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Paula Deen confirmed this morning what Deen watchers thought they already knew: The disturbingly tanned, faux-fur-haired Food Network show host has Type 2 diabetes. “I’m here today,” Deen told Today’s Al Roker, “to let the world know it’s not a death sentence.” For their part, Deen’s haters sounded as if they’d been hoping that an admission of disease would at least mean death to her career.
Chief hater Anthony Bourdain told Eater he took “no pleasure” in diabetes, but still accused Deen of being more than a little self-serving: Given that Deen has known about her diagnosis for three years—all the while pitching fat- and calorie-packed Gooey Butter Cake, Southern fried chicken, and Cheesy Mac—today's Type 2 confessional seemed timed to coincide with the launch of health-care company Novo Nordisk’s “Diabetes in a New Light” program, for which Deen is a paid spokesperson.
Even before this morning's announcement, Bourdain seemed triumphant. “When your signature dish is hamburger in between a doughnut, and you've been cheerfully selling this stuff knowing all along that you've got Type 2 Diabetes,” he told Eater’s Raphael Brion Monday, “it's in bad taste if nothing else.”
Yes, Mr. Bourdain, it’s tasteless to push a self-serving agenda—like saying, “Bitch, told you so” to the woman you once publicly labeled “the worst, most dangerous person to America.” Of course, Bourdain also called Alice Waters—the anti-Deen—suspiciously "Khmer Rouge” for issuing diktats about what Americans should properly be eating (“I'm a little uncomfortable with legislating good eating habits,” Bourdain told DCist). You begin to wonder if it’s perhaps assertive women, not recipes or political agendas, that actually make Bourdain "uncomfortable"?
But if Deen’s become rich showing Americans how to consume as much butterfat as possible, is that Deen’s fault? Last time I checked, cooking shows were entertainment—what social critics call “aspirational”—not the mandatory curriculum for home ec class. Obesity was a crisis in America long before Deen uttered her first “y’all” before a video camera. How many of Deen’s critics have also spoken out against the cream-enriched legacy of Julia Child, or James Beard—a man of epic girth who cooked with butter and fistfuls of cheese, and who served as the moon-faced pitchman for Omaha Steaks?
And what about Bourdain's own glorification of fat and cholesterol on No Reservations? Take Bourdain's 2008 visit to Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, which he called "a temple to all things fatty, porky, and duck-related," and "one of my favorite places in the world," an "ode to goodness and excess." Bourdain wades into Chef Martin Picard's foie gras poutine—part of a suite of fatty foie gras dishes—the way Deen wades through buttercream. Pure hypocrisy on Bourdain's part, or are the obligations for the host of a travel show different from those of a cooking show? How many culinary tourists has Bourdain led into an artery-clogging black hole?
Perhaps our notions of health and excess are rooted in class. Deen, we assume, speaks to a down-market audience that needs to be lectured about nutrition and willpower. Bourdain speaks to the well-heeled traveler for whom a foie gras hot dog is an occasional indulgence, not a moral failing. Right? Or is it somehow acceptable for men to engage in extreme eating, while women have an obligation to show restraint?
Of course, Deen is hardly the first mass-market gastronome to shill for food companies—in The Taste of America, John L. and Karen Hess blasted Child and Beard for their paid endorsements. If you hate Deen, fine: You hate Deen. You won’t find Paula’s Home Cooking in my DVR queue. But damn: To use her disease as a schadenfreude-edged justification for that hatred? Might as well just nail her in the face with a frozen ham.
Image source: Paula Deen cake by Flickr member bunchofpants under Creative Commons
We all pay for diet PD is paid to promote. 1 in 5 health care dollars and 15 million missed worked days a year are associated with diabetes. Yes, a portion of that is genetic or not related to a sedentary lifestyle filled with high fat, high sugar diets, but that does not explain a 33% increase in adolescent diabetes in the last decade. Those who make better food choices and live an active life...+READ
We all pay for diet PD is paid to promote. 1 in 5 health care dollars and 15 million missed worked days a year are associated with diabetes. Yes, a portion of that is genetic or not related to a sedentary lifestyle filled with high fat, high sugar diets, but that does not explain a 33% increase in adolescent diabetes in the last decade. Those who make better food choices and live an active life style are subsidizing the PD lifestyle (and AB's lifestyle choices related to cancer sticks too). Now PD makes money both by promoting bad food and a medical "fix" to a problem related to her bad food promotion. It has nothing to do with hating her but feeling like she is a role model for so much that is wrong in our culture at this time.-COLLAPSE
Given our cultural obsession with shaming people who have diabetes, I find the whole discussion about Paula Deen distasteful and demeaning. About 1/2 of the people over 50 in my family have gotten diabetes and most of them were thin and more physically active than the majority of other Americans-- in part to avoid the consequences of their genetic heritage. I think people with diabetes-- fat or...+READ
Given our cultural obsession with shaming people who have diabetes, I find the whole discussion about Paula Deen distasteful and demeaning. About 1/2 of the people over 50 in my family have gotten diabetes and most of them were thin and more physically active than the majority of other Americans-- in part to avoid the consequences of their genetic heritage. I think people with diabetes-- fat or thin-- have been singled out to carry the burden of guilt for the unhealthy lifestyle most people in this country lead. It is interesting that while Paula Deen is definitely overweight, she is not actually as fat as people like Mario Batali who have a more fortunate genetic heritage and are able to eat in unhealthy excess and not suffer the consequences (at least not yet). Also Paula Deen does not champion food that is any more unhealthy than Anthony Bourdain. Both of them are spokespeople for culinary choices that I find distasteful. Fortunately I don't watch either person's show and think "Mmmm I want to run out and get an extra pound of sugar and Crisco so I can make the cake Paula just demoed-- or for that matter-- I just have to travel to Montreal so that I can eat a large plate of poutine (french fries covered with gravy, melted cheese and a variety of other high fat ingredients) followed an hour later by another meal of foie gras and pork belly along with a pint of whisky. However unpleasant I find both people's food choices, I am very sorry to hear the news about Paula Deen's diabetes, just as I would be sorry to hear about it if Tony Bourdain had a heart attack or stroke, or if he got lung cancer or liver disease. We live in a culture where people are urged to eat in excess and to live sedentary lifestyles (try to get to work or the grocery store without using your car) while people who are overweight or inactive are blamed personally for doing exactly what our culture urges us to do. A telling example of this is Walgreens which asks that its store members to put up a sign telling people they may have "caused themselves" to get diabetes by eating wrong and then requiring their clerks to do a hard sell on candy bars (health food anyone???) at the checkout counter. If people "deserve" to get diabetes tell that to my father who was thin his whole life and was biking 100 miles a week at the time of his diagnosis, or to my friend the marathon runner who was also diagnosed. How does the expression go about people in glass houses throwing the first stone?-COLLAPSE
Right on, Kinopio!! The only thing that matters to her is money, and it doesn't matter to her how she gets it, no matter how dishonest. Don't stop bashing her. She deserves it. Her brand will not suffer for it. Her 'defenders' are too gullible to see her for the Carnie huckster she is.
