Paula Dean Fired By Food Network Over Racial Slur

@ehBeth,

BillRM is also over-looking the fact that the lawsuit against Deen alleges that, in her restaurant, only white people were promoted to the up-front positions where they most directly represented the establishment to the public. The blacks seem to have been kept in only the more menial positions, and, most often, in the back areas of the restaurant.

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@firefly,

Quote:

any evidence of bigotry, or bias, or prejudice, in terms of the language someone uses, or the groups they demean and ridicule in jokes, is simply someone not being "PC"?

I know if you can point to any facts that might or does indicate prejudices it does not matter how must other facts and evidence point in the other direction now does it at least not in your simple world view that is your stock and trade.

The fact that she went far out of her way to campaign for Obama for president is beside the point, the fact that she have a history of promoting blacks to high positions in her company does not matter in fact nothing matter at all if it would interfere with your simple minded world view of life and more important allowed you to look down on a woman who had done far better for herself then most of us on this website had done white or black or any other color.

Hell anyone who supported her is a racist even those such as Ms Green who happen to be black herself.

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@BillRM,

You didn't read the deposition. Women and blacks were continually harassed, ridiculed, and treated unfairly. Why don't you read the damn thing?

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@Mame,

Quote:

You didn't read the deposition. Women and blacks were continually harassed, ridiculed, and treated unfairly. Why don't you read the damn thing?

Because at this point such are simply claims of someone trying to get millions out of the woman business that why I do not grant it on it face any great credit as having any connection to the real world at least before a jury rule on such claims in a civil trial.

Deen admitting to having use the n word decades ago after being under the emotional pressure of just having a loaded gun at her head does not indicate one way or another that the lady is a racist any more then having the kitchen staff going in the back way and so on.

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@Mame,

Quote:

What I'd like to know is why Lisa Jackson was suing for $1.2M.

She's not doing that. She initially asked for $1.2 million in exchange for not bringing the suit.

At the moment, this suit is in federal court, alleging violations of federal law on the part of Deen and her brother as employers. It had originally been filed in State Supreme Court, Deen's attorney had it moved to federal court.

It is not a civil damages suit that's requesting a sum of money.

Deen should have paid off Jackson not to file the suit, because she knew the allegations against her brother were true, and she should have realized that the resultant publicity from a suit would seriously harm her and her entire business. Not only that, she's had well over a year to do some sort of pre-emptive damage control and she didn't do that either.

On top of her diabetes concealment, and subsequent revelation coming only at the same time as her $6 million hook-up with a drug company to promote their diabetes drug, her image couldn't withstand another major blow like this.

I saw her on the Today show this morning. She should have stayed home. She's wallowing in self-pity, and shows no insight or real understanding of what the brouhaha is all about. I felt no sympathy for her. She should stop giving interviews until she finally understands, and accepts, why she's in her current situation.

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@BillRM,

The truth is, you demean and make derogatory comments about entire groups--like women, gays, Muslim-Americans, for instance--in your posts, you regularly negatively stereotype entire groups in a way that definitely amounts to slurs.

And, I'm sure that you'll swear you're not prejudiced or biased, and you'll stupidly believe that.

So I'd hardly expect you to understand this topic. You're not defending Paula Deen, you're really trying to defend people who act and think like you.

And, even because someone holds a gun to your head, it doesn't explain why a racial slur pops into your mind--unless that racial slur is already part of your thinking. And, if you bothered to read Deen's deposition, she admitted to much more than that.

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@BillRM,

Quote:

Because at this point such are simply claims of someone trying to get millions out of the woman business that why I do not grant it on it face any great credit as having any connection to the real world at least before a jury rule on such claims in a civil trial.

I don't know if you're just incredibly stupid, or if you've convinced yourself of your own BS, or both. But, your ignorance of this topic is so stunning, it appears willful--particularly since factual information, like what was said in sworn depositions in this case, has been presented in this thread.

Quote:

Lawyer: Are you aware of Mr. Hiers admitting that he engaged in racially and sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace?

Deen: I guess

Lawyer: Okay. Well, have you done anything about what you heard him admit to doing?

Deen: My brother and I have had conversations. My brother is not a bad person. Do humans behave inappropriately? At times, yes. I don't know one person that has not. My brother is a good man. Have we told jokes? Have we said things that we should not have said, that -- yes, we all have. We all have done that, every one of us.

What don't you understand about the fact that Earl "Bubba" Hiers, Deen's brother and business partner, admitted "that he engaged in racially and sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace"? And she, by her own sworn statement, didn't do anything about that "racially and sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace".

You still need a jury verdict to convince you that 2 + 2 = 4 ?

It's really hard for you to face facts, isn't it? Particularly when the facts contradict your statements and your lame-brained opinions.

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it has been days now, what we are not seeing and would be seeing if PD was a practicing racist is piling on by food network employees and PD restaurant employees. few are talking and the ones that do say "she never acted that way around me". it is also disturbing how Jacksons claims are being claimed to be true in the media when to date I have heard not a single witness comming forwards to support her claims. I suspect that food network an Smithfield are using this as an excuse to do what they wanted to do anyway, which is sort of ok even though it lacks honesty...the real story here is of the failure of journalism, they have been driving the lynch mob but where are the facts?

