I keep hearing about Paula Deen, who has basically lost everything for reasons I can't exactly grasp.
Perhaps since I don't really know much about her and never watch cooking shows, I also didn't catch enough about the story to understand what's happened to her. So maybe if I outline what I think I know about her story, somebody will tell me what I'm missing.
Paula's a very successful chef who has a cooking show on the Food Network (or had until now). She recently went public with a mea culpa about her past racial sin, which consisted of her using the "N word". She apologized for her past stupidity and promised the world that she's a changed woman.
For that she's been banished forever. Her cooking show is cancelled, her several endorsement deals with a variety of companies are gone. She's blackballed from ever being a celebrity chef again.
That's why my head is spinning. So any famous person who admits they used to be somewhat racist but have repented and reformed still must be shunned? I thought offering a public apology meant you deserve forgiveness and credit for your courage.
Don't Democratic politicians get away with that all the time? Isn't Anthony Weiner the latest example? I suppose in his case we'll find out if he wins his race to replace little Napoleon as the Mayor of NYC.
Not that I feel any obligation to defend Deen. As I mentioned above, I really don't know much of anything about her. I have no idea whether she's a sweet down-home southern gal who can cook up a great meal and may have held a few outdated southern attitudes in the past, or if she's some sort of dragon lady who deserves all the contempt that's coming her way.
But generally I am picking up the vibe that all this persecution of the lady is hypersensitive, way over the top, and probably more than a little hypocritical.
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