I bet Paula is on the air 2-3 times a day with her cooking shows.
I feel that her health is her business… she is not obligated to come forward and tell the world anything. She has never claimed that her way of cooking was healthy!
Give me a break. I think people need to lay off as this has been blown WAY out of proportion! Like she has stated, she’s not a doctor. She’s just a cook who has a TV show. She is not what causes diabetes. Her cooking is not what causes (though it doesn’t help) diabetes. The whole thing is very silly and makes me laugh at how boring people’s lives must be to actually care about this story.
I do find it funny how she comes out now that she’s getting paid to do so and now that her son’s new show is debuting. ha Guess she’s laughing all the way to the bank too….
Just another excuse for people to blame their problems on someone else. Paula Dean didn’t make you cook that food and eat it, she simply done her JOB as a TV host for the Food Network. And she is certainly not the only TV show personality that likes to cook with butter, oil and sugar! Grow up people and take blame for your own problems and better yet, how about stepping on a treadmill or taking a walk.
She does NOT eat in moderation! And veganism reverses diabetes!!
I sort of think she is. I can understand needing some time to absorb the news and share it with your family, but 3 years??
Was she shopping around for an endorsement deal?
No one is forced to cook the food she makes, and her Krispy Kreme bread pudding recipe makes my arteries clog just reading it.
I don’t watch the show all the time, but I don’t recall moderation being a word she used very often. If she had disclosed her diagnoses sooner, she would have received a lot less flak.
Agreed Roy. You have to give her credit for being a smart businesswoman. She had to have known that this announcment would taint her brand – so she was very strategic in releasing the info: waiting until she had another revenue stream (Novo nordisk) and waiting until her sons could develop the alternative cooking show.
I have to say, I’ve never liked her overindulgent style of cooking – but her bottled Bourbon Glaze sauce is off the chain on broiled or grilled salmon!!
I find her claims of encouraging moderation disingenuous at best. Every show she has features butter, sugar etc to excess.
I find it rather sleazy that she revealed her diagnosis only so that she could plug a drug that costs $500/month.
In fairness, she’s always said, “I’m your cook, not your cardiologist.” I don’t think she ever so much as pretended that her cooking was healthy. But look at the French bistro-style cooking Anthony Bourdain cooked for years at Les Halles. As butter- and bacon-happy as the French are, is there any real difference? Show me the difference between bechamel sauce and milk gravy, health-wise.
There is always the possibility that she was hoping to reverse it wth diet and exercise, so she wouldn’t have to disclose it.
I was a fan of hers for quite a while. I liked that she’s a self-made success and has achieved so much from humble beginnings. But this just about kills it for me.
She never preached moderation– that’s just laugh out loud ridiculous. Yes, I can see that she would need a little time to learn and absorb the news about her condition, but three years? Only to come out about when paid by a drug company? Come on.
Diabetes is an auto-immune disease and she is right, heredity and other factors certainly play into it. Obesity is not always a factor– I am obese and my blood sugar is fine.
However, Type II diabetes can be controlled if not all but cured with a healthy diet. And for three years, she’s been getting paid to make food she can’t/shouldn’t eat. That’s very hypocritical in my book.
I couldn’t agree with Ray more!
I have always liked Paula and her shows and food. But I started losing interest when she started selling her line of furniture. At that point, it seemed it was all about the money. Sorta like Martha.
How many healthy cooking shows exist on the Food Network? Nothing comes immediately to mind.
Is hungry girl on food network??? I don’t watch it that often so I don’t know but I do feel that her foods are healthier. Rachel Ray uses many more spices and EVOO versus butter which is better options as well. My mom loves Paula but I have thought she was fake from day one. I definitely appreciate what Nona, especially about her getting paid to make food she shouldn’t/can’t eat…why not do something for the viewers on diabetic recipes???
Ah, yes. Let’s all rush to the defense of a cooking show celeb who visited Roanoke once – and whose devoted patrons were mostly shocked by her obscenity and profane behavior.
