America’s current racist sweetheart, part-time homophobe, and disturbingly unhealthy food enthusiast Paula Deen apparently won’t be satisfied until she’s alienated everyone.
On Monday, Deen and her lawyers pushed to have the racial discrimination lawsuit against her dismissed, citing, of all things, the recent ruling against the Prop 8 case that restored marriage equality to California.
The eagle-eyed among us will remember that the Prop 8 case wasn’t dismissed because the challenge against marriage equality was unconstitutional. It was dismissed because the U.S. Supreme Court found that the plaintiffs had no legal standing. As Chief Justice John Roberts put it, “for a federal court to have authority under the Constitution to settle a dispute, the party before it must seek a remedy for a personal and tangible harm.”
Deen is not somehow being sued and her empire crumbling for dropping N-bombs 20 years ago. In fact, she is being sued for systematic racial and sexual discrimination in the workplace that included forcing black employees to work in the back of the restaurant, making them to use separate entrances and bathrooms, all the while condoning her brother/restaurant manager’s penchant for watching porn in his office. Seriously, it’s all there to be read.
Deen’s lawyers are arguing that former employee Lisa Jackson, a white woman who brought forth the lawsuit, has “no actionable claim for feeling ‘uncomfortable’ around discriminatory conduct directed at others,” and therefore they’re seeking to have the case dismissed. Basically, since Lisa Jackson is white, she personally didn’t experience the so-called “personal and tangible harm” that Chief Justice Roberts mentioned in his argument against the Prop 8 case.
Though Deen is losing jobs and corporate partners left and right, she does seem to be gaining supporters in the same kind of people who would grumble about why there’s not a “Straight Pride Day” or go on diatribes about how blacks are the “real” racists.
What do you think? Should Paula Deen be using every avenue she can to defend herself in court? Or is the whole thing, like Deen’s infamous Lady’s Brunch Burger, simply in poor taste?
Photo: BuzzFeed
Cam
Nice article, additionally, the brother is also mentioned as being physically abusive, and there are other civ rights violations.
But Dean is doing what bigots do best…playing the victim.
2eo
The fuck is a Paula Deen?
iMort
We can all be content that these people will soon be dead due to their unhealthy eating habits. The best revenge is to live well, eat healthy and be happy.
Caine
Ya know Queerty sometimes you just shock me for a gay liberal website.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no actual evidence that the quote you have pasted in the image associated with this article was actually said by Paula Deen.
I believe that is what the person suing her SAID she said.
Paula Deen has been ridiculously vilified over this entire controversy and I expect better of Queerty than to jump on the sensationalist bandwagon.
If Paula Deen were a lesbian you can be damn sure that image wouldn’t be there and you would be the first to jump to her defense.
jwrappaport
Enter the armchair lawyers.
The Prop 8 ruling was not really a civil rights victory, but a procedural twist by a deeply conservative (in the philosophical sense) court. It has little precedential value for us, even if the practical effect was good.
jwrappaport
Also, she’s not really using it to justify racism, just to argue that the other party doesn’t have standing to sue.
I also think it’s pretty outrageous that Queerty accepts the allegations as true before trial. I mean, really, your justification for the accusations is the complaint itself – talk about begging the question/assuming what you’re setting out to prove. You can do better than this.
2eo
@jwrappaport: They can’t though, the standard of journalism is pitiful here, they haven’t got a deserving qualification between them.
The sad thing is there are literally no quality journalism on this site by any article writer, ever.
Cam
@Caine:
It’s interesting that….
1. Nobody is complaining about Dean’s lawyers and sons slandering the person who filed the suit.
2. Trying to claim that the suit was about her once using the “N-word” 20 years ago.
3. That they aren’t denying all that happened, but trying to get the suit dismissed on standing grounds as a publicity ploy after the Supreme Court case. “Standing is one of the FIRST things that a lawyer will use to get a case tossed, if her lawyers hadn’t already thought of that and dismissed it then they are the worst lawyers in the world, they brought it up now PURELY to associate Dean with a victimized group.”
4. Interesting that when a story like this erupts there are always brand new accounts to come on here spouting the exact same wondered points that the right wing commentators are using. Only a right winger would come in here and call Queerty a liberal site because only a right winger would think that the mere fact of being a gay site would make it that.
But you know…nice try.
Jackhoffsky
When she admitted to using the n-word, that unraveled everything. All the other allegations then fall into place whether they are true or not (and @Caine you are correct in what you wrote). But, in the court of public opinion, you admit to part of the crime, you admit to all of the crime.
I personally never liked her much. I think the one show she did with cooking pizza on the grill she did while stone drunk, and I think her food has done more damage to the American people than anything.