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@firefly,

firefly, sexually and racially inappropriate stuff happens in damn near every kitchen, and it is not because everybody is a hater...it is about having humour to make it through a rough day after day work life, and the fact that the best humour is inappropriate.

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@hawkeye10,

If you run a business and don't understand that sexual harassment is illegal, your company should be shut down!

You don't understand anything about good business practices.

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@hawkeye10,

Quote:

it is also disturbing how Jacksons claims are being claimed to be true in the media when to date I have heard not a single witness comming forwards to support her claims.

Don't you read? Start with my last post.

Her brother admitted to racially and sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace. She admitted she was aware of it and did nothing about it. How many other witnesses do you need when the defendants involved in the suit admit to their behavior?

No one is saying Deen is a sheet-wearing or "practicing" racist.

This is about the conditions that she and her brother maintained, and contributed to, in their restaurant workplace.

Quote:

firefly, sexually and racially inappropriate stuff happens in damn near every kitchen, and it is not because everybody is a hater...it is about having humour to make it through a rough day after day work life, and the fact that the best humour is inappropriate

Humor is great. I put as much humor as I can into every day--including when I'm working. But humor doesn't have to involve derogatory or demeaning jokes, or statements, about any group of people. That sort of thing is prejudice and bias masquerading as humor.

Prejudice and discrimination and sexual harassment take many forms--none of which are appropriate in a workplace.

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@firefly,

every kichen I have ever worked in was inappropriate, but I know that in only a few cases was this due to leadership's personal beliefs. I cant make the jump from what we know about her restaurant operation to "PD is a racist"....I know too much about restaurant culture. I dont want to sanitize restaurant culture either, the days are long and hard, we need our fun. a fave practice in my place currently is making fun of liberals, getting pretty raunchy, and I live in a place were liberals almost always win the elections. does that mean that my people or I hate liberals, no. we also skewer idiots constantly, including employees to there face. restaurants are often hostile work environments.

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@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

firefly, sexually and racially inappropriate stuff happens in damn near every kitchen, and it is not because everybody is a hater...it is about having humour to make it through a rough day after day work life, and the fact that the best humour is inappropriate.

I have served, bartended, and cooked in many establishments in several cities, and other than 30 years ago when wolf whistles and leers were the norm, there has never been any kind of sexual harassment or inappropriateness and that goes double for racist behaviour. Seriously. It just doesn't happen. And it's not humorous. And it would not be tolerated, by the women or the managers. And why does one have make sexual or racial jokes in order to find humour? And I disagree with your last remark completely. The best humour is NOT inappropriate.

Sometimes I just have to wonder about you, hawkeye.

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@hawkeye10,

Perhaps this media attention will provoke wide-spread discussion of that generally "hostile work environment" in kitchens and restaurants, and the inappropriate behavior that goes on in such places--in order to start changing it wherever it goes on.

There is no reason to go on accepting that "hostile work environment". Our larger culture has changed considerably, and the culture in restaurants and their kitchens can also change. From what you're saying, it should change.

And if Deen could spear-head that kind of change, in the restaurant industry, she'd emerge as a heroine. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to have the smarts to be able to do that.

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@firefly,

She needs "heart" to do such a thing, but that's as foreign to her as her ignorance and bigotry.

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@cicerone imposter,

I feel that is overly harsh. Perhaps this incident will show her that what she tolerated and how she acted was not in accordance with how she sees herself and she will be better for it.

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@engineer,

You can always hope that she can "change her ways," but that's an awful tough expectation for someone who got away with that crap for so long. Just my opinion.

I hate bigots. That may be harsh in your eyes, but I experienced it myself as a youngster, and those who perpetrate such idiocy doesn't deserve kind words.

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Quote:

On Wednesday, Caesars Entertainment announced that it had severed ties with Ms. Deen by “mutual agreement.” There are Paula Deen-themed restaurants at Caesars properties in Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and Illinois. “Caesars intends to rebrand the restaurants in the coming months,” the company said.

“While we appreciate Paula’s sincere apologies for statements she made in her past that she recently disclosed during a deposition given in response to a lawsuit, after thoughtful consideration of their impact, we have mutually decided that it is in the best interests of both parties to part ways at this time,” said Jan Jones Blackhurst, the company’s executive vice president of communications and government affairs

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/dining/deen-takes-to-today-show-for-tearful-defense.html.

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@firefly,

restaurants are much more tame than they were in the 70's when I started, and I have no doubt but that the trend will continue. it has for instance been a long time since I have heard about guys banging the waitresses in the walk-in with iffy consent. hell, even banging during shift with full consent has become a firing offense in a lot of places.

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@hawkeye10,

"More tame" doesn't excuse your bigotry against women and sexual harassment. You're a ****'n loser in my books.

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Paula Dean Fired By Food Network Over Racial Slur

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