We all know she whored herself out to the first drug company she could to make a buck. The only surprise is that it took her three years to negotiate a deal. Go ahead, defenders, pretend she’s ‘just an ole southern gal who loves her food…’
We all know the deal, even though most on here are loather to admit it. That’s fine. I’m no Anthony Bourdain fan – he’s pretentious beyond belief – but he is spot on in this case. You can lie about it all you wish, but we all know the truth.
Paula Deen whored herself and her health out for the money. Go ahead and deny it. the proof is in the puddin’, as she would say.
Delete away, you know it’s true…
How many healthy cooking shows are on? That’s like saying how many child molesters are there that weren’t Penn State coaches? That doesn’t make it right! That… does… not… make… it… right…
How shameful. Really. Incredible the amount of compliance for such a miniscule amount of relation by such an obviously phony money grubber.
Sleep well, let the rest of the world go to he**…
Only one healthy Food Network cook comes to my mind: Ellie Krieger. And as for Paula stating to eat in moderation, I have NEVER heard her say that on any of her shows! I agree with #18,david; first her show, then cookbooks and spices, then she started selling cookware, then linens, then furniture. I’m sort of burned out on her, frankly.
Type II diabetes is highly treatable with diet and exercise. I don’t see any evidence that’s she’s lost any weight, so I’m not sure I would take any advice she has to offer about treatment of diabetes. Her health is her business, but she has opened herself up to criticism because the announcement is obviously related to her deal with this pharmaceutical company. I don’t care if she eats her own food 50 times per day. She doesn’t answer to me…but please don’t hypocritically tell me how to treat the disease if you obviously aren’t doing it yourself.
As far as I know, they just have one. Healthy Eating with Elie Krieger
To be fair to Paula Deen, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that food filled with butter and sugar isn’t healthy.
I don’t hear very many people defending Paula Deen on this thread; quite the contrary. It sounds like folks have got her number and are getting bored with her promotional deals.
@abdnva, I don’t think you understood what I was getting at when I asked how many healthy cooking shows are on Food Network. The point is, NOT ENOUGH.
However, I don’t believe most folks have anyone to blame for their own health but themselves. Does anyone really think people who are overeaters, overweight and unhealthy would be the picture of health if Paula Deen had never entered the scene? Nah.
It all depends what you define by ‘healthy’ in regards to a cooking show.
Unless you subscribe to the idea that every recipe has to be some 300 calorie offering, it’s okay to see a recipe for MacNCheese, if it’s not decadent.
Even decadent is okay occasionally. The thing is to look at a recipe and understand how it translates to a healthy recipe.
The idea of giving Paula Deen a pass because you find her cloying ‘y’all…’ charming is just wrong. She’s known about this for three years? It actually took three years to negotiate the new website and drug deal? It seems to me that there was at least 18 months of Paula wanting to stay a fat broad, sucking down fried chicken and the like.
I sure saw a lot of apologistic comments for her earlier. We all like to pretend how pure we are, but seriously, she was so transparent prior to this, and so many didn’t want to admit it.
About the ‘healthy’ food shows? Lots of them show lots of healthy options. Do any of them hang a banner out proclaiming nothing but ‘healthy’ food, as though all other food is stripped of worth? Maybe not, because they have another schtick than ‘healthy’ food. Ellie Kreiger’s got her thing, they ALL have their thing.
Molto Mario was never about fattening foods. It was about regional Italian cuisine, made in an Americanized way.
That’s not exactly like Paula Deen’s recipes about making deep fried MacNCheese and glorification of fattened up versions of Southern comfort food.
“It sounds like folks have got her number and are getting bored with her promotional deals.”
I know that’s my issue. She took her diabetes and made it part of her “brand”, i.e. using her name to sell cookware, food, furniture and now a drug.
I really have to laugh at the defense, however passive aggressive, on here that some are giving her.
The woman has known for three years she has had this disease. Yet, she waited until she could announce an endorsement contract to address the issue. And people on here are like – ‘Well, it’s the viewers’ fault if they look to her for guidance…’
Pretty much anything to avoid holding your hero/object of worship accountable. it says a lot about those who post such things…
No word of how Bourdain called her out for being a whor… umm… selling herself as a drug shill while trying to profit from the move. Nobody – NOBODY ON HERE – seems to want to discuss that.
