Paula Deen witch hunt.

[Gravekeeper]

Baldwin is a dick, but Baldwin isn't selling a wholesome, down home family image in a benign time slot on a relatively tame TV network. If Alec Baldwin calls you a cunt on live TV, you think "Jesus, what an asshole". If Martha Stewart calls you a cunt on live TV, her empire crumbles because its the antithesis of the product she normally sells.

That said, regardless of how many of the allegations are true, Paula Deen destroyed herself by mishandling the entire thing. He utterly horrific, blubbering apologies completely sunk her. Because people look at that and go "Well, she must have said/done something horrible if she has to apologize like that".

If she had denied it and said wait for the trial, treated it as a minor infraction from her past or simply stuck to no comment, the circus would have died down. But because she manufactured this huge production around herself, she churned up the waters even more.

[Ginger Tea]

Radio dead air's latest WTFIWWY live opened with her and Tera commented that Alec had been rather ignored, but that wasn't the piece they talked about.

She had been offered a 6 figure deal to work for a milf porn site.

[Pixilated]

I've only been vaguely following the Paula Deen stuff but I think Gravekeeper has nailed it. There's a big difference, rightly or wrongly, in the public perception of an incident like this when the person is a known twit as opposed to someone who's presenting a Walton Family-type image.

As for her apologies, does she not have a PR firm? Or did she decide not to listen to them/let them handle it? Or were her over-the-top apologies their suggestion? (If the latter ... there may be some job vacancies there right about now ...)

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

If she had denied it and said wait for the trial, treated it as a minor infraction from her past or simply stuck to no comment, the circus would have died down. But because she manufactured this huge production around herself, she churned up the waters even more.

I disagree with that somewhat. While yes, her and her blubbering apologies may have been chum in the waters for the media sharks...

It's equally likely in this day and age of media feeding frenzies that they would have seen her trying to downplay this and thought "She's trying to keep this quiet. Trying to keep it under wraps. SHE MUST BE GUILTY! ARGLEBARGLE!!!!"

We live in a world where society LOVES to bring down anyone they can get their virtual grappling hooks into. Recently there was a video blog by some relatively well known somebody who was talking about how Mr. Rogers was an evil person.

I think this is a case of Paula being damned either way.

[Ree]

If she had denied it and said wait for the trial, treated it as a minor infraction from her past or simply stuck to no comment, the circus would have died down. But because she manufactured this huge production around herself, she churned up the waters even more.

To be fair, she was under oath at a deposition when the question was asked of her about the "N" word, and someone leaked her deposition to the press.

That's when the crap hit the fan.

The press went on a field day, "She was under oath and admitted to using the 'N' word."

Yeah, a "no comment" or "wait for the trial" would probably have been better, but I think she felt that taking it to public video apologies was going to help her image.

Unfortunately, it seems to have done more harm from the sponsors' point of view.

The companies may be dropping her, but her restaurants are booming and people are rushing to buy her stuff while they still can. In fact, there is a massive campaign to support her by sending empty butter wrappers to all the sponsors who have dropped her, and to boycott them.

[Tanasi]

A local furniture store that had a relationship with her has said it will continue said relationship. She handled the whole thing badly and now her "empire" has crumbled. Maybe in the long run this might be for the best, I've heard that she would like more time to spend with her grand-babies and I for one couldn't think of a better thing to spend time on. My grand-babies will be 1 on the 4th.

[Girlfiend]

The question I have is why should we care? Seriously! This is just one more celebrity in a long line of celbrities who have had the media rip them a new asshole. Why the fuss? So we lose Paula Deen. I'm sure another chef will steip up and take her place.

[Bloodsoul]

I s'pose you can lump me in with the camp that doesn't really care one way or another. Maybe it's just because I may (or may not) be wise enough to know that the Paula Deen on television isn't the same as the Paula Deen in private, thus I shouldn't expect her, or anyone else, to always behave in a cheerful, friendly, sugary-sweet manner.

Recently there was a video blog by some relatively well known somebody who was talking about how Mr. Rogers was an evil person.

Well there was that whole incident with the "Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny."

[Gravekeeper]

The companies may be dropping her, but her restaurants are booming and people are rushing to buy her stuff while they still can. In fact, there is a massive campaign to support her by sending empty butter wrappers to all the sponsors who have dropped her, and to boycott them.

Thats sort of the sad part of stuff like this. Yes, the mainstream will drop the brand, but the morons that actually agree or don't see the problem flock in to support it. See: The Chick'a'Fil gay marriage incident.

I think she'll falter out of the mainstream but still make a decent living in good ol' boy country with people that don't see a problem with anything she said. Its doubtful she'll ever get another network TV show or national product line. But yeah there's no real threat to her restaurant in Georgia or any other more local endeavors she might have.

[lordlundar]

Recently there was a video blog by some relatively well known somebody who was talking about how Mr. Rogers was an evil person.

That was Fox and it was because he was actually encouraging kids to be generally good people. They were claiming it was some socialist indoctrination.

[Tanasi]

Thats sort of the sad part of stuff like this. Yes, the mainstream will drop the brand, but the morons that actually agree or don't see the problem flock in to support it. See: The Chick'a'Fil gay marriage incident.

I think she'll falter out of the mainstream but still make a decent living in good ol' boy country with people that don't see a problem with anything she said. Its doubtful she'll ever get another network TV show or national product line. But yeah there's no real threat to her restaurant in Georgia or any other more local endeavors she might have.

Whether you agree with what she said or not, the woman asked for forgiveness. You're free to forgive or not. As far as I'm concerned she didn't wrong me and there was nothing for me to forgive her for. The adult thing to do is either forgive the woman or not and move on. Continuing to pile on is just plain cruel.

BTW what do you know about the good ol' boy's??? I'd say many don't agree with what she said but have the common decency to forgive and forget. Not all good ol' boys are racist (well except of the white ones they're just born racist.)

It seems to me that the "progressive" folks not only want to destroy someone but make sure their stomped into the mud and stay stomped into the mud.
Now what I'm about to say is probably a foreign concept to some here but how about: Treat her as you'd want to be treated...

Anyways to be politically correct and fit in: A pox on her house and all in it for seven generations!!!!

[Hyena Dandy]

The more I read about this story, the more I agree with Anne Rice calling it a witch hunt. The goal doesn't seem to be getting rid of racism, just scapegoating it. Finding someone who is already fairly 'other' to the progressive establishment, and jumping on her to show how liberal we are.

I don't think it's about ending racism. I think it's about how liberal and great we are for wanting to.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mariadi...ives-and-race/

Article I found.