Paula Deen and the *N* word

[WitchSabrina]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/1 ... ostpopular

Paula Deen is no stranger to controversy, but new allegations of racism leveled against the Southern chef may shock even those who have followed her troubles most closely.

The National Enquirer claims to have acquired a video of a deposition in which Deen admits to using the N-word and making racist and anti-semitic jokes. She also allegedly describes her interest in hiring black waiters dressed to look like "slaves" at a wedding.

The deposition, which was reportedly held on May 17, took place as part of a court case brought forth by former Paula Deen Enterprises employee Lisa Jackson against Deen and her brother, Earl "Bubba" Hiers. Jackson alleges several instances of sexual and racial workplace discrimination.

Neither the video of the deposition or The National Enquirer's story are available on the web, but Radar Online posted some of the story's most disturbing highlights:

[W]hen asked if she wanted black men to play the role of slaves at a wedding she explained she got the idea from a restaurant her husband and her had dined at saying, "The whole entire waiter staff was middle-aged black men, and they had on beautiful white jackets with a black bow tie.
"I mean, it was really impressive. That restaurant represented a certain era in America...after the Civil War, during the Civil War, before the Civil War...It was not only black men, it was black women...I would say they were slaves."

While The National Enquirer has a checkered history when it comes to printing the truth, it's worth noting that the tabloid was first to break the story that Deen suffered from type II diabetes, and its early reporting on the John Edwards affair turned the story into a national scandal.

A representative for Deen strongly refutes The National Enquirer's allegations, telling Entertainment Tonight that, "Contrary to media reports, Ms. Deen does not condone or find the use of racial epithets acceptable. She is looking forward to her day in court."

We'll be following this story closely to see if these allegations pan out. If they do, we imagine Paula Deen will have some explaining to do.

UPDATE: The Huffington Post has obtained a transcript of the deposition in question. The quotes below are pulled directly from it.

On using the N-word:

Lawyer: Have you ever used the N-word yourself?
Deen: Yes, of course.
Lawyer: Okay. In what context?
Deen: Well, it was probably when a black man burst into the bank that I was working at and put a gun to my head.

Lawyer: Okay. And what did you say?
Deen: Well, I don't remember, but the gun was dancing all around my temple ... I didn't -- I didn't feel real favorable towards him.

Lawyer: Okay. Well, did you use the N-word to him as he pointed a gun in your head at your face?
Deen: Absolutely not.

Lawyer: Well, then, when did you use it?
Deen: Probably in telling my husband.

Lawyer: Okay. Have you used it since then?
Deen: I'm sure I have, but it's been a very long time.

Lawyer: Can you remember the context in which you have used the N-word?
Deen: No.

Lawyer: Has it occurred with sufficient frequency that you cannot recall all of the various context in which you've used it?
Deen: No, no.

Lawyer: Well, then tell me the other context in which you've used the N-word?
Deen: I don't know, maybe in repeating something that was said to me.

Lawyer: Like a joke?
Deen: No, probably a conversation between blacks. I don't -- I don't know. But that's just not a word that we use as time has gone on. 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.

On her brother's behavior:

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.

On telling jokes that target African Americans, Jews, gays and other groups:

Lawyer: What about jokes, if somebody is telling a joke that's got --
Deen: It's just what they are, they're jokes.
Lawyer: Okay. Would you consider those to be using the N word in a mean way?

...

Deen: That's -- that's kind of hard. Most -- most jokes are about Jewish people, rednecks, black folks. Most jokes target -- I don't know. I didn't make up the jokes, I don't know. I can't -- I don't know.

Lawyer: Okay.
Deen: They usually target, though a group. Gays or straights, black, redneck, you know, I just don't know. I can't, myself, determine what offends another person.

On planning a Southern plantation-style wedding:

Lawyer: Do you recall using the words "really southern plantation wedding"? Deen: Yes, I did say I would love for Bubba to experience a very southern style wedding, and we did that. We did that.
Lawyer: Okay. You would love for him to experience a southern style plantation wedding?
Deen: Yes.

Lawyer: That's what you said?
Deen: Well, something like that, yes. And -–

Laywer: Okay. And is that when you went on to describe the experience you had at the restaurant in question?
Deen: Well, I don't know. We were probably talking about the food or –- we would have been talking about something to do with service at the wedding, and –-

...

Lawyer: Is there any possibility, in your mind, that you slipped and used the word "n----r"?
Deen: No, because that's not what these men were. They were professional black men doing a fabulous job.

Lawyer: Why did that make it a -– if you would have had servers like that, why would that have made it a really southern plantation wedding?

...

Deen: Well, it –- to me, of course I'm old but I ain't that old, I didn't live back in those days but I've seen the pictures, and the pictures that I've seen, that restaurant represented a certain era in America.

Lawyer: Okay.
Deen: And I was in the south when I went to this restaurant. It was located in the south.

Lawyer: Okay. What era in America are you referring to?
Deen: Well, I don't know. After the Civil War, during the Civil War, before the Civil War.

Lawyer: Right. Back in an era where there were middle-aged black men waiting on white people.
Deen: Well, it was not only black men, it was black women.

Lawyer: Sure. And before the Civil War –- before the Civil War, those black men and women who were waiting on white people were slaves, right?
Deen: Yes, I would say that they were slaves.

Lawyer: Okay.
Deen: But I did not mean anything derogatory by saying that I loved their look and their professionalism.

[Smartmarzipan]

I don't know whether to be mad or laugh at how fucking stupid she is.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

She'll gain favor in the bottoms of Columbus.. Just remind me to not eat anything she's ever touched..