You begin to wonder if it’s perhaps assertive women, not recipes or political agendas, that actually make Bourdain "uncomfortable"?
Thank you!!!!
"You begin to wonder if it’s perhaps assertive women, not recipes or political agendas, that actually make Bourdain "uncomfortable"?" _ John Birdsall
Really? You had to play that card on the topic of food?...
How is mentioning the fact that you have diabetes "brave" when you are only doing so after a company agreed to give you millions of dollars? Living in denial, preaching unhealthy habits and not taking responsibility for the terrible things you have done is the opposite of brave.
Paula Deen is a loud, annoying, obese, irresponsible person and I will never stop bashing her. The American south...+READ
How is mentioning the fact that you have diabetes "brave" when you are only doing so after a company agreed to give you millions of dollars? Living in denial, preaching unhealthy habits and not taking responsibility for the terrible things you have done is the opposite of brave.
Paula Deen is a loud, annoying, obese, irresponsible person and I will never stop bashing her. The American south will continue to be the fattest place on earth if people like Deen are given positive attention.-COLLAPSE
Personally, I don't think Paula Deen's physical health is anyone's business. The fact that people are incensed that she didn't reveal the type II diabetes for 3 years is unbelievable. How many of those critics would be willing to share their medical history with the public? She was brave to do so. I wonder if Boudain will be as brave to disclose his lung cancer when he's diagnosed? And what makes...+READ
Personally, I don't think Paula Deen's physical health is anyone's business. The fact that people are incensed that she didn't reveal the type II diabetes for 3 years is unbelievable. How many of those critics would be willing to share their medical history with the public? She was brave to do so. I wonder if Boudain will be as brave to disclose his lung cancer when he's diagnosed? And what makes him so self righteous to condemn Ms. Deen when he smokes on his program. Is he causing viewers to smoke?-COLLAPSE
Thank you for this article - all the Deen-bashers have been casing me perpetual eye roll neck strain.
I find it hard to believe theres any significant population following a recipe from their collection of paula deen cookbooks, in their paula deen cookware, and glimpsing over at their obese children while only now, with the revelation of Deen's Diabetes do they second guess their dietary...+READ
Thank you for this article - all the Deen-bashers have been casing me perpetual eye roll neck strain.
I find it hard to believe theres any significant population following a recipe from their collection of paula deen cookbooks, in their paula deen cookware, and glimpsing over at their obese children while only now, with the revelation of Deen's Diabetes do they second guess their dietary choices.
Characters like Paula Deen, and other celebrity chefs intrigued me to go into a kitchen and cook - and frankly, most people with type 2 diabetes could use a lot more help getting into the kitchen and cooking.
These dogmatic health-food or anti-fat food nuts try so hard to polarize cuisine when really we should cheer on ANYONE that can get people in the kitchen longer than it takes to heat up a hot pocket. Even if its Paula Deen's butter-topia.-COLLAPSE
I am so sorry that Paula Deen developed Type 2 diabetes. I don't want to bash her. The point is she has a very visible pulpit and could use it to help rather than to continue down the path she's on. I feel she's being disingenuous to continue with her high fat, high sugar cooking when she could be educating people. She can still do a Southern Cooking Comfort Food show for Sunday dinners (one...+READ
I am so sorry that Paula Deen developed Type 2 diabetes. I don't want to bash her. The point is she has a very visible pulpit and could use it to help rather than to continue down the path she's on. I feel she's being disingenuous to continue with her high fat, high sugar cooking when she could be educating people. She can still do a Southern Cooking Comfort Food show for Sunday dinners (one example) or holidays - whatever... Just not everyday. I grew up on southern cooking but we did not eat the excessive meals she concocts on a daily basis.-COLLAPSE
Bourdain is not perfect, but he also does not indulge in hypocrisy. He tells people plainly that he likes to eat, drink and smoke. I find much of what he eats disgusting, but I enjoy most of his commentary. I've always found Deen moronic, hypocritical, trashy and phony; her shrill, grating voice makes me change the channel every time. Her food turns my stomach. I grew up in a region that also...+READ
Bourdain is not perfect, but he also does not indulge in hypocrisy. He tells people plainly that he likes to eat, drink and smoke. I find much of what he eats disgusting, but I enjoy most of his commentary. I've always found Deen moronic, hypocritical, trashy and phony; her shrill, grating voice makes me change the channel every time. Her food turns my stomach. I grew up in a region that also thrives on less than healthy foods. My grandmother was a great cook and baker who kept all the old Pennsylvania Dutch traditions alive, while also learning about Greek and Italian cuisine from some of her neighbors. She never tried to profit from hawking unhealthy food, and she always ate in moderation. Deen has been a shill for rotten companies for years (Smithfield ring any bells?); now, when it suits her, she becomes a shill for another dangerous Diabetes drug? This woman hasn't an ounce of integrity in her bulbous body. I wish her well with her health issues, but hope someday karma takes away some of her ill-gotten gains. She should donate much of that money to the families who can't afford health care.-COLLAPSE
I don't have a problem with Deen's food - I know it's fatty and I can choose to cook/eat it or not.
