I actively tried to allow the coverage of Paula Deen’s Mess drop off after last week’s non-stop craziness. The last time I checked in, Paula was losing about three endorsements a day, and the backlash against Paula’s critics was gaining some support. For the record, I think the “backlash against Paula’s critics” is kind of weird because Paula’s supporters seem to think/act like the ONLY reason Paula has lost support is because she said the n-word once, twice, three times a butter lady. In my mind, Paula is losing support because of the larger claims against her within the lawsuit filed by ex-employees, and because she has given really terrible explanations for why all of this has happened.
Paula’s supporters decided to show their support for their Butter Queen by pre-ordering her cookbook on Amazon. The pre-orders got so crazy that the cookbook was #1 on Amazon last week. Well, bad news for those supporters:
The demolition derby known as Paula Deen’s empire rolls on — she’s just been dropped by one of her publishers, which says it will no longer release her next project … which was expected to be a best seller.
In a statement released Friday, Ballantine Books announced it has cancelled the publication of “Paula Deen’s New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up”.
But get this … even though the book wasn’t set to come out until October, it’s already #1 on Amazon with pre-order sales.
Ballantine adds its name to the long list of companies abandoning ship in light of Deen’s n-word controversy … The Food Network, QVC, JCPenny, and Smithfield Hams, etc
Ballantine Books is a subsidiary of Random House, and it’s believed that Random House pulled the plug. Paula’s literary agent, Janis Donnaud, told the WSJ: “I’m very confident we’ll find a new publisher. I am sorely disappointed in Random House’s behavior for a number of reasons that will become apparent.” Paula has a legit contract with Random House too, for multiple cookbooks, so this could become another legal minefield. Meanwhile, the publishers of the “Cooking with Paula Deen” magazine are sticking with her… for now.
As for where Paula goes from here… well, “Naughty But Nice Rob” reports that Dancing With the Stars producers are considering extending an invitation to Paula for next season. An ABC insider says, “The producers would love to have Paula join the cast of next season. They have a history of casting controversial people like Kate Gosselin and Bristol Palin, if Paula says ‘yes,’ you can add her to that list.”
Meanwhile, the woman who first filed the lawsuit against Deen has spoken publicly about the scandal. Lisa Jackson (who is white, and the former manager of Paula’s restaurants) released a statement saying that the lawsuit “has never been about racial slurs… [It’s about] disrespect and degradation of people that she deems to be inferior.”
Photos courtesy of WENN.
What’s one less celebrity cook in the world?
No one will care.
The butter industry might take a hit though.
exactly. she can fill in as Ursula in some moth-eaten touring production of the Little Mermaid.
Oh my god she could. LOL!
If the book already has enough orders to be a bestseller (and these people have paid real money to pre-order), then it is a stupid business decision to dump the book. The publisher doesn’t have to promote it – it’s already making them tons of money. Stupid business move.
I heard a big part of the reason they dropped her was because Target, Walmart, and a few other stores are pulling her products. Random house dropped her because they can’t sell her products everywhere.
Good point. A lot of the sales figures come from bulk sales from giant chain stores.
She’ll have a new publisher by the end of the week
I hope some other publisher picks up her book and makes millions. This has gone beyond over blown! I don’t see Alec Baldwin’s sponsors dropping him and this is about the 10th time he has screamed at paparazzi using homophobic language!!
No, Jess, it is about time people stop putting up with nonsense. And Baldwin should get his as well. You cannot turn a blind eye to Deen simply because Hollywood and the media choose to support their own. People need to get in an uproar about the double standard that happens in Hollywood.
Personally, I’d like for us to hold our politicians to the same standards that we hold our celebs too.
EDIT: @Mich-completely agree with you.
The tenth time he has screamed at paps using homophobic language? When did the other nine occur?
His ‘sponsors’? Who would that be?
Surely you know the difference between Alec Baldwin having another rage moment and immediately apologizing and systemic discrimination in the workplace?
@Jess
Though it’s been explained a few times before, I’ll say it again.
the situation that PD finds herself in is NOT SOLELY DUE TO ONE OFFENSIVE WORD UTTERED BY HER 25 YEARS AGO. There is much more to it than that.
though Baldwin’s language is offensive, he didn’t engage in a pattern of discrimination against and disenfranchisement of his employees like Deen did.