I guess that visit two years ago really closed people’s eyes to the reality of the situation…
How weak…
I don’t think anyone on here worships her, but you’re free to interpret remarks any way you want to, Ab.
The only FN personality I watched on a regular basis was Alton Brown, on Good Eats. I liked his style and the show was entertaining enough. The recipes he covered worked pretty well too.
Very few celebrities are genuine, most are to varying extents manufactuered by their sponsors and agents to be something that is marketable that makes money for their sponsors and agents.
Deb, I remember the posts on here that defended Paula Deen when she was profane in her local appearance, as well as those who were shocked by that.
It was pretty easy to see who was glazed over by ‘stardom’ and who really protected the shield by refusing to be honest about her.
That’s no big deal. It all comes out in the wash, as anyone with perspective can see how she is now, yet some will blindly defend her relentlessly.
I think the funniest part of it is how so many fans of hers refuse to admit their adoration, but try to passively defend her actions as though they are defendable. It’s pretty obvious who loves her and who doesn’t, just by the posts.
Abdnva, you sure got your feathers ruffled! You made your point in your first few posts, then continued to attack, attack, attack. I do not know if you dislike Paula or posters here the most, but you sure to seem to have taken this personally.
Actually, her visit here in 2010 seemed to OPEN people’s eyes. If you’ll recall, tons of people were angry and disappointed by her show. We talked about it quite at length on this blog. Here’s a link to that entry:
http://blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/2010/10/not-everyone-loved-the-paula-deen-show/
Roy brought up Bourdain’s response to Deen’s announcement in comment #2 and others have agreed with him. It’s always a good idea to read all of the comments on a blog thread before making statements about them.
Blaming Paula Deen for diabetes is silly. SILLY! While most of her dishes are for special events (indulgence) she also cooks a variety of everyday meals. Do you blame Sally Field for old women with humped backs?
Frankly, I’m not now nor have I ever been a Paula Deen fan, but she is NOT the reason for people having diabetes or being overweight. True, she doesn’t promote healthy eating, but that’s not her job. Her job is to entertain an audience with her cooking, along with her over the top personality and antics. Each of us are responsible for how we live and eat, not some television personality. Should she have announced to the world that she had diabetes when it was diagnosed? I don’t think so because that’s HER business. She is under no obligation to tell us anything about her personal life other than what she wants us to know. I’m confused about why the public think they have the right to know every detail about every celebrity just because that person is famous. Their only obligation is to abide by their contract. It’s doubtful that anyone is going to change their eating habits because they’ve learned that Paula Deen is diabetic.
I was diagnosed with borderline type 2 diabetes in my mid 20s. Have never taken diabetes medication, but the threat of it keeps me working out 5 days a week, and though I watch what I eat I have a hard time saying no to good beer and chocolate, and it seems like I’m always battling that extra 10 pounds.
Paula Deen is a brilliant businesswoman, period, and she has a great way with homespun humor. But a pound of bacon in a quiche?
People like me shouldn’t cook like that. Ever.
Deen could really turn this into a positive, I think, if she would embrace the Cooking Light philosophy. It’s a great magazine that’s done a great job of keeping up with health trends and TRULY espouses moderation. Sarah Silverman says MIAT for all things decadent — make it a treat!
Don’t see what all the fuss is about. 30 Years ago this would be a none issue and who is this Tony Bourdain clown? Never heard of him. Something to ponder look at the number of people dying in their 80′s and 90′s Do you think they ate healthy back in the 1920,30′s consuming lard, bacon, lots of fried foods? I think all the preservatives put in foods these days contribute to many of the diseases that we have now JMO
Beth, No. One. needs a pound of bacon in a quiche. I viewed watching her show as something like performance art or a National Geographic special. Interesting, but not related to my life.
And when she was here, she got roundly slammed for her performance. The general take was that she was looking to do as little as possible for her $75 ticket price. If you read around the internet on her, that’s the usual impression…she’s not made a ton of friends.