I don't have a problem with Bourdain's comments - he's obnoxious and outspoken, and like Deen's cooking, I can choose to listen or tune him out.
But what I do find particularly unsavory is that Deen kept hocking fatty foods, while knowing she had Type II Diabetes for three years, until she...+READ
I don't have a problem with Deen's food - I know it's fatty and I can choose to cook/eat it or not.
I don't have a problem with Bourdain's comments - he's obnoxious and outspoken, and like Deen's cooking, I can choose to listen or tune him out.
But what I do find particularly unsavory is that Deen kept hocking fatty foods, while knowing she had Type II Diabetes for three years, until she could cash in with Novartis.-COLLAPSE
Most of us in the western world are very fortunate to have choices. We can choose to eat according to Dean, Bourdain, Child, Beard, Waters or [fill in the blank of a food personality, nutrition personality like Andrew Weil or food advocate like Michael Pollan]. We can choose to do so occasionally or on a daily basis.
We express those choices to the marketplace by what we buy. We vote with our...+READ
Most of us in the western world are very fortunate to have choices. We can choose to eat according to Dean, Bourdain, Child, Beard, Waters or [fill in the blank of a food personality, nutrition personality like Andrew Weil or food advocate like Michael Pollan]. We can choose to do so occasionally or on a daily basis.
We express those choices to the marketplace by what we buy. We vote with our dollars. Regardless of what Bourdain has to say about it, if Dean fans are upset by the revelation and the withholding of information, which was her choice, then it will show in the numbers.-COLLAPSE
For an 'editor' to be responsible for such a badly written piece is astounding! Lots of comparing apples to oranges, questionable fact checking, and huge illogical leaps to make some very weak points.
I personally don't like either of them. That being said, it's a free country and Anthnoy Bourdain is a pompous ass. What he really doesn't like is that Paula Deen's food is too 'southern trailer trash' for his taste. No such thing as bad publicity right?
I prefer, Anthony Bourdain, to the Tea Party tooting Deen, any day--I don't see see her as "down-homey" but rather quite ignorant and self-serving.
I don't watch cooking shows other than a few minutes of the Dotch one if it's on. However, if I'd seen Paula Deen pushing some of what has been described as her cooking style I would have been flabbergasted. Anybody who shoves this type of food down their gullet on a regular basis is a moron, and really should be removed from the gene pool.
"You begin to wonder if it’s perhaps assertive women, not recipes or political agendas, that actually make Bourdain "uncomfortable"?"
Assholes are assholes whether they're female or male, you sanctimonious twit. Alice Waters is an asshole, Paula Deen is an asshole, and Bourdain is most definitely an asshole.
She new for a long time that she had Diabetes 2, and instead of changing her recipes for more healthy ones, continue trying to turn everybody as fat as she is. It is more important to fill up her bank account than her own health and her boys are doing exactly the same thing, ya'll.
Frankly they both suck.
Bourdain is all pomp, his idea of greatness is the consumption of foods like foie gras, which is based on the utmost animal cruelty. Paula Deen simply exemplifies all of the excess in our society, and they are both getting rich from being grotesque.
Principle Too me embodies the very nature of the craft of cooking that Bourdain ,Beard,Julia Child ,Escoffier, ect. The list of individuals that practice the art that i find personally as the one and only true soul filling passion goes on this would happen to include individuals such as paula deen . I find it hard even at some times impossible to insult or knock Paula for having a show that...+READ
Principle Too me embodies the very nature of the craft of cooking that Bourdain ,Beard,Julia Child ,Escoffier, ect. The list of individuals that practice the art that i find personally as the one and only true soul filling passion goes on this would happen to include individuals such as paula deen . I find it hard even at some times impossible to insult or knock Paula for having a show that preaches gluttony because the majority of cooking is based on richnesss and the addition of hearty ingreadients to keep individual with enough calories to help get throught a long day of hard work in the fields,but nowadays few people need or even do enough work to truely require the calorie intake that Paula Deens food ,or Escoffier cooking would produce. Honestly all Traditional Cooking has a high content of fat and calories so as i traditionally trained cook i can not Bash on Paula for doing what i spent years learning to do , But i do have an issue with any individual taking advantage of people for the sole purpose of becoming wealthy and Gaining a Drug deal . If you want to cook unhealthy fine cook unhealthy , but do not lead your heavy sheep off a cliff and when their hurt and in no condition to know better use their loyalty to line your pockets thats what Bourdains issues with Paula should be ,and what mine is-COLLAPSE
Well, I must say that it's Paula's business as to her physical health. No one is being forced to prepare the recipes she offers. I enjoy watching her prepare foods but that doesn't mean that I have to prepare those exact same dishes. At least she shows that she enjoys preparing the foods as well as eating them. When it comes to Bourdain's style of offering dishes he enjoys in his travels he seems...+READ
Well, I must say that it's Paula's business as to her physical health. No one is being forced to prepare the recipes she offers. I enjoy watching her prepare foods but that doesn't mean that I have to prepare those exact same dishes. At least she shows that she enjoys preparing the foods as well as eating them. When it comes to Bourdain's style of offering dishes he enjoys in his travels he seems to have a great time eating the foods and chasing them down with a substantial amount of alcohol at every single meal. I wonder how his liver is looking!-COLLAPSE
Um. Two things about this. One, Bourdain makes no bones about the fact that some of the vignettes on his show are horribly unhealthy. Two, he is not schilling for Novo Nordisk. Mr. Birdsall, your argument is entirely fallacious. Quad erat demonstrandum.