Also, I think she has many opportunities in the future for her reinvented self. Already the offers are coming in http://www.tmz.com/2013/06/29/paula-deen-milf-porn-offer-pure-mature/
AxelDC
I was a big fan of Paula Deen’s a few years ago. Sure, her food was disgustingly fatty, but she was a fun personality to watch.
I initially dismissed the complaints as minor scandal that would quickly blow over. When I finally looked at the details, I saw a disturbing comfort with racism and a nostalgia for the Jim Crow South.
Her crocodile tears last week really angered me. This was a woman who was struggling to protect her profits, not someone who was contrite over her treatment of black people.
Anyone who buys her nonsensical argument that she once said a bad word once is someone who is far too comfortable defending racism. It’s time for people like Paula Deen to learn their place, and it’s not on national TV.
Mofdgheb
OMG This woman is so clueless.
1EqualityUSA
Oak Ball.
hyhybt
Setting aside bringing up Prop 8 at all… how *would* a white person have standing to sue her for discriminating against black people?
Cam
@hyhybt:
The case involvs discrimination, violation of civil rights, physical intimidation etc..
The person suing was a manager who was being told to discriminate against black employees. That person has every right to sue.
hyhybt
@Cam: Thank you for the clarification. I haven’t seen that information before, but also haven’t particularly been following the case.
John Doe
More examples of how pathetic and hypocritical many liberals and gays can be. Some people jump all over Paula Deen every day for 1 – 2 weeks and Alec Baldwin barely gets attention for his very recent hateful comment towards a gay person. Has anyone ever imagined that this recent outburst by Baldwin simply reflects his TRUE feelings & that anything prior to this (said under a controlled temper) is all PC garbage? And yet Paula Deen is painted as a bigot and I’m sure that the left will never look past it.
Hypocrites are on both sides of the political spectrum. Most recently it has been quite evident from those who are simply anti-conservative and ignore the bigotry and hate from people on their own side.
Some times it’s nice to be an independent that isn’t beholden to a group. We can see the trash on both sides of the fence.
yaoming
I actually don’t care that much about Ms Deen’s alleged racism. Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. But what we do know is that she made herself and other people overweight and unhealthy with her “southern cooking” or whatever it is and then tried to profit from it, so I’m glad she lost her celebrity endorsement deal to sell diabetes drugs to the people she helped make diabetic.
mz.sam
LMFAO!!! The CRAZY BITCH gots too much cholesterol in her Confederate buttered brain!
Cam
@John Doe:
More typical deflection from the Conservatives. (Nice try pretending that you are an independent, the fact that you tried so desperately to put that in there exposes the lie) You are SO eagar to defend ANY racism out there that you are equating somebody yelling at a reporter with somebody who systematically harassed, discriminated, abused, and allowed psyical threats and intimidating by her brother to go on for years at her businesses.
Oh, did I interrupt your fake outrage with facts? Well I’m just so sorry about that.
Niall
Thanks for the Business Insider article link, I’m not even a health nut, but jeez, some of those recipes. Anyways, as someone who really dislikes butter, she’d probably have hated me lol.
JRPActor
I find it quite IRONIC that everyone who screams “LEAVE PAULA THE HELL ALONE” and “let he without sin cast the first stone” are the ones who consistently cast stones of DISRESPECT toward our current President, the same ones SCREAMING (casting stones) against UNDOCUMENTED CITIZENS, calling women who get raped “LIARS”, telling Michael Bloomberg “YOU CAN’T TELL US WHAT TO EAR OR NOT TO EAT”….to hear obese former Governor Hucklebee “mock” Michael Bloomberg’s soda ban I can’t help but think “LEAVE HIM THE HELL ALONE”….Governor Chris Christie demanded we leave him and his obesity THE HELL ALONE…if he was indeed as healthy as he screamed ….why the lap band? Did ya’all know Miss Innocent Paula Deen was getting paid by a “DIABETES DRUG MANUFACTURER” to promote their DUABETES DRUG! Go ahead, get fat, and after your diagnosed with Diabetes simply take this new drug! Anyone who was truly concerned with people getting diabetes would recommend changing their diet, exercising, losing weight and getting off the meds. If you truly believe MS DEEN simply said the “N” word once and apologized but got fired anyway needs to do their homework and research. Companies are NOT dumping her for saying one politically incorrect word isTRULY IGNORANT. Leave President Obama the hell enough alone, leave undocumented citizens the hell enough alone, leave us gays the hell enough alone! HYPOCRITES! And, by the way, most of USA don’t really give a damn until someone says LEAVE THEM THE HELL ALONE…:
itzallan
Lisa Jackson has stated that she didn’t file the suit to address racism but to address Deen’s pattern of disrespect and degrading behavior as well as her abuse of power towards people Deen viewed as inferior. In the lawsuit there was also mention of sexual harassment by Deen’s brother who Jackson stated would make inappropriate sexual advances towards her and pass around sexually explicit pictures to employees. Interestingly enough, the media focused exclusively on racism but ignored the sexual harassment issue. Why is that? Perhaps it’s because Deen wasn’t directly involved with it (although she apparently didn’t make any effort to prevent it). Or maybe because when racism rears its hideous head, everyone is interested; and when a woman gets sexually harassed, few people blink an eye and recognize it as coming from a similar place. Both racism and sexism are equally a problem because they both come from the same arrogant thinking that some people are inferior to others. As gay people, we certainly are aware of the impact that kind of thinking has, and as people we need to be able to identify and be concerned about any kind of thinking that is based on an idea of superiority over others.