As to whether her style of cooking is anything like French…walk down a street in Paris and see how many fatties you see who aren’t American tourists. There’s really no comparison. A French cook would chiffonade his own wrists before sticking meat between two doughnuts and calling it a meal.
am not sure how others feel and on this subject I don’t really care. I am from the south, I was raised on corn bread, fat back laden pintos, fried potatoes w onions (fried in bacon grease of course), biscuits made fresh with lard, banana pudding, and Lord save me, SWEET TEA. As I have received life experiences I learned to take care of myself and moderate how and what I ate. It is not my Momma’s fault, it is not Paula Deen’s fault- it is my fault if I am not smart enough to moderate my diet and how I cook that diet. I am so dag-gone tired of this bashing. I love her recipes and I will continue to enjoy the food I was raised on with moderation.
Well said Jackie..!!!
Best Paula Deen video ever…
http://youtu.be/K1PsDyhNFBI
All this Paula-bashing has ticked me off. It is no one’s business…..her health and what she chooses to share and not share is her business only. Any idiot can make her recipes healthier if they choose to do so, I have done it many times. By the way, Anthony Bourdain is a pompous ass, I used to watch him until one day when I realized it. He smokes. If he gets cancer, wonder who he is going to blame it on? Al Roker, when he lost a lot of weight, did he do it the hard way? Did he start eating healthy and exercising? No, he had bypass surgery. Wish the media would just out of peoples lives!
Ms. Deen may have been in denial like I was. No one wants diabetes. Whether you are overweight or it runs in the family it is hard to beleive you have it. Your life is going to change in every aspect. To cooking meals at home and also to going out to a restrauant to eat.Be thankful we have the knowledge we have today about this disease. There are classes at Lewis Gale in Roanoke, Va. that I have just started to learn how to change my way of eating to what serving and food to have.The hardest part is if you have a family to cook for and you are the only one with it.I think she could still do the same shows but have one that is for diabetics. Your world has changed but the good thing about this disease it doesn’t have to control you as long as you follow the rules for diabetics.
Lindsay, first of all, your choice of photo of Paula Deen is indicative of how you want to steer your viewers to comment. Could you have chosen a more unflattering pose? I think not. Jealously is unattractive in the least and many posted comments drip green with envy over Deen’s success. To revel in harsh judgment over a diagnosis of diabetes is small-minded and indicative of much larger issues stirring in the swill of many of your readers.
Paula Deen is a major hypocrite! Of course her health is her own business, but selling a drug which attempts to “undo” the effects of the unhealthy food she is also shilling, is entirely unethical. Studies show that genes only contribute about 10% to our health. Diet and lifestyle choices have a dramatic effect on health. I hope she will dig deeper in her heart and get honest with herself on her health (and greed) issues. I read that the drug she is representing is strongly associated with thyroid cancer and pancreatitis and has side effects of headache, nausea, and diarrhea! Have fun with that y’all!!
Oh, come on, Rebecca, I’ve got way too much work to do to seek out a photo of Paula Deen that will subliminally cause readers to write negative comments about her on my blog. That’s the only picture I have in my blog photos file so it’s the one I grabbed and pasted to this post.
Make a lot of money selling cookbooks with unhealthy recipes. Check
Contract type 2 diabetes due to eating unhealthy recipes from said cookbook. Check
Keep it a secret so you can sell more books. Check
Sign lucrative spokesperson contract with diabetes treatment drug company and make more money. Check
What’s wrong with this picture?
Anthony Bourdain, summed it up perfectly “Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later.”
I listened to Paula in many of her interviews regarding this subject, and all I can say is anyone holding a gun to your head to eat the foods that she prepares on t v. I mean we all have a brain, and I doubt that some poeple ever use it, and it is common sense what all the sugar and butter in “any” meal will cause or could cause damage to your body down the road. Paula said that she tapes thirty segments a year to be aired, and only samples what she makes, and a number of factors can contribute to one’s own health. Don’t blame her and her cooking, as it is entertaining, and have some common sense.
“How many healthy cooking shows exist on the Food Network? Nothing comes immediately to mind.” …
Lindsey, you should speak to the city about adding one to its public channel, the one with the city meetings on it.
You could do it once a week, and have folks from here as guests. It’d be interesting to see what type(s) of dishes you’d share with us.