On a regimented day I am spreading extra virgin coconut oil on multigrained toast, possibly even avoiding gluten altogether for a day and sucking down the green tea. Every thing that goes in a pot or into our bellies is scrutinized, read about and I read labels before it even makes it into my shopping cart.
But on a glorious and decadent splurge day, when I want to get down and dirty in the...+READ
On a regimented day I am spreading extra virgin coconut oil on multigrained toast, possibly even avoiding gluten altogether for a day and sucking down the green tea. Every thing that goes in a pot or into our bellies is scrutinized, read about and I read labels before it even makes it into my shopping cart.
But on a glorious and decadent splurge day, when I want to get down and dirty in the kitchen for my man, friends and family or just for a Sunday treat: Paula Deen rides on the forefront, along with Julia Child, James Beard and the Two Fat Ladies!
We decide what we eat and when to eat it. Our nutrition determines our health and each our own responsibility to really live by that. It's hard for everyone but those of us who really care to stay remotely healthy will find the motivation to make healthy choices even if the tiny pitchfork guy on our other shoulder is saying: "slop on that butter, ya'll-- forget the coconut oil!!"
And IMO-Yes, once in a while we do still deserve to treat ourselves and for those that show us what glorious treats are out there, Thank God for THEM! If you try to eat healthy but are just a food lover at heart it's a bit like watching that show from the 1980's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." Take it from me, if one has been living on non-carb shiritaki noodles for 18 days, living vicariously through Paula Deens ridiculous outbursts as she hovers over her own cooking pots in gluttonous joy helps you put it all in perspective...
Besides: Paula isn't a type 2 diabetic because of her cooking. Lotsa type 2 diabetics never cook their own meals and eat canned garbage and fast food. If you're prone to it, you're prone to it so you may as well make it worth it.
Anyhoo, I third the poster before me named Uman: Mr. Bourdain "is hardly a moral compass!!!" He's definately being judgmental, heartless and hippocritical.
If or when he comes down with some adult oneset/age related ailment he should be ready to eat what he's dished cuz it's just plain MEAN (Y'ALL) to rub in "that hatred"...-COLLAPSE
Given the same circumstances, is there anybody on this thread who would turn down a multimillion-dollar deal on principle?
Uman is right- Bourdain is hardly a moral compass- for anything. I like them both a great deal, and can't help finding this tempest in a teapot really puzzling.
Bourdain is hardly a moral compass. Some people think they have to verbalize every negative thought that passes through their brain. He should practice his less is more theory on himself.
Birdsall is exemplifying perfectly why our society is crumbling. Doing the right thing has become passé. It's all about getting paid, making a buck, and damn the consequences.
Bourdain obviously has an artistic streak a mile wide, and he's rightly horrified by her behavior, as any reasonable person should be. Would Birdsall have given his approval to Amy Winehouse shilling for booze? Seems...+READ
Birdsall is exemplifying perfectly why our society is crumbling. Doing the right thing has become passé. It's all about getting paid, making a buck, and damn the consequences.
Bourdain obviously has an artistic streak a mile wide, and he's rightly horrified by her behavior, as any reasonable person should be. Would Birdsall have given his approval to Amy Winehouse shilling for booze? Seems likely.-COLLAPSE
I could care less if Deen is hawking Doughnut Burgers and Deep Fried Butter. Deen has become a caricature of herself and it was always expected that she introduce the public to some heinous exercise in gluttony.That was all part of her schtick.
However, Bourdain appears to be correct. She is now using her Diabetes as springboard to cash in on the 2nd phase of her career. The drug she is now...+READ
I could care less if Deen is hawking Doughnut Burgers and Deep Fried Butter. Deen has become a caricature of herself and it was always expected that she introduce the public to some heinous exercise in gluttony.That was all part of her schtick.
However, Bourdain appears to be correct. She is now using her Diabetes as springboard to cash in on the 2nd phase of her career. The drug she is now endorsing costs about $500.00 a month to administer. This is hardly a product that is accessible to the "salt of the earth" people that she claims to represent on her cooking show. If she simply had decided that she was now going to cook healthy food and embrace a lifestyle change I would have no qualms with her repositioning, but the drug endorsemnet deal makes this nothing more than a cynical money grab. It has been reported that her long time manager that helped build her brand has even cut ties with her. I always thought Bourdain went to far with his Food Network bashing, but in this case Paula Deen deserves all the invective and scorn that he can muster.-COLLAPSE
Since the bacon fat hit the fan, almost all the printed missives from the Food Network have started w/the word 'healthy'. Can you say 'public relations spin'?
Mr. Birdsall, I'm sorry but I agree that you totally missed the point of why people are upset over this whole shebang.
Paula Deen's style of cooking is a far cry from eating foie gras on occasion. She is the Queen of all things fatty, carby and gluttonous, for chrissakes. AND she has been promoting this lifestyle all the while hiding her type 2 diabetes diagnosis AND collecting a fatty paycheck from a Diabetes drug manufacturer. I mean really, it's not rocket science, Mr. Birdsall.
I learned something from these comments: Eating poorly is as bad for you as swearing. Wtf?
Bourdain quit smoking BTW....
Butter is no more unhealthy for you than any other fat. Americans eat too much. Our meals are too large. If we ate less there would be less over weight people and less diabetes and heart disease. It also occurs with age, too.