Google Alec Baldwin yells at paparazzi. He has called them every ugly homophobic word not once but many times. One of his sponsors is Capital One credit card. I agree with Jess. They should hold him to the same accountability as Paula.
Alec Baldwin was offensive but did not break the law. He did this once and then apologized for his words on his own – nobody had to sue him. He DIDN’T SPEND YEARS ACTIVELY DENYING PEOPLE THEIR LEGAL RIGHT to fair treatment in the workplace. Why is that so difficult for so many people to understand?
I have no problem with the likes of Fox News coming down on Baldwin for what he said (although it is a little rich from a source so anti gay rights). But to use that as a basis for excusing Deen is unacceptable.
eh I’m kind of on the fence here, I don’t agree with PD but at the same time I think she got more backlash than other celebrities because she’s an old white conservative woman from the south, I think it was one of the TMZ people that said he didn’t think there was any malice in PD intent but that she was stuck in a very old way of thinking…I don’t know if that’s true but I do think that she got it a lot worse than a lot of people who have said and done worse
Yes old white women are famously targeted by the press and the public.
I mean, just look at Betty White.
*eye roll*
..and she’s not a conservative, she’s a Democrat who voted for Obama.
Stuck in an “old way of thinking”? You know who else is 66? Susan Sarandon. I wonder how she’s managed to avoid becoming a racist? Dolly Parton, 67 years old, born in Tennessee–NOT RACIST.
So let’s stop making excuses based on age, gender and geographical location, for abhorrent and intolerable behavior.
Look, if you haven’t read the transcripts then you simply can’t give an educated opinion about this.
Deen is getting the backlash she deserves.
to “@Mich”, NOT “Mich”…
“He has called them every ugly homophobic word not once but many times.”
links, please? I googled just as you suggested, and the only incidents that came up other than the recent one was one in which he ALLEGEDLY (subsequently disproved) uttered a racial slur and another where he was accused of “assaulting” a pap, but that’s it.
yeah, he’s a rage monster for sure but he has not been accused of systematic discrimination/disenfranchisement against employees.
Lucy said, “he didn’t think there was any malice in PD intent but that she was stuck in a very old way of thinking…I don’t know if that’s true but I do think that she got it a lot worse than a lot of people who have said and done worse.”
How can their be no malice when you are told REPEATEDLY, even by outside consulting firms, that you are abusing your staff and breaking the law? This wasn’t about one word being used. As someone accurately said above, they systematically discriminated against their staff. Women shouldn’t be forced to watch p0rn at work, general managers shouldn’t be told to only hire “light” staff to work up front, and employees shouldn’t be physically assaulted at work and forced to work without pay.
WHO has said and done worse that what Paula has done??? The words are wrong, but the actions are so HORRIFIC.
They likely saw beyond the pre-sales and knew that in order to really turn a profit, they’d need her to further promote the book. This means going on a book tour, making public appearances, and opening herself up to further opportunities to say crazy things on TV. I’m pretty sure that after her appearance on the Today Show, they saw this as a liability and cut her loose.
Plus pre-orders don’t mean anything. Customers aren’t charged until the item ships. So their passion in June could cool by the time October rolls around and they’s cancel the order, leaving the publisher with a bunch of cookbooks there’s no demand for.
It speaks volumes to me that Lisa Jackson and the other defendants haven’t been giving statements left and right and appearing on every media outlet and talk show. If they were, I would suspect they’re just making stuff up or wildly embellishing to become famous and profit off of that newfound fame. As it is, they’re staying fairly quiet—which makes me believe they are in this for the right reasons and are telling the truth.
Well I am sure their attorneys have advised them to do so. And I am sure they are having the time of their lives watching this epic failure occur.
I’m sure Paual’s attorneys have counseled her, too, but she clearly didn’t listen.
Round One and Two to the complaintants. 🙂
Exactly. I’m sure their attorneys told them to STFU.
Some other publisher will pick it up, but by the time October rolls around, most of her ill-informed supporters will probably have forgotten about it or move on to someone else.