2eo
@itzallan: Well said, we still have a majority of people in positions of power who view women as fundamentally inferior, hence the dismissal of the story.
The sad thing is, they won’t even think it’s dismissed at all.
jesaves
she looks like a fucking furbie
Teleny
@Cam: I think you just read the right wing troll!
DrakeScott
I’m still waiting for all the torch-bearers to explain away the simple issue raised by Caine & JWrappaport: Why should we believe anything reported by media that report hearsay as absolute truth from an accuser who stands to make millions off someone famous, especially when that person stayed in the situation for five years? There’s no recording… no third-party witness corroborating Jackson’s quote, so attributing it to Paula Deen is irresponsible. I’m beginning to lean toward a theory that Jackson represents a larger group of envious “silent partners” who plan to walk away with a shared windfall of Deen-earned money after this sham case goes to trial.
2eo
@DrakeScott: No.
Irresponsible would be me directly accusing you of being Paula Deen right now and demanding you prove you are not by slitting your wrists and plunging your face into a vat of carbolic acid.
If you do decide to prove your innocence I will consider contributing an RIP on your facebook remembrance page or something.
tukausseystudio
@Caine: Thank you for pointing this out. Is Queerty becoming one of those rags a the the grocerie store checkout lines?
DrakeScott
@2eo: Hm. I’m not sure what could be construed as an appropriate response to your bizarre post, so I’ll end it here.
Schmice
What do you think? Should Paula Deen be using every avenue she can to defend herself in court? Or is the whole thing, like Deen’s infamous Lady’s Brunch Burger, simply in poor taste?
A lawyer has the duty to be a zealous advocate for his client and use whatever defenses are available. I’m sure that she didn’t come up with it. She should say (if asked) that she is following the advice of counsel and as much as she’d like to discuss it, she has to follow his advice and refer all questions to him. That will be the first smart thing she’s done. All this boo-hoo-hooing is SNL material. She should just keep her mouth shut (except for eating copious amounts of buttery food, of course).
Jeanluc Capri
Paula Deen, is seriously mentally disturbed! She suffers, what we psychologists call “inferiority complex syndrome”. Who wouldn’t, were you to look like her? I am also a lawyer and believe her lawyer, has been laughing all the way to the bank! Cheers From New Zealand, Dr. Jeanluc Capri
Charli Girl
@2eo:
LMAO…
Dana
I think the following is all that’s required for this subject matter….
Fuck Paula Deen.
Kenny1948
I guess most of you live in San Francisco, from your over righteous claptrap. Nobody here in the South understands what the big brouhaha is about. Nobody, may I say nobody is free from having used that word, sometime in their life.
The only thing Paula Deen is guilty of, is her cooking!
DarkZephyr
@Cam: Well Cam, my account is not brand new and I am not instantly believing the allegations against Paula Dean without any genuine proof. I hate witch hunts with a passion.
@JRPActor: I love our president. I just believe in seeing all the facts before I judge.
Cam
@Kenny1948: said… “I guess most of you live in San Francisco, from your over righteous claptrap. Nobody here in the South understands what the big brouhaha is about. Nobody, may I say nobody is free from having used that word, sometime in their life.”
_____________________
I love how all the right wing blogs have continually tried to say that this is ALL about Dean supposedly saying one word 20 years ago.
Funny how they all leave out the fact that the case is about years long, systemic racial discrimination physical assault, threats, intimidation and civil rights violations at all of her restaurants. Guess that part gets left out doesn’t it?
And your commenting that nobody in the south understands what all the fuss is about isn’t doing much to alter the stereotype is it?
gppm1103
@tukausseystudio: Becoming one? When did you ever think there was anything serious about it? When I describe it I call it “People Magazine” for gays.