[Jason78]

Yeah, she's not quite black enough to get away with using the word nigger.

[WitchSabrina]

I don't know whether to be mad or laugh at how fucking stupid she is.

She pisses me off, personally.   She's got one foot firmly planted in the early 60s but the advantages of her cookware made overseas for pennies, the blessed sales via internet, advantages of marketing using stuff like Facebook and people actually BUY her stuff and follow her around.  She just promotes that type of *rebel* thinking, gets paid to do it, slathers everything within reach with fucking butter and the good ol southern gals just eat it up.   It perpetuates all those things we should destroy........  like killing ourselves with bad cholesterol and still thinking of people of color as *black* or worse --- the *N* word.     Which is Never ok.  Not even in jest. Not even in slang.  Just. Not. Ok.

I hope she gets buttered and flayed quite frankly.

[Smartmarzipan]

I don't know whether to be mad or laugh at how fucking stupid she is.

She pisses me off, personally.   She's got one foot firmly planted in the early 60s but the advantages of her cookware made overseas for pennies, the blessed sales via internet, advantages of marketing using stuff like Facebook and people actually BUY her stuff and follow her around.  She just promotes that type of *rebel* thinking, gets paid to do it, slathers everything within reach with fucking butter and the good ol southern gals just eat it up.   It perpetuates all those things we should destroy........  like killing ourselves with bad cholesterol and still thinking of people of color as *black* or worse --- the *N* word.     Which is Never ok.  Not even in jest. Not even in slang.  Just. Not. Ok.

I hope she gets buttered and flayed quite frankly.

Didn't she also hide her Type 2 Diabetes from everyone for a bit, too? All the while cooking up deep-fried crap and whatnot?

[Plu]

Is this all a joke that I'm missing? :/

The only stupid in the article is the fact that it's considered newsworthy over there... nothing she says seems strange. If that's the worst that happened, then really it seems like a huge whine about nothing.

[Smartmarzipan]

Is this all a joke that I'm missing? :/

The only stupid in the article is the fact that it's considered newsworthy over there... nothing she says seems strange. If that's the worst that happened, then really it seems like a huge whine about nothing.

She wanted to use black waiters/servers to pretend to be slaves to wait on white people at a Southern wedding. Because that's "chic", or something.

[Plu]

Not my kind of wedding, but that doesn't mean it's A) based on racial hatred or B) law-suit worthy.

This whole thing just sounds really silly.

[WitchSabrina]

I don't know whether to be mad or laugh at how fucking stupid she is.

She pisses me off, personally.   She's got one foot firmly planted in the early 60s but the advantages of her cookware made overseas for pennies, the blessed sales via internet, advantages of marketing using stuff like Facebook and people actually BUY her stuff and follow her around.  She just promotes that type of *rebel* thinking, gets paid to do it, slathers everything within reach with fucking butter and the good ol southern gals just eat it up.   It perpetuates all those things we should destroy........  like killing ourselves with bad cholesterol and still thinking of people of color as *black* or worse --- the *N* word.     Which is Never ok.  Not even in jest. Not even in slang.  Just. Not. Ok.

I hope she gets buttered and flayed quite frankly.

Didn't she also hide her Type 2 Diabetes from everyone for a bit, too? All the while cooking up deep-fried crap and whatnot?

I don't know If she hid it persay.  But I do know her Type 2 diabetes should have taken her fucking cookbooks off every shelf for good.
a duh

Sorry - but she's just gross.  Bad cooking advice toppled with some good ol southern nastiness all wrapped up in a sheepish grin that seems a tale tale sign to me of what she's REALLY like at home when she lets her hair down.
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she actually employs **blacks** in her own home.  I really wouldn't be surprised.
After all - thats what Mama said to do - huh?
Not that hiring someone of color **should** matter.  It should be where you just HIRE a PERSON.
But.........  she'd be ALL about "hiring blacks".

backassward bullshit that I ran away from soooo so long ago.

[Smartmarzipan]

Not my kind of wedding, but that doesn't mean it's A) based on racial hatred or B) law-suit worthy.

This whole thing just sounds really silly.

That's not what the lawsuit is about, though.

[WitchSabrina]

Is this all a joke that I'm missing? :/

The only stupid in the article is the fact that it's considered newsworthy over there... nothing she says seems strange. If that's the worst that happened, then really it seems like a huge whine about nothing.

It's only newsworthy Plu cause this sort of thing STILL goes on in this country.  To me - stories like this - especially TV icons or celebrities should ALWAYS be made newsworthy.  There's only One way to kill nasty attitude and upbringing. and that's to drag it into the lime light and kick its ass with some good lawyer-ing and media attention.

[Solitary]

How about "Darkies?" Is that OK? I think the point she was trying to make is that the N word is a hate word used when you hate someone, and that she doesn't use it as a hate word for people she respects. This was why the detective was lambasted on the OJ trial who obviously was not a racist just because he used the word, even though Oprah used it herself over and over again on her show. Even she uses it as derogatory term when she hates, as do other people of the black race. What is one to do if a black person is an ass? Say, "please mister man of color, don't do that!" Or yes, that man of color raped a little girl and cut her arms off. Does this mean it is OK to be a racist? Of course not. Solitary

[Plu]

That's not what the lawsuit is about, though.

I see. That might explain. It seems like a silly thing to have a lawsuit over but if it's just a small part of a bigger thing it might have some relevance.

[WitchSabrina]

Bad sunless tanning and too much eye makeup.   Does anyone else see Tammy Fae?