ABC is very dumb if they hire her – her “controversy” is very different from Gosselin or Palin.
ha ha “one, twice, three times a butter lady” awesome, it’s all I got..
The use of the ‘N’ word and ANY racial motivated hate is reprehensible. Paula will have no career (for now). And yet Chris Brown, who beat the shit out of a woman, still has a career. Surely it’s time to equate racism with sexism? Just a thought.
+ 1
Paula still has a career. No one took away her restaurants or told her she can’t cook anymore. And Chris did lose his endorsements, and he probably would have been forgotten if Rihanna hadn’t taken him back.
Doubtful. Sean Penn beat Madonna. Look where he’s at right now.
I think her actions were appalling. I think she has the deep-south racism in her. That said, I really do wonder what would have happened had this been a man. I mean, one day last week, amongst all this hubbub, was a homophobic rant made by Alec Baldwin; even GLAAD didn’t care. So I guess that is my main problem with this whole sage; she is getting treated differently because she is a woman (which is its own level of karma for her but not great for women).
IMO, the difference btw Alec and Paula is that he has never tried to portray himself as anything other than who he is, a hot head actor. He has apologized many times and has never pulled any punches. Paula, on the other hand, has branded herself a down home cookin’, aw-shucks, sweet as pie home maker. When that image gets blown out of the water by how she has been treating her employees, wanting a plantation style (i just can’t with this) wedding for her son and constantly making excuses instead of apologies…the backlash is huge. I think people feel as though they have bought into a lie. The public makes these people happen and no one likes to get the wool pulled over their eyes. Kate Gosselin is another prime example. She portrayed herself as a hard working mom who wants nothing but the best for her kids and any money they make goes to the kids, but the minute the money started rolling in, it was all fake marital bliss, plastic surgery and appearing on any tv show that would take her.
Agreed. What he did may not have been illegal but it was wrong. I wish his corporate sponsors would drop him but I suspect they keep him BECAUSE he is what he is and that drums up publicity for them. Paula sold her image as a buttery grandma cooking up you favorite foods. Alec sells his image of a take-no-prisoners guy who doesn’t take crap from anyone. Unfortunately, there’s a different expectation of behavior.
But his day is coming. I hope.
Alec Baldwin DOESN’T HAVE CORPORATE SPONSORS! Jeez. Or if he does, who are they?
Capital One is the only one he has but I doubt they GAF because his image is a snarky one.
He has no sponsors. He shills for GE Capital; they don’t sponsor him.
@bluhare-ok gotcha. Thanks for clarifying the difference.
Finally-some sensible people.
I could go on and on about this but I’ll distill it down to a simple explanation:
When a celebrity makes millions and millions of dollars from endorsement deals, then their worth becomes solely as good as the image they project. If that image is shit, their endorsements are worth shit. It’s really that simple.
Baldwin has anger issues but he’s never portrayed himself to be a saccharine-sweet kind of guy. He has one endorsement deal that I know of, Deen had 15 endorsement deals. That means, 15 companies paying into her image, an image that was based on a lie. Do you really think the American public thought this “sweet old southern lady” would say, “If you think I have worked this hard to lose everything because of a piece of p*ssy, you better think again”??? And this is just ONE of many quotes from Deen that clearly illustrate she is not even remotely the same person that she projects to the American public.
I mean come on.
Another contrast–despite Baldwin using the word “queen” in reference to a homosexual, he has spent time and money to further gay rights, THIS is why GLAAD forgave him-they recognize that an idiotic and impulsive rant means less when you’re putting your money where your mouth is and actively campaigning for gay rights.
BIG DIFFERENCE. Apples and oranges people.
As far as it being a case of sexism: In my opinion, the feminist movement should be like the United Nations-if you are not a party to the treaty, then you are not protected by the UN. If you are not a party to the feminist movement, then you are not protected by the movement. If you sold you soul to cover for your piece of sh*t brother while allowing female employees to fester in a volatile workplace, then you don’t get to turn around and pretend to be a victim of sexism. Hell, Deen PERPETUATED and SUPPORTED sexism—–she ain’t no feminist, guys.