She was asked why she didn't come forward years ago. She replied that she didn't because she didn't have anything to bring to the table and when she did then she would come forward publicly with the fact that she had Diabetes.
Now she's coming forward because she has something to bring to the table - a multimillion dollar paid $poke$person job for a dangerous Diabetes drug. She is so GREEDY
I have first-hand experience with several family members who have diabetes -all of whom by the way are of normal weight, it runs in my family and seems to hit everyone in their 50-60's even those who are fit and eat well 99% of the time. Just because you are diabetic doesn't mean you can NEVER eat sugar, or NEVER have dessert, or NEVER have fried chicken, or NEVER have butter, etc. Anyone who...+READ
I have first-hand experience with several family members who have diabetes -all of whom by the way are of normal weight, it runs in my family and seems to hit everyone in their 50-60's even those who are fit and eat well 99% of the time. Just because you are diabetic doesn't mean you can NEVER eat sugar, or NEVER have dessert, or NEVER have fried chicken, or NEVER have butter, etc. Anyone who took PD's shows as a manual for how they should eat on a regular basis is a fool. Her food is not really my thing, but I have no issues with her - she provides entertainment and the food she cooks is not illegal.-COLLAPSE
Just went to the 'Victoza' site she shills for and on the very 1st page it says, in BLACK AND WHITE: causes thyroid tumors, AND thyroid cancer!!! I'm sure she will continue to prosper financially, since she has NO shame!! And she has the NERVE to talk about 'Gods time'!! For certain she has never heard of bad karma!
So basically, this post is a bash on Bourdain's bash on Deen. Get a life. None of this matters.
Well writen !! I agree !.
Bourdain, while neither the most talented Chef, nor the the least curmudgeonly, is who he is. Deen has hidden behind a facade, cheerfully pitching dishes with ZERO regard for healthy eating. An episode that saw her make macaroni and cheese, wrap it in bacon, and deep fry it, left me in awe. The fact that she tried to keep this "close to the vest" i.e. still generating her cash machine, made me...+READ
Bourdain, while neither the most talented Chef, nor the the least curmudgeonly, is who he is. Deen has hidden behind a facade, cheerfully pitching dishes with ZERO regard for healthy eating. An episode that saw her make macaroni and cheese, wrap it in bacon, and deep fry it, left me in awe. The fact that she tried to keep this "close to the vest" i.e. still generating her cash machine, made me like her even less.-COLLAPSE
So Bourdain's constant use of foul language and cigarette smoking is somehow healthier than Paula's heavy use of butter and cream? Hey, Anthony: STFU!
Selfish and greedy anyway you slice it!!! or slather it for that matter.....bloody shameful....I used to like her....now I think she is a joke
Sorry, I view Paula Deen as a victim of her own excess, who's just cackling her way to the bank.
geeeez, all YOU do is show your favoritism to Deen and not Bourdain. All YOU do is bash Bourdain. Paula Deen is a LIAR. YES it's her fault she got rich on making others sick while she was sick herself. YES, it's HER FAULT SHE"S A LIAR. I don't like her and her show, it's too plastic and full of bad food, but I don't like Bourdain and his show either. Too much swearing. But you, you have no...+READ
geeeez, all YOU do is show your favoritism to Deen and not Bourdain. All YOU do is bash Bourdain. Paula Deen is a LIAR. YES it's her fault she got rich on making others sick while she was sick herself. YES, it's HER FAULT SHE"S A LIAR. I don't like her and her show, it's too plastic and full of bad food, but I don't like Bourdain and his show either. Too much swearing. But you, you have no excuse. You just bash to bash-COLLAPSE
What does it matter if Paula has Diabetes or not and selling or cooking comfort food? Really? I know many, many people who DON"T smoke but sell cigarettes......what's your point. Her personal strugles and health issues have nothing to do with her food or her cooking!!! WE the public, can choose what to eat and what not to eat. We the public must take responsibility for ourselves. It's not like...+READ
What does it matter if Paula has Diabetes or not and selling or cooking comfort food? Really? I know many, many people who DON"T smoke but sell cigarettes......what's your point. Her personal strugles and health issues have nothing to do with her food or her cooking!!! WE the public, can choose what to eat and what not to eat. We the public must take responsibility for ourselves. It's not like Paula is sitting beside us on our couches forcing us to watch her show or cook her recipes....Get a life.
You go Paula....don't let anyone discourage you from doing something you love, we all want to die happy!!!-COLLAPSE
I have said over and over again this past week; Mrs. Deen's health issues is her OWN PERSONAL BUSINESS. Her show is great. Not only is it entertaining it is UPLIFTING. I have enough good sense to know which recipes I want to use or not. She advocates real butter. Well, guess what? REAL BUTTER IS BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH THAN THE hydrogenated margarines are. Pure fact. She mentions REAL LARD...+READ
I have said over and over again this past week; Mrs. Deen's health issues is her OWN PERSONAL BUSINESS. Her show is great. Not only is it entertaining it is UPLIFTING. I have enough good sense to know which recipes I want to use or not. She advocates real butter. Well, guess what? REAL BUTTER IS BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH THAN THE hydrogenated margarines are. Pure fact. She mentions REAL LARD sometimes. Again, Real lard is better for your health than the hydrogenated one is you find on the store shelf. She makes "Over the Top" desserts. Guess what? You who have common sense wouldn't eat that everyday anyway. Would you? If she endorses a diabetic medication, SO WHAT? She is the person to do that also. She waited Three Years to tell the world...SO WHAT? In my opinion, she didn't have to tell the world anything. She may have merely began to incorporate less sugary items on her show....which she has done if you watch the show religiously like I do. "Hater" Bourdain needs to get a life and stop attempting to grab Paula's popularity for HIMSELF. I say, "Best to You and Yours Paula Deen!!!!!-COLLAPSE
If I'm not mistaken, Anthony Bourdain had a really bad drinking problem at one point. So what gives him the right to determine what is "dangerous" to America's people? Just as many people watch his show as they do Paula's, and they can be influenced by his past substance abuse just like they can be influenced by Paula's eating habits. Another point to realize is that Paula is not saying, "Cook...+READ
If I'm not mistaken, Anthony Bourdain had a really bad drinking problem at one point. So what gives him the right to determine what is "dangerous" to America's people? Just as many people watch his show as they do Paula's, and they can be influenced by his past substance abuse just like they can be influenced by Paula's eating habits. Another point to realize is that Paula is not saying, "Cook this food everyday, y'all!" It is up to the viewer as to what they put on the dinner table at night.-COLLAPSE
We need more focus on healthy eating. We also need to understand that we don't have the right to run anybody else's life.
