MB Civic

NEW YORK — Paula Deen lost another chunk of her empire on Wednesday.
HUFF POST

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced that it has ended its relationship with the Southern celebrity chef, part of the continuing fallout in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. The world’s largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., currently carries a variety of products under her moniker, including food items, cookware and health and wellness products, at all of its 4,000 U.S. namesake stores. The retailer began selling her merchandise several years ago.

“We will not place new orders beyond those already committed,” said Dave Tovar, a Wal-Mart spokesman. “We will work with suppliers to address existing inventories and agreements.”

Tovar said the retailer is still working through the details with suppliers.

The severed ties with Wal-Mart are the latest blow to Deen’s business. Meanwhile, Paula Deen’s name is being stripped from four buffet restaurants owned by Caesars. Caesars said Wednesday that its decision to rebrand its restaurants in Joliet, Ill.; Tunica, Miss.; Cherokee, N.C.; and Elizabether, Ind., was a mutual one with Deen.

Last week, the Food Network said that it would not renew the celebrity cook’s contract. And on Monday, Smithfield Foods said it was dropping her as a spokeswoman. Smithfield sold Paula Deen-branded hams in addition to featuring her as a spokeswoman.

Meanwhile, the celebrity chef’s representatives distributed nine letters supporting Deen from other companies that work with her, as she fights to keep her business empire from crumbling.

Target Corp., which carries Paula Deen-branded products, reiterated Wednesday it was “evaluating the situation.”

Deen appeared in a “Today” show interview earlier Wednesday, dissolving into tears and saying that anyone in the audience who’s never said anything they’ve regretted should pick up a rock and throw it at her head.

The chef, who specializes in Southern comfort food, repeated that she’s not a racist.

It is interesting that now, by 2013 bigotry and racism is simply not tolerated…or is it?
Like so many others, once the tide starts to turn, everyone jumps on board for the kill.
But bigotry and racism will not end with Paula Deen.
This sickness is part of our DNA, unfortunately. IT is part of the human condition and it appears in so many subtle ways. Deen is not the problem, she is just a small physical manifestation of a much larger and sicker part of the human spirit.
Personally, I never liked her approach. I found her phony with the ‘y’alls’ every other word. And certainly her recipes were terribly unhealthy, as is most southern cooking (a little bigotry there). And perhaps this will show the other bigots what happens to you when your bigotry is exposed. On the other hand, maybe this will make the bigots more bigoted and hateful toward others, not of their beliefs and color because one of there own is getting raked over the coals!
It’s easy to hate. It doesn’t take much in the way of sophistication or education to learn to hate. Maybe that is why the south is the way it is (oops’-I think I am letting my bigotry show!).
And yet, I feel bad for Paula Deen on so many levels. She worked hard, brought up a family, built an empire and now, all is crumbling down around her and she will loose everything because she told the truth.
Because she said the n-word. A white, southern woman said the n-word. Surprise, surprise!! Anyone else every use that word or any other racial slur under duress…ever? Do ya think Bobby or Jack Kennedy ever spoke badly about the Italians, What do you think…did Dr. King ever say anything bad about the Jews? For that matter what about Walt Disney the king of clean! The emperor of family entertainment…Bambie’s dad!!! He hated Jews.
Target Stores, Wal-Mart, The Food Channel all dropping Paula Deen may send a message, but it is not going to stop bigotry. It may help, who knows? I think where you stop bigotry is in your heart. We may want to begin there.