My Thoughts on Paula Deen
If you have been paying attention to the entertainment news lately, then I’m sure you know that Paula Deen has recently disclosed that she has Type II diabetes, and she has had it for the past three years. She has just come out of the diabetes closet because she is now a paid spokesperson for the diabetic medication Victoza.
A great deal of health and fitness bloggers are currently on the “Paula Deen Sucks” bandwagon, stating that she is nothing more than a hypocrite, selling both the cause (buttery, sweet dishes) and the cure (medication) for diabetes. Some of her fellow chefs and former fans are now condemning Paula.
Please note: the remainder of this article is nothing more than my opinions. You may agree or disagree, and I welcome a discussion in the comments section!
So, what are my thoughts about Paula Deen? Well, my wife is a huge fan. Me, not so much. I’m certainly not opposed to Paula Deen, but as someone who lives in the South, I’ve always found her over-the-top Southern accent a bit much. Don’t get me wrong; I know Southerners who talk that way, but Ms. Deen’s accent became much more pronounced as she got more popular. When she was just starting out, she talked the way most Southerners talk, with a bit of a twang and not so much y’alls.
Accent aside, I’ve never given her a great deal of thought one way or the other. I’ve certainly watched her show on a few occasions and wondered how on Earth she didn’t keel over from a heart attack before the cameras stopped rolling. Then again, I’ve thought the same thing about Emeril Lagasse. Ultimately, I came to what I believe is a sensible conclusion, based solely upon visual data.
They don’t eat every meal the way they cook on television. They couldn’t. Biggest Loser level workouts wouldn’t result in them weighing less than four or five hundred pounds.
Yet, now that she has announced herself as a diabetic, I find the hatred she is receiving unfair.
In my eyes, I see calling Paula Deen a hypocrite for having diabetes, continuing to cook with butter and sugar on her show, and then endorsing diabetic medication no different than blaming McDonald’s for obesity.
Now, if you think McDonald’s is at fault for obesity, then nothing else I am going to say is going to have any impact or weight.
Aside from the fact that there are still numerous studies showing that diet may not have an effect on diabetes, let’s go ahead and say, 100% conclusively, that it does. Eating the way Ms. Deen cooks will cause diabetes.
Whose fault is it? Hers or ours? If I choose to cook the way she does on her show and eat that way, it is my responsibility for my own health to be aware of the health risks.
More than that, I don’t blame her for now endorsing Victoza. I have Google Adsense on my blog. A LOT of bloggers do. I see diet programs advertised that I know I don’t support, but because I’m a healthy living blogger, those diet ads pop up. If you click on them, I get money. (Tiny, tiny amounts of money. Trust me – this blog is not going to let me retire. I haven’t even recouped my expenses yet, but that’s okay because I do this because I enjoy it.) Granted, Paula Deen makes more money farting than I probably see in a decade, but that is her right to do so.
More than that, the only way I could reconcile her as a hypocrite is if she had previously stated “Diabetes medication is harmful.” To the best of my knowledge, she has never done that.
I view her as a shrewd businesswoman who came up with a business model and is now using it and is continuing to use it in this new hand that life has dealt her.
As for the claim that she should have told us three years ago, bull crap! Being any type of public person, whether you have a show on Food network or write a blog that three people a week read does not require you to share all information about yourself.
It is certainly everyone else’s right to see her as a hypocrite. That’s the great thing about this country. I’m not even trying to change anyone’s opinion. If you think she is the devil, that’s fine by me. I’ll continue to read your blogs, comment, and think warm fuzzy thoughts about you. I just want to share my thoughts on the matter, because I feel she has been unjustly vilified.
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4 Responses to “My Thoughts on Paula Deen”
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I like her, especially after reading her memoir. She has had some difficult life situations, but obviously persevered and made herself successful. Some of the things she says, well…let’s just say that when “olive oil” comes out of her mouth, I laugh out loud. Every time. I do get tired of the sexual innuendos, though. I’m not a prude, I just don’t wanna hear ‘em from her!
I do think the money and success have gone to her head a bit. It’s ridiculous. She’s not as bad as Sir Charles and his new WW for men ads, though. I want to vomit every time I see him on TV!
I’ve never been a big fan because her style of cooking isn’t appealing to me. I guess i don’t judge her for keeping her health problems under wraps, she’s entitled to personal privacy. But i heard she said she has always preached moderation, and i thought that just laughable.
Im still shaaaaaking my head over all this.
I do find it disturbing that she continued cooking like that knowing that her food would lead people down the same path she had gone down. I know from personal experience that a lot of her recipes can be easily modified. And she could have mentioned those modifications. You know? I don’t think she had to tell anyone – that’s definitely her business. I use her cookbooks frequently, but I sure don’t make her recipes like she recommends! If I did, I’d be in trouble!!
Maybe I just had too high expectations for her because I’ve always admired her. Star struck and all of that.
Diane Fit to the Finish recently posted..Did Paula Deen Have a Moral Responsibility?