“Cultural Differences” Don’t Justify Racial Discrimination

Paula Deen, long-time cooking show host and author of numerous cookbooks, recently learned that the Food Network can’t stand the heat and is kicking her out of the kitchen for racial discrimination. Deen is famous for her deeply Southern, often sweet and fatty comfort foods.  Deen’s Southern roots have landed her in the fryer this time, as she has been accused of racism and discrimination by a former employee.  Although Deen denies the allegations, she admitted in a deposition that she had used the “N word” in the past, explaining that “Things have changed since the ‘60s in the South” and claiming that it was a “quite different time” in history.

Trying to keep Deen from being flambéed by critics, her company explained that “she was born 60 years ago when America’s South had schools that were segregated, different bathrooms, different restaurants and Americans rode in different parts of the bus. This is not today.”  Deen’s apparent attempt to justify using racial epithets because that was just the way it was back then fell flatter than an amateur soufflé and resulted in her ouster from the Food Network kitchen.