Yes, let's all pity poor Paula Deen for raking in the sponsorship bucks while promoting an incredibly unhealthy diet and suffering from an illness brought on by said diet.
This editorial is one of the worst pieces of apologia I've seen for naked greed in recent memory.
"I believe the only reason she "came clean" after three years is probably that one of the FN biatches, Alex G. or whomever, "caught" her in the ladies' room injecting insulin. "OOh she's shooting up; I must tattle!" "
You can't honestly believe that. Whether you are a fan of hers or not, its clear the reason she came forward was because of her becoming a spokesman for Victoza. That much isnt...+READ
"I believe the only reason she "came clean" after three years is probably that one of the FN biatches, Alex G. or whomever, "caught" her in the ladies' room injecting insulin. "OOh she's shooting up; I must tattle!" "
You can't honestly believe that. Whether you are a fan of hers or not, its clear the reason she came forward was because of her becoming a spokesman for Victoza. That much isnt even really up for debate.-COLLAPSE
Adults have a choice as to what they cook/eat. Are we now going to revile the memory of Julia Child because she taught us to cook with butter? I am no particular fan of Paula Deen, but her medical problems are her own personal business.
I believe the only reason she "came clean" after three years is probably that one of the FN biatches, Alex G. or whomever, "caught" her in the ladies' room...+READ
Adults have a choice as to what they cook/eat. Are we now going to revile the memory of Julia Child because she taught us to cook with butter? I am no particular fan of Paula Deen, but her medical problems are her own personal business.
I believe the only reason she "came clean" after three years is probably that one of the FN biatches, Alex G. or whomever, "caught" her in the ladies' room injecting insulin. "OOh she's shooting up; I must tattle!"
Paula is 65 and pleasantly plump...So what, when the majority of women her age in America are in the same shape? Tony, I love you to death, but shut the F up. You are just an ex-addict alcoholic, who are you to judge anyone else's foibles? People who live in glass houses...
I'm ashamed, once again, at the Food Network. Not only are they one of the most appalling proponents of bad English grammar (never will a proper adverbial phrase be used there) but their hypocrisy is outstanding.
Back to the diabetes...My husband has it, even after living with my enlightened cooking for over 30 years. Anyone here ever heard of genetics, or predisposition to a disease? This indictment is based on total ignorance.
Let me ask all of you this...Who amongst you, who are real Foodies, is interested in seeing a program about diets? BORING. I don't know about you, but I want to see real people cooking real food, and YOU can be the judge as to how often you can eat this way.
Leave Paula Deen alone, she is only responsible for herself. The Food Network, on the other hand, is responsible for allowing all of their scripts to be broadcast in badly (ooh, adverbial phrase!) bad grammar.-COLLAPSE
You are off base about Bourdain. He never sought to be a healthy eater. He does, however, take the money-hog hypocrites down. And that is what Paula Deen has just revealed herself to be. Also. Bourdain never espouses the use of sticks of butter while teaching people how to cook. He just travels and eats what he eats. He doesn't tell you to do the same.
I agree with Bourdain. I find Deen's behavior reprehensible. Had Paula Deen come out three years ago and said she had diabetes and started to cook her recipes with a more health oriented slant she would have been been seen as an inspiration and people would loved her for it. Instead she continued to promote ridiculously unhealthy food and never said anything about the negative aspects it created...+READ
I agree with Bourdain. I find Deen's behavior reprehensible. Had Paula Deen come out three years ago and said she had diabetes and started to cook her recipes with a more health oriented slant she would have been been seen as an inspiration and people would loved her for it. Instead she continued to promote ridiculously unhealthy food and never said anything about the negative aspects it created for her until she stood to make a huge profit from it. I bore no ill will towards Paula Deen before this whole situation, but I find her conduct on this issue vile and reprehensible.-COLLAPSE
I agree with this article - very well put.
It must be nice to be above it all, better than everyone and always right mr. bourdain...you know as if you have not been seen proudly inhaling pork from the "rooty to the tooty" yourself and drinking in excess with joyous abandon, the same abandon Paula shows on her show. She has diabetes you have high cholesterol, don't throw stones. As Paula has stated she does not eat or cook like that all...+READ
It must be nice to be above it all, better than everyone and always right mr. bourdain...you know as if you have not been seen proudly inhaling pork from the "rooty to the tooty" yourself and drinking in excess with joyous abandon, the same abandon Paula shows on her show. She has diabetes you have high cholesterol, don't throw stones. As Paula has stated she does not eat or cook like that all the time, as I assume Anthony does not either, she's a cook not a doctor. I love them both but as a grown as woman I can decide not to "monkey see, monkey do" behind celebrities as should everyone..-COLLAPSE
As much as I love Bourdain, I agree that he should just stfu already. He lives in a glass house filled to the rim with booze, so he really ought not be throwing stones at Deen.