Flo, you are too kind. That would be fun, wouldn’t it? Since you mentioned it, I will tell you that I’m the guest “chef” on “Cookin’ with Kroger”, which airs on the first and third Sunday of every month at 7:30 a.m. on WSET (Channel 13). My episode airs Feb. 5. I’ll tell you guys more about that when the date gets a little closer. But I didn’t make health food on my segment. I did make a healthy salad for starters, though!
It is Paulas Business what PERSONAL information she shares… she is Promoting FOOD…she is not claiming to be an advocate for Healthy Eating… the Only Hypocrites… are those scolding Paula…..
I dont know where its Written that you must share your PERSONAL information …in order to promote your Trade…..
Paula Deen is a media whore who has her name on products ranging from furnture to cookware. Her diagnosis is likely tied to her cooking, and to avoid even the appearance of impropriety by disclosing her health issue earlier is eggregious. She should have divulged this issue several years ago and made some changes to her cooking methods for herself and her fans. To continue the ruse was an attempt to save her brand and allow her to rake in the dough. Literlly. She is as fake as her royal blue eyes and her teeth. She has become a caricature of herself. Time to retire and live off her fat profits.
Rebecca @ 47 – what a judgmental post about being judgmental.
I am very sorry about Ms. Deen’s diagnosis. I actually used to admire Ms. Deen for her self-made success and gutsy attitude.
That being said, I find it distasteful that she’s chosen to make money off of her diabetes and that she continued to promote unhealthy foods for three years after her diabetes diagnosis. She’s made her diabetes just another part of her “brand” – sell food, cookware, furniture and now drugs with her name.
If you find that judgmental, so be it.
Just an FYI for Pat Stiller, Bourdain quit smoking a couple of years ago.
I was once a fan until my daughter purchased tickets to her show at the Salem CC for a Mother’s Day gift. She was only there for ONE reason, to promote her furniture, her show, her overweight husband’s coffee and her son’s girlfriend’s new TV show. There was NO cooking involved other than from a chef at the CC. I was disgusted with the way she had “sold” out…so not at all surprised to hear that she is now “selling” drugs.
I remember reading posts about Paula’s appearance at the Salem CC, and she apparently was the reason several people left because of her obscene and profane language. I think she’d do anything for a profit.
I think alot of people are missing the real story here. She found out about her diabeties and stayed quiet about it as she flooded the market with her personalized cook ware and then introduced a line of top dollar furniture as she and her family filled bank accounts with all the profits that her followers willingly gave. Then, she came out with full support for a medication that is unknown to many diabeties patients trying to sway even more money to her accounts. Are there any diabeties patients that would trust her to switch their medication in light of how this has unfolded??? Not me buddy! She needs to be making alot of apologies to the public and just go away and take her products with her. How much more money do we have to keep giving her???
The Paula Deen controversy reminds me of the people who sued McDonald’s for making them fat. I guess this utter lack of common sense is why hair dryers have to come with a warning not to use them in the shower, since it shouldn’t take a degree in nutrition to figure out that McDonald’s and Paula Deen recipes aren’t something you should be eating every day. Unless Paula Deen comes to your house and force feeds you sticks of butter, your health is your responsibility, not hers. I have made and enjoyed some of her recipes but only on special occasions and I share them with a crowd. It also shouldn’t be coming as a huge shock to people that the hosts on the Food Network are business people who are out to make money. I’m sure the Food Network would make more shows on healthy cooking if they brought in the viewers, but I am assuming that they don’t because I think even the Ellie Krieger show comes on the Cooking Channel now, not the Food Network.
Dear Paula Deen Haters,
Really???? GET A LIFE, GRAB A RICECAKE AND LEAVE THE WOMEN ALONE. SHE IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO TELL ANY ONE ABOUT HER HEALTH ISSUES.
As for my ricecake, it will be stuffed with creamcheese, battered and deepfried, then buttered and dipped in mayo, with a glass of whole milk to wash it down
Really people, get a life…..
