In case you haven't heard, Paula Deen's career has imploded, exploded and all but vaporized in the past few weeks. Gone from Food Network. No more Smithfields or diabetes drug endorsements. Gone are the product lines and Ceasar's Deen themed restaurants. All for why? Well, it turns out that Deen and her brother were being sued for sexual harassment and a racially charged atmosphere in the restaurant they co-own. Deen was deposed and asked a simple question: Have you ever used the N-word.
"Yes, of course," Deen replied, though she added: "It's been a very long time."Asked to give an example, Deen recalled the time she worked as a bank teller in southwest Georgia in the 1980s and was held at gunpoint by a robber. The gunman was a black man, Deen told the attorney, and she thought she used the slur when talking about him after the holdup. "Probably in telling my husband," she said.Deen said she may have also used the slur when recalling conversations between black employees at her restaurants, but she couldn't recall specifics."But that's just not a word that we use as time has gone on," Deen said. "Things have changed since the '60s in the South. And my children and my brother object to that word being used in any cruel or mean behavior. As well as I do."
Now, I'm not about to carry water for Paula Deen here, but the 1980's? The lawsuit also mentions sexual harassment. The 1980's would be before all the sexual harassment laws that have been put into place since high profile cases like Anita Hill, Jessica Hahn and Tailhook. I imagine that many a man in Deen's place, who might own a business and find themselves sued in today's world might be in a pickle if asked something like: Have you ever told sexist jokes? In 2010, transgressions from the 1980's might be forgiven (you'll have to get with Deen on that, I'm sure she never foresaw what is happening to her!). In 2020, will transgressions from 2010 be? Less likely.
I suspect the internet will have a much longer memory should this paleo thing ever really make it mainstream. That is the goal still, right? There probably wouldn't have been anyone to counter Paula Deen had she lied ...
Food for thought. Grain, dairy and legume free of course.