However, Bourdain being *wrong* does not automatically make Deen *right*. Paula Deen is a corporate shill and a shameless endorsement whore for announcing her tie-in with Novo in the same breath as her admitting to...+READ
As much as I love Bourdain, I agree that he should just stfu already. He lives in a glass house filled to the rim with booze, so he really ought not be throwing stones at Deen.
However, Bourdain being *wrong* does not automatically make Deen *right*. Paula Deen is a corporate shill and a shameless endorsement whore for announcing her tie-in with Novo in the same breath as her admitting to having diabetes.
But her crimes go much deeper than that: she has not only reinforced the hick southerner stereotype with her exaggerated accent and mannerisms, her disgusting recipes have also made a mockery of one of America's finest regional cuisines.
So, off with her head for the crime of heresy! And put Anthony in the stocks for a day for being a public drunkard.
That'll learn 'em.-COLLAPSE
bourdain once said he would never sell himself out like other celebrity chefs and have a show. Really. I just don't ever see the need for words like his to be used against any person, one in the public eye or not. Interesting though on the Today show, after they ripped Paula apart, giada made a recipe that called for 2 cups of heavy cream. Is that okay because it was Giada? Should we rip her...+READ
bourdain once said he would never sell himself out like other celebrity chefs and have a show. Really. I just don't ever see the need for words like his to be used against any person, one in the public eye or not. Interesting though on the Today show, after they ripped Paula apart, giada made a recipe that called for 2 cups of heavy cream. Is that okay because it was Giada? Should we rip her apart because she puts her name on so many products. Maybe Paula will have an impact and help other people.-COLLAPSE
I do agree with him. She could have said 'shit, I got diabetes' from the getgo and more people would have cut her some slack, instead she waited until she had a contract (cha-ching) in place to rep for a drug company before saying anything. She COULD have restructured. Look at Graham Kerr....he drank and buttered himself to the top of the heap, only to step away when his wife had a massive...+READ
I do agree with him. She could have said 'shit, I got diabetes' from the getgo and more people would have cut her some slack, instead she waited until she had a contract (cha-ching) in place to rep for a drug company before saying anything. She COULD have restructured. Look at Graham Kerr....he drank and buttered himself to the top of the heap, only to step away when his wife had a massive stroke....he reinvented his brand and garnered a lot of respect for doing so.-COLLAPSE
Woof! You took Bourdain way out of context. His visit to a "temple" was once-in-a-lifetime, artery-clogging, diabetes-inducing concoctions is Deen's life. He is absolutely correct: what Deen has done is "in bad taste, if nothing else."
Ok, so she has the diagnosis a couple of years ago, but she wnts "to wait" and get "everything in line" before she announces to the public...In the meantime,she then introduces her son onto her shows....hmmmm. Can we smell the commercial set-up here? Then, sakes alive, the son now has his own "healthy recipes show"...Uh Huh....are ya gettin ma drift....and she discloses that she is a paid...+READ
Ok, so she has the diagnosis a couple of years ago, but she wnts "to wait" and get "everything in line" before she announces to the public...In the meantime,she then introduces her son onto her shows....hmmmm. Can we smell the commercial set-up here? Then, sakes alive, the son now has his own "healthy recipes show"...Uh Huh....are ya gettin ma drift....and she discloses that she is a paid endorser for the diabetes medication.....Smellin the illnesss all the way to the bank on this one..Sorry don't feel sorry for her.-COLLAPSE
Kudos to you, John, for your article!
I disagree with the idea that fat is to blame when bashing Paula, while in her case it is the whole combination of fats with carbs. My mother ditch her Blood pressure medications and lost 23 lb with high-fat, but no any grain , sugar, potato, starch diet.
Don't really have a horse in this race. Bourdain is slowly slipping into the hubris that comes with people hanging on your every word. Still, he says what he thinks and then lets you take your shots. Deen, on the other hand, has hidden an important fact about the results of her diet (for three years, while she gathered info. Three years??) from her audience while still making money telling people...+READ
Don't really have a horse in this race. Bourdain is slowly slipping into the hubris that comes with people hanging on your every word. Still, he says what he thinks and then lets you take your shots. Deen, on the other hand, has hidden an important fact about the results of her diet (for three years, while she gathered info. Three years??) from her audience while still making money telling people how to prepare that diet. Then, when she decides to tell, it is for money. All of the essential and wonderful ingredients in most dishes are healthful when not taken to extremes. She crossed the line and did so in ways calculated to make her rich. I am sorry for her and wish her well. But don't confuse that with condoning her actions. BTW, she is not the epitome of southern cuisine. I know that food. It can be healthful and rich without being cloying.-COLLAPSE
Your attack on Anthony Bourdain is a bit disingenuous, don't you think? After all, his purpose is to tell what kind of food HE likes and not how you should cook fatty, mouth-pleasing cholesterol bombs to gorge on. I think Ms. Deen SHOULD be a bit ashamed of herself, promoting such food when she cannot eat it herself. Why not show how to cook delicious food that doesn't send your A1c through the...+READ
Your attack on Anthony Bourdain is a bit disingenuous, don't you think? After all, his purpose is to tell what kind of food HE likes and not how you should cook fatty, mouth-pleasing cholesterol bombs to gorge on. I think Ms. Deen SHOULD be a bit ashamed of herself, promoting such food when she cannot eat it herself. Why not show how to cook delicious food that doesn't send your A1c through the roof? And the fact that she is now a paid spokesperson for Big Pharma does nothing to lessen my contempt.-COLLAPSE
Deen is a fraud from her hair color to her accent. That she found a way to capitalize on a health problem should surprise no one!! She is all about the buck and has been touting southern cooking used for centuries by little old grandmas as her own. This is just 'bussiness as usual'.
Well stated, Mr. Birdsall! I have struggled with my weight all of my life and prior to having lost a great deal of poundage, I was pre-diabetic and pre-hypertensive. Both reverted to normal after losing only a few of those excess pounds.