Snaps for this comment!
Exactly. She ruined “the brand.” That is what these companies are selling to the public.
Watch out, Kitten. Next thing you know, someone on here will be accusing you of being anti-gay because you pointed out that Deen’s scandal is a bit different due to the employment practices. Happened to me last week. I’ve spent four whole days crying about it, as you can well imagine. (eyes to heaven)
Excellent, OriginalKitten. I salute you. You have made me forget my preference for dogs. For the day.
@Thiajoka-Yeah that thread was pretty brutal. I tried to tread lightly in there because I sensed the hostility. But after trying to be as objective as possible-I mean REALLY trying-in the end I simply couldn’t agree with most posters that Baldwin is just as bad as Deen. He shouldn’t have said it-it was wrong-but it’s not on the same level IMO.
Thanks, guys. And Katherine-I only love cats *slightly* more than dogs so I can meet you halfway on that 😉
OMG, thank you so much TOK!
I have had some dear friends of mine suggest that Paula is the victim of sexism, and it needs to be pointed out that she isn’t the victim of sexism…she is the one who was being sexist!
When you tell a woman that she will never get paid more than a man because she is a woman, that is the DEFINITION of sexism!
When you know that women are being forced to watch p0rn at work, and you tell them “boys will be boys” you are complicit in the crime!
I’m not really sure why you feel the need to be condescending to me about my OPINION, TOK. I think if this was a man who pulled the same sh*t, they would absolutely not get slaughtered like this. And as for the belief that women should not reap the benefits of the feminist movement unless they are actively involved in it, WOW. That’s pretty sad that you think ALL women don’t deserve equality.
Plus, I generally find that when someone feels the need to attack someone with a differing opinion, they are usually close-minded individuals, much like Paula Deen herself.
Dr. Doolittling, do you think it would be wrong if a man told his female employees that they will never be paid more than a man because they are a woman? Made them watch p0rn at work? Told them that if it ever came down to firing a man or a woman, to fire a woman because “they are a dime a dozen”?
Because if you agree that the above is wrong, you should condemn it no matter if it was done by a man or woman. Perhaps society’s reaction would be less intense if this were done by a man…but it shouldn’t be. ANYONE who treats employees like that should face serious consequences. Currently, there is no pop culture male equivalent to what Paula has allowed as a business owner.
@ drdoolittling
Mel Gibson – forever tainted by his antisemitic statements and misogyny
Michael Richards – career destroyed
John Galliano – forever linked to antisemitism
Male or female, public figures who get caught with their hand in the hate jar pay the price. And what Deen did was WORSE than any man on this list because she caused actual harm, not just hurt feelings.
+1 for the last paragraph! I’ll never understand how a woman can allow that environment for other women.
Dr Doolittling-I’m sorry you took my comment as a response to yours but it wasn’t so please calm down.
My comment of “finally some sensible people” was in response to the commenters with whom I agreed, you most certainly do not fall into that category.
And yes, I firmly stand by my perception that women who treat other women like garbage are not entitled to seek protection under the guise of “sisterhood”. One doesn’t spend her life supporting and endorsing a patriarchal society and then get to whine about being a victim of sexism. If you support that societal imbalance then you don’t get to complain about it when it bites you in the ass-see how that works?
Talk about defensive–there was not one illuminating or relevant insight in your post, just anger and defensiveness. More reactionary behavior which seems to be painfully common when it comes to Deen’s fan club.
Hello Kitty! You are SOOO right. Deen forced her black male employees to dress like slaves at her plantation (!!!), and after bowing and scraping in the sun for hours, paid them with BEER. When one man protested, saying he not only didn’t drink alcohol, but that he and his wife had a newborn and he really needed to get paid in a negotiable currency: she fired him.
She’s trying to revive SLAVERY as a LIFESTYLE– and a celebratory one at that.
Paula Deen should have to sleep on cardboard and beg for butter balls to survive.
Paula Deen should have apologized AT LEAST ONCE. She never did. She did one of those fake azz “I’m sorry if you were offended by my utterly insane behavior, here’s your negotiable currency”- but no. She blubbered and slobbered all over that dizgusting Matt Lauer, as if SHE was a victim!