Paula Deen is a human being who became a “marketable product”. Her name is an industry. Her celebrity is the “elephant in the room”. She began her food career as a work from home caterer, with her sons helping her in the business. Money was tight, to say the least. Paula faced some big personal losses very early on in life, but she never turned away from her family responsibilities. She handled it all the best way that she could. Due to her skill, persona, and the support of her sons, brother, aunt and others, Paula became a success. From her catering days as “The Bag Lady”, to her “The Lady and Sons” restaurant, to her Food Network stardom and beyond, Paula has been on an amazing life journey. Once you become a universally recognized name, your life will never be the same. You are subject to criticism, scrutiny, and ridicule for every word you say, every step you take, and every move you make. Very few people handle all that without stumbling. Women like Paula Deen who carry a heavy stress load, have family concerns, and try hard to please most of the people most of the time, are vulnerable to Type 2 Diabetes. What Paula said is spot on, and it describes someone just like me. Exactly like me. Paula and her family have profited by her success, which is really due to years of their, hard work and endurance. However, countless other people have made megabucks from the “Paula Deen Industry”, and that industry also provides jobs for many people in various different aspects of the business. The lady deserves our respect.
VERY WELL SAID Virginia C.
Yeah, she deserves our respect. Respect for pandering to gluttons that loved having an enabler like her tell them that it was just fine to eat and serve fatty unhealthy meals, and what do those old doctors know anyway.
Well the worm has turned, but old Paula still manages to do OK. Now she becomes a huckster for the company that makes the medications for the health problems her own style of cooking contributed to. On top of that, she refuses to own up to any culpability for her health issues, and proclaims she always stressed moderation in eating her fatty creations. I don’t think she’s a hypocrite, I know it.
Ya Lindsey…you missed all of those pictures out on the internet of a svelte Deen posing in her bikini.
“SHE IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO TELL ANY ONE ABOUT HER HEALTH ISSUES.”
You’re right, she’s not. But she chose to tell the world in order to endorse a drug and make money off of her health issues.
Paula Deen’s publicist has quit, saying: “Although we had a great deal of fun along the way, I could not agree with the new business strategy going forward. Nonetheless, I wish them continued success.”
http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/deen_rep_out_of_the_kitchen_iNDvkrg7yWBUgTUqRbyZhM
Good to know there are publicists with ethics out there.
She did work hard for what she has, but I think she fell victim to greed. The, there’s never enough mentality.
Okay, after reading that article, I’m wondering how ethical the publicist really is. It sounds like she didn’t want Paula Deen to ever disclose her diabetes.
I could be mistaken, but it sounds like she wanted her to continue business as usual.
Yeah, it’s not really clear what it is about the new business strategy that bothers her, is it?
No, it’s not.
Too bad she didn’t use the last three years to lose 50 pounds. I am pre diabetic and my Dr. said that even five pounds could make a difference. She didn’t get overweight by eating salads at home, now did she? You’re right, Lindsey, she has the opportunity to inspire people to manage their eating as it affects their health and so far, hasn’t done it.
Food Network and The Cooking Channel provide entertainment. ENTERTAINMENT ! I have never heard anyone say you “have to” prepare a dish “this way”. And anyone who can cook can make Paula Deen’s dishes lower in calorie. I do it all the time. I use low fat cream cheese, and Smart Balance or half butter, half Smart Balance, and Splenda instead of sugar. I’ve made some of her dishes both ways and haven’t yet found one that tastes bad with the substitutions. Paula cooks the way she was taught from her Mom or Grandma or Aunt Peggy. I’m not from the South originally, but my Mom and Grandma cooked with butter and cream and sugar. That’s just the way it was. It’s only now that we’ve become more health conscious, and it’s up to us – each of us individually- to be responsible for our own health. I think Paula is funny, and I’ll continue to watch her and alter her recipes to my liking. As far as I’m concerned, she didn’t have to EVER tell anyone about her Diabetes. That’s her own private business. If she now wants to cook healthier to help other people with Diabetes, then God Bless Her. But she doesn’t have to. It’s up to each of us to decide if we want to try her recipes or not, so get off your soapboxes and live your own lives.
I am a type 1 diabetic, which means it’s an auto immune disease, not caused by over eating. But I find Paula Deen a hypocrite and a destructive personality to people with diabetes. She hid her diabetes so she could ace a deal with a pharma company for 3 to 6 millions dollars. She’d sell her soul to the devil for a dollar bill. We are not like her in Savannah, we have class, which is not in her vocabulary.She is SHAMEFUL!