Having said all that, I still enjoy butter, salt and cream. I just don't drown everything in it. Moderation in all things, people. If you cannot control...+READ
Well stated, Mr. Birdsall! I have struggled with my weight all of my life and prior to having lost a great deal of poundage, I was pre-diabetic and pre-hypertensive. Both reverted to normal after losing only a few of those excess pounds.
Having said all that, I still enjoy butter, salt and cream. I just don't drown everything in it. Moderation in all things, people. If you cannot control yourself and have to by-pass certain foods, fine. Just don't bash others for enjoying them! The government is trying to gain way too much control of our lives as it is... even to the point of taking our salt! Seriously!-COLLAPSE
No one knows what moderation is unless a few keep pushing the limits.
"Last time I checked, cooking shows were entertainment."
You have very low standards for your entertainment.
I am from Georgia, and my family owns several Paula Deen cookbooks. I have been to Lady and Sons, as well as Uncle Bubba's, Paula's brother's restaurant. That being said, the members of my family are extremely healthy eaters with healthy weights, who exercise regularly and take care of our bodies, because we understand the idea of moderation. Her recipes are foods we indulge in only occasionally,...+READ
I am from Georgia, and my family owns several Paula Deen cookbooks. I have been to Lady and Sons, as well as Uncle Bubba's, Paula's brother's restaurant. That being said, the members of my family are extremely healthy eaters with healthy weights, who exercise regularly and take care of our bodies, because we understand the idea of moderation. Her recipes are foods we indulge in only occasionally, specifically on holidays or birthdays.
I say this to point out that there is a way for individuals and families to appreciate and participate in who she is and what she does without damning themselves to obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. For Southerners, and specifically Georgians, her food represents traditional Southern cuisine, much of which harks back to a time when our ancestors spent 12 hours a day farming, and could eat those meals without becoming obese.
Fortunately, diet research has come a long way since the early 20th century, and we know that many of those meals will contribute to disease if over-consumed, especially if there is no physical exertion to counterbalance them.
If Paula Deen has contributed to obesity in America, I imagine that her influence is infinitesimally small. This is a much deeper cultural problem that requires more analysis than the demonization of one woman.-COLLAPSE
My only issue with Paula Deen is that most of her recipes can be found in Junior League or Telephone Pioneer cookbooks throughout the south. Nothing original about her or her recipes. HOWEVER, I think it is hypocritical of other chefs to bash her for her use of high fat foods. Last time I checked, duck, fois gras and other snooty foods that chefs like to praise are not the least bit healthy. I...+READ
My only issue with Paula Deen is that most of her recipes can be found in Junior League or Telephone Pioneer cookbooks throughout the south. Nothing original about her or her recipes. HOWEVER, I think it is hypocritical of other chefs to bash her for her use of high fat foods. Last time I checked, duck, fois gras and other snooty foods that chefs like to praise are not the least bit healthy. I doubt that anyone watches her show and says, "Well if Paula cooks this, it must be fine for me!" We all have brains and the ability to choose what goes into our bodies. As a southern cook, there ARE dishes that I make that are full of fat and bacon grease! I dont eat them every day. On the other hand, for her son to make an entire show off of lightening up her dishes seems a bit far-reaching.-COLLAPSE
Why do you watch these dumb cooking shows anyway? Wanna learn how to cook? Cook then. Kill your TV.
Yesterdays show culminated in Paula Dean dipping homemade donuts into chocolate sauce (a whole stick of butter)and relishing it - having concealed her diagnosis for three years. Shameful. Deceitful. Dangerous. Give her the hook!!!!!!
Agreed, John. I expected those comments criticizing Deen to come from Dr. Oz, or David ("Eat this, not that") Zinczenko perhaps, but ANTHONY BOURDAIN? Hypocrisy to the Nth degree. Bourdain should keep his big, foie gras-eating mouth shut. I, too, wonder if he's drawn a distinction between the Whole Foods, North Face-wearing, Starbucks-sipping crowd, and those who food-shop at the Walmart.
I...+READ
Agreed, John. I expected those comments criticizing Deen to come from Dr. Oz, or David ("Eat this, not that") Zinczenko perhaps, but ANTHONY BOURDAIN? Hypocrisy to the Nth degree. Bourdain should keep his big, foie gras-eating mouth shut. I, too, wonder if he's drawn a distinction between the Whole Foods, North Face-wearing, Starbucks-sipping crowd, and those who food-shop at the Walmart.
I don't agree with an animal-based, high-fat diet, but she's entitled to do the cooking show she wants. People now know she has diabetes, and can draw their own conclusions and make their own judgments on that. They can decide for themselves how they choose to eat.-COLLAPSE
I have never watched her show without declaring loudly that she would someday suffer some serious health consequences; at her weight and with those recipes, it was only a matter of time. And this is a matter of timing. She is in the public relations mess that she's in because she kept it private for years, only revealing it when it benefited her financially. Everyone makes their own choices,...+READ
I have never watched her show without declaring loudly that she would someday suffer some serious health consequences; at her weight and with those recipes, it was only a matter of time. And this is a matter of timing. She is in the public relations mess that she's in because she kept it private for years, only revealing it when it benefited her financially. Everyone makes their own choices, about their health, about their business, about their image. She's seriously tarnished hers by making it appear that she kept silent because it would have harmed her financially. As others have said, if she'd announced it on he show or in conjunction with some diabetes charity work and waited a decent interval before becoming a paid endorser for a diabetes drug, her keeping silent for years would have seemed more like a personal and not a financial decision.-COLLAPSE
Not a Paula Deen fan myself. The Tunica casino restaurant is appallingly bad. I don't see the difference in Paula promoting a diabetes medication for money as being any worse than any chef (