Break out the antacids and your glucose meters, folks. Paula Deen is back y?all!
OK, it really pained me to write that. As a fellow Georgian, I appreciate our Southern delicacies. I really do. However, Paula Deen has been the bane of my existence every time she opened her mouth and spoke. I didn’t like her before the racial slur controversy even. That voice y?all? that voice.
However, it was expected, at least in my opinion, that she would make a comeback. She had controversy. She disappeared for a little while after making her tearful apologies, and now she is preparing to come back and bring her fabulously unhealthy buttery deliciousness to us via a digital network.
Deen made this statement:
?Guess who’s going digital, y?all! I’m so excited about my new online network and can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on? Y?all can get my recipes, tips, and cooking anytime you want ? this is for you. I can’t wait to crank up the oven and get cooking for the people I love: my family, my friends, and my fans!?
Despite losing many of her endorsements after the media controversy surrounding her racial discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit, she has supposedly had offers by different companies and investors.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter:
??but in February it was reported that she received a $75 million-$100 million investment from private-equity firm Najafi Cos. to help her make a comeback.? ?
The CEO of Paula Deen Ventures shared the reason why she chose a digital network rather than the supposedly ?several offers to return to broadcast television?:
??because it gives her a greater level of direct access to her millions of fans when it is convenient for them. In addition, Paula will enjoy full creative control of the shows, recipes, and content and be able to give her fans exactly what they love most about her.?
The network is planned to be a ?subscription-based, interactive digital experience that’s expected to launch in September.?
Am I surprised? No. Again, it was to be expected. I’d like to think most celebrities try to make a comeback after controversy at some point. Despite having many detractors, she always had a faithful fan base who loved her and her recipes regardless. Maybe it will work out for Ms. Deen. I appreciate a good rags-to-riches story anytime, and she does have one. However, there’s a few things I’d like to respectfully say to Ms. Deen.
1. Please lay off the southern accent. Just bring it down one notch. I’m from farther south, and my accent isn’t that bad.
2. She can say her cooking is southern all day long, but I ain?t never seen anything like her recipes come out of my Meemaw’s or my Mama’s kitchen.
3. Lay off the butter and definitely lay off the racial slurs?please m?am!
4. If you could please get some endorsement with a major retail chain again and sell those red velvet cakes again that would be awesome!
So, are you happy to hear Ms. Deen is ?back in the saddle? and creating her own network or indifferent? Do you think her previous controversy will follow her? Do you love or hate her? Let us know your thoughts on the Liberal America Facebook page!
h/t to The Hollywood Reporter.
Edited/Published by: SB
Liz Lee considers herself a modern woman of the South and hails from the swamps of South Georgia. She votes along no party line and prefers to look at issues from all angles before taking a stance. She takes particular interest in healthcare issues, mental health issues, and the battle for equality. She is also an emphatic advocate for the end to dog breed discrimination legislation. She is a wife, mother of one human child, mother to one furry American Bully, a college student, and also your typical everyday Wonder Woman. She is also considered a tool of the devil for writing for liberals, and she’s okay with that. When she hangs up her cape, you can find her curled up in her office sewing, writing, playing World of Warcraft, or practicing banjo. You can follow her on Facebook to see what issue she is tackling.
