Saturday, June 29, 2013

WILL FOX TURN PAULA DEEN INTO A CIVIL RIGHTS MARTYR?

Tweets from Eric Bolling of Fox News:




The tweets refer to Cashin' In, Bolling's weekend show on Fox, which is apparently going to report on a "Paula Deen comeback" despite the fact that that's not exactly what she seems to be going through right now:
... In a brief statement Friday, Ballantine Books announced it had canceled publication of "Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up." The book was scheduled for release in October...

Deen has lost many of her business relationships following revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. Sears Holdings Corp and J.C. Penney Co. Friday that they're cutting ties with Deen, following similar announcements from Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Home Depot.

Last week, the Food Network said that it would not renew her contract. She was also dropped by Smithfield Foods, Caesars Entertainment stripped her name from restaurants and drug company Novo Nordisk said it was suspending its work with her.
But, yeah, Amazon has her last book at #1 and the canceled book at #2. So a lot of fans are still with her.

The comments at the Amazon page for the last book include some people who seem as if they might be well-meaning, if perhaps inclined to hit you over the head with their well-meaning-ness:
I don't normally buy items for a policical statement but this time I have. Paula has freedom of speech and I have the power of the buck. Today I bought this book AND a box of cheerios (in support of their ad that contains a mixed race marriage). Time for American to grow up beyond the age of ten years old, get over the polical correctness crap and get on with life.
Others, not so much:
Since there seems to be a double-standard for the use of the "N" word, maybe we need a rule book on its use: e.g., whites can't use it because they have to be politically correct at all times, blacks can use it among themselves, wealthy film producers can use it and make lots of money (they get a free pass). What? No rule book? That's silly? Well then, why don't we just nix the word and be a little kinder to one another!
Although that's not nearly as bad as this Facebook post, found by The Atlantic's Alexander Abad-Santos at a Tumblr called White People Mad at the Food Network:





Are you picking up a common thread in the defenses of Deen? Referring to Deen's critics, The Atlantic's Abad-Santos says,
... people are more upset that Deen's deposition has roots in an employment discrimination lawsuit with a slew of ugly allegations, the most serious of which is that Deen enabled a hostile and racist work environment.
He notes, in particular, the detail that galled me the most: that she "fantasiz[ed] about an antebellum-themed wedding, complete with slaves."

But that's not what this is being reduced to, in the eyes of Deen's defenders. To them, she's being crucified for one decades-old use of the N-word -- and that's it.

Generally speaking, that's Fox's comfort zone: creating and/or exploiting angry white people's perceptions of what's going on, rather than what's actually going on. So, as Abad-Santos points out, we get this from Fox's Todd Starnes:
The liberal anti-South media is trying to crucify Paula Deen. They accuse her of using a derogatory word to describe a black person.

Paula admitted she used the word -- back in the 1980s - when a black guy walked into the bank, stuck a gun in her face and ordered her to hand over the cash.

The national media failed to mention that part of the story....
So, to sum up: loyal fan base, story that can be distorted to make liberals into the villains, and two Foxsters (Starnes and Bolling) already in her corner.

I expect Deen to be a regular on Fox & Friends by Labor Day.
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5 comments:

  1. Never Ben Better3:06 PM

    Just another episode (number 347,409,221?) in the continuing series: "Anyone Who Complains About Racism Is a Racist Liberal!"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Never Ben Better3:17 PM

    Oh, you gotta read this, the best look at the whole Deen thing I've come across:

    http://www.stonekettle.com/2013/06/a-certain-kind-of-hate.html

    If you have yet to make the acquaintance of Jim Wright, you are in for a treat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JGabriel6:21 PM

    SteveM: "I expect Deen to be a regular on Fox & Friends by Labor Day."

    Are you kidding? Deen will be a regular by mid-July.

    By Labor Day, I expect Deen to have a new cooking show on Fox, teaching all the wingnuts how to make "Sambo Burgers" and other dishes with casually clueless racist names. I've even got a title for the show: Paula Deen's Con Fare .

    .

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  4. Examinator9:32 PM

    NBB
    Thanks for the stone kettle site. He makes a lot of sense to me.

    However, ultimately education is the key...and dealing with WHY the south and the Tea Partier mentality has such resonance TODAY. It simply isn't good enough to label and dismiss them as antediluvian fools and bigots.
    IMHO the BS cultural mythology and false "capitalist" values are prime contenders.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Never Ben Better10:17 PM

    My pleasure to share him, Examinator. The preceding entry in his blog looks at the NSA matter, with far greater depth and intelligence than just about anything else I've read on the subject. Whether you emerge from it agreeing in whole, in part, or not at all, I believe you'd find it well worth the read. The man has a genius for making sense.

    I don't usually even try to quote or summarize what he says; you need to read the whole thing.

    http://www.stonekettle.com/2013/06/essential-liberty-in-post-911-world.html

    ReplyDelete