Thank you OriginalKitten, again. Referring to a female manager of one of her stank restaurants as “my little Jew”? Auuurrrggghhhh
She brings out the (p)irate in me.
Never been a Paula Deen fan, but those who support her now, are on my official turd list.
Kitten, you win the internet this week.
Is that a chinchilla coat she’s wearing? It better be fake! I have a number of pet chinchillas and they deserve way better than this.
It’s not fake. Her personality and her teeth are, but not the coat.
HA!
Same here! I am furious about that coat! You can see how many little bodies it took to make it.
Sometimes publishers include a “morality clause” in their contracts so if the author does something “immoral” they aren’t stuck with them.
WTF naming her book THE NEW TESTAMENT? I’m not even religious but that offends me.
Most of the lawsuit was about her brother Bubba (you can read the whole thing online). She could have settled but she didn’t! She deserves whatever happens – although Walmart dropping her is the height of hypocrisy.
My first thought was “Who needs a fur coat in Savannah?” Her travels to the North must require it.
Hahaha! Good.
She is a dirty minded foul mouth old rich hag who pretends to be a sweet southern belle looking at her videos shes being sued for keeping from court indicates what a true sicko she really is doing vulgar sexual things to pastries and comparing food to stinky coochies? I find it very disturbing that she feels she is worthy enough to represent the food network in that manner and now she admits to calling people racial insultive names ? Stick a fork in her she is done!!
Thanks Kaiser for pointing out the real cause of the endorsements being dropped. Not just for saying the N word, but what is in that deposition. What she as the BOSS has allowed or turned a blind eye to.
I think the N word is clouding the issue of employees being harassed and mistreated. That is what these sponsors are backing away from. She is ONE person. and these companies are not going to risk the loss of millions of consumers for ONE person.
Ms. Jackson’s statement should be given to all Paula’s supporters and detractors.
the lawsuit “has never been about racial slurs… [It’s about] disrespect and degradation of people that she deems to be inferior.”
Sadly, may of her supporters have read the transcripts and STILL maintain that Lisa Jackson is an angry ex-employee with an axe to grind. The denial runs deep when it comes to the Deen fan base.
Her supporters are the very definition of “there are none so blind as those who will not see.”
(Enjoyed reading all your posts on this thread, btw.)
Is jealous Sandra Lee behind all this..? Semi homemade not making the number one best seller grade even with her famous partner/BF mansion sharing Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo? J/K.. I am sure this is Guy or Emeril.. Al Brown is above vindictive jealousy.. Martha is pfft.. who? Oh she has a nice house and dog, garden..
Yay the return of the Cheeto tumor pic!
Double standards do exist in media treatment, but I think Alec Baldwin is a bad comparison. His twitter rant against a reporter is nothing compared to years of bigoted treatment of employees.
And, Neelo? Alec Baldwin used to be GORGEOUS. I mean, he was on fire! Paula Deen is and always has been just a big ol’ nasty bag o’ buttah.
I sure don’t like her!
Please agree with me everyone.
I’ve had a VERY bad day.
Thanking you in advance.
It’s called KARMA, Paula. Enjoy it.
I was reading an article about Deen on another website. Every single time a commenter started talking about “it was one word said 20 or 40 years ago,” the moderator would paste in the links to the deposition and the complaint and say: You didn’t read the article or the documents. Read these first.
It got to be pretty funny because the moderator pasted it in at least fifteen or twenty times. Slowly, the rest of the story is filtering out. On the positive side, a few people commented that after reading the documents they were convinced it was wrong to defend Deen.
When a #1 book with tons of pre-orders gets dropped that should tell you that the publisher is concerned about much more than one word. They thought this through. They don’t care if another publisher buys it. They expect it. They were just done.
Aw, come on, what website?
It was a site I’ve never heard of before. I can’t remember the name. I’m sorry! However, I can tell you the original article the site was quoting came from Black Legal Issues. The title is: The Paula Deen Incident: You Should Know all that is Being Alleged Before Defending Her. (I wasn’t sure if including links here was okay.) If you have read the legal documents, you don’t necessarily need to read this. The author condenses everything and lays out all the allegations.