It’s fluff junk…fun but not to be taken seriously.
gppm1103
@DrakeScott: I agree. Jackson was her brother’s manager. Not hers. Why didn’t she sue HIM only…at least first and only her if there was evidence she was guilty of any of this?
scotshot
@Caine: I’ll stand with FoodNetwork, her publisher, sponsors, & fans all of whom have dropped her. Paula Deen will still be around, the difference being most people won’t be there to wallow in her filth. Enjoy it, I’m sure you’re used to it. See y’all !
2eo
@Kenny1948: Who gives a fuck what people in the “proper” south think. The people of “north” Rwanda don’t give a fuck about the genocide in 1994, doesn’t mean it wasn’t fundamentally wrong.
Dimwit.
hyhybt
Why do so many people assume the full allegations are TRUE?
Jethrine
If it weren’t for my Paula Deen crimped-lipped pie plate, then no one would be eating my pie.
bearfuzzlover
Your site needs to seriously thinks again because:
1. I rarely comment and when I have they have never been offensive.
2. I have no links to any span sites.
Please get your fact right before added such offensive comments, rather than just adding it automatically without properly dealing with it in a civilised manner!
LadyL
@Cam: Thank you, Cam–I had just read that ridiculous #34 comment and (as a non-San Franciscan) was about to reply, but no need–you’ve summed up my disgust quite nicely.
LadyL
@gppm1103: Um, maybe because the brother actually works for Paula Deen, not the other way around?
And what do you mean “if there was evidence”? Are you seriously suggesting that Deen had no idea what was going on in a restaurant established by her and run by her own brother?
DrakeScott
@hyhybt: Many people seem to get a rush from hating on and publicly declaring themselves morally superior to rich, famous people, so facts (e.g. despite all the rhetoric, this case – along with any admissible evidence – has yet to see its day in court) are just impediments to this ultimate goal. Besides, the vast majority of the people making the biggest stink about this already hated Paula Deen based on dietary/business practice grounds, so they’re primed to accept any accusation without question. The most fair-minded among us are waiting until this sees a courtroom (that of public opinion doesn’t count) before deciding whether Lisa Jackson’s allegations are credible or that Ms. Deen is guilty as charged.
scotshot
@DrakeScott: I’ll repeat: Her publisher & a group of her sponsors have severed ties with her. They know her. If she were wholly innocent they would stand by her. See Tiger Woods.
DrakeScott
@scotshot: Repeat whatever you like. Not that I necessarily blame them, but all of those companies were acting in haste to avoid being associated with a racism scandal; I doubt there was any actual moral compass or conscience involved in the decision process. As for Tiger Woods, the comparison isn’t really accurate due to rampant cultural sexism: Not only is Paula, as a woman, held to a higher standard of conduct than a male would be (note the cited behaviors are really the onus of her brother), she was accused of a socially “unforgivable” sin. Tiger Woods was essentially associated with womanizing, which society still sees as less of a violation, given it’s against the “lesser” sex. At any rate, I’m comfortable waiting for everyone to have their day in court before passing judgment on this case.
gppm1103
@LadyL: Um maybe because her brother DOES NOT work “for her”. They co-own Bubbas seafood. Try reading something.
ecllips
@Jackhoffsky: Well we can throw all your arguments out the window after seeing this phrase of yours “I think her food has done more damage to the American people than anything.” We can tell that you don’t pay attention to the world around you. There are MANY fast food restaurants that have provided food that could be contributed more to obesity than she has, if we follow your logic that is. But I don’t blame any restaurant or chef(including Paula) for obesity. People need to watch what they eat and get exercise. Sure, there are some people who have a medical issue that keeps them from losing weight or makes them gain weight, but for the average person proper diet and exercise will keep them from being obese. Meaning that it is no ones fault but your own if you are obese( people with certain medical issues excluded). So don’t go trying to place the blame on Paula. Use that anger to go run an extra mile during your workout or something.
DrakeScott
@ecllips: I always wonder at that “logic” as well. Holding a TV cook or restaurant chain responsible for someone else’s health issues is ludicrous. Anyone who has actually seen Paula’s shows knows that, even before the eventual diabetes disclosure, she frequently said most of her dishes weren’t meant for everyday consumption, but rather as occasional treats. Even her much-hyped Krispy Kreme donut burger was a silly lark that she described on the episode as a “once-in-a-lifetime” indulgence (and that was just a couple bites). At any rate, though, even if some TV cook were to deep-fry a buttered dog turd, anyone stupid enough to actually try it at home would have no one to blame but himself.