That's It Y'All - Paula Deen Fired from Food Network for Racial Slur

by Laura Heffner

A lawsuit brought against Paula Deen for a racial slur has ended her reign at the Food Network.  The network has opted to not renew her three shows.  This has brought on a slew of apologies and Deen has gracefully backed away by thanking the network for their support.  

I think Deen is someone you either love or hate.  Initially, I enjoyed her southern charm though I thought her food was overly rich and chock full of calories.  I would modify her recipes whlie admiring her tenacity to which she would send her sons out to sell her cooking to local businesses.  

When it came to light that she had Type II diabetes for some time but never addressed it in her shows or adjusted the cooking that had most likely contributed to her diagnosis, I felt that money was more important than being responsible to her adoring audience.  Granted, people are entitled to their privacy but I had a hard time reconciling that her style of cooking could be contributing to viewers also being diagnosed with diabetes.  

Deen missed a wonderful opportunity to help turn tables on the disease as people adore her and she has a very loyal following.  I'm certain at that point she had acquired much wealth and could have used her celebrity to encourage people toward a healthier lifestyle.  Maybe her contracts with the Food Network would not have allowed that, I really don't know the details.  It seems that she could have modified her cooking and kept her popularity.  

I had already been modifying her recipes with a good rate of success and I am just a hack cook as it is.  If nothing else, Deen has built up an empire and though you see her now promoting how she lost weight in other magazines, for me, it just seems opporunistic at this point and she lost her credibility with me.  It seems the public and network are starting to see the same picture.  Though I will say I do like Paula Deen and I do not think she should have been fired for using a racial slur years back.  I just think she could have used her celebrity to make a significant impact on people's health.