So, yes, they are allegations (although Deen herself admits to certain things in her own words in the deposition). However, once people understand what the case is about, it’s pretty easy to see that Deen has been dropped by everyone because of the entirety of the case and not one racist word.
I have a hard time believing anyone would think it was okay to not pay their employees. If so, they can go work for Deen.
You know after all the legal documents that are available for everyone to read online, plus the summarized versions from the press, I’m still shocked that everyone is focusing on the cause of her downfall to be that word. It is not about the word. It is about how she mistreated her employees (paying them with beer, really?). How her brother is a disrespectful idiot etc.
Companies did not back away from her because of that word. It is a part of the sum but if you take everything that was put together in that lawsuit, she was an overall negligent owner of her empire. Yes, her brother did all those things listed but as the principal owner of the business, she is liable. Especially since she didn’t do anything to stop it – even after her business minders told her it was illegal and she could get in trouble.
I see her attorneys are trying to get part of her suit dismissed: http://tv.yahoo.com/news/paula-deen-uses-prop-8-ruling-seek-partial-212010794.html
Based on the Prop 8 ruling – that is rich!
Today I took my son to the doctor and Rachel Ray was on the tv. Why couldn’t she have been the racist? Prior to this, I liked Paula Deen.
Well, she does have a husband who spits on her and frequents prostitutes and she hasn’t seen fit to leave him, so there’s that.
Remember when she lost her Dunkin Donuts endorsement because she wore a scarf similar to what terrorist wear?
IKR Sadly unbearable doesn’t make you un-endorsable. :\
It is rather interesting that none of her peers from the Food Network have said anything about her. They are acting as if she has never existed. What gets my knickers in a bunch is she is still featured on “Not My Mamma’s Meals”. I simply cannot stand her on the show. So if the Food Network dropped her, I am assuming that the Cooking Channel is still allowing her be on her son’s show?
They were probably filmed before all of this went down. I bet Food Network will cancel the son’s show after all of this dies down.
U know I hope it stays this way but my gut is saying a few years from now she will back on top.. I hope that’s not the case but something tells me they are waiting for this to all blow over than back to normal…
Isn’t there something EEO can do regarding her behaviour
I doubt it. She’s not Martha Stewart. Martha’s whole empire seemed to be crumbling too and she got a spot in jail. She made a comback. BUT her offenses were far less disgusting then Paulas. Stewart just did some insider trading, Deen’s are much worse and not something she can comeback from imo.
There’s also the fact that she had already been caught out being less than forthcoming about her diabetes and the fact that she couldn’t even eat the food she was encouraging others to consume. She managed to PR her way out of that one, but now she’s just looking like a person of seriously questionable character and business ethics.
I think the bigger story here is wtf is that on her face in the second picture?
Microphone.
Oh, thank goodness. I didn’t see that it went to her ear. I just saw this thing. I was going to guess food 🙂
The woman DEFENDED SLAVERY.
She’s one for the rocket to Mars too.
Bingo! Thank you, Emily.
I am NOT saying I agree with this article, but a lot of people having been talking about the double standard so I thought I’d post this article I saw. If it is correct, it does put it in a different light for me. I didn’t know Lisa Jackson changed her story. I also know the Daily Beast hates Alec, so I do take it with a grain of salt.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/01/why-has-paula-deen-been-vilified-while-alec-baldwin-s-been-given-a-pass.html
Not one comment about the pigtails??
(I mean, she’s a heinous human being and all, but this is Celebitchy! Those pigtails are ridiculous. Like she’s trying to be Marianne from Gilligan’s Island.)
I’d say it’s more of an Ellie Mae Clampett look, who if she’s still alive by the way, has been rocking the same look since The Beverly Hillbillies went off the air. Some real Miss Havisham shit there.
Perhaps with the cancellation of that book,it may have erroneously helped prevent further diagnoses of coronary disease,diabetes,obesity etc.Just watching her show on the Food Network is enough to make you sick!
Good God! She looks like an older, FATTER version of Ellie Mae Clampett!!!
I’m confused. She used a word many years ago and it’s now ok to destroy her life? What am I missing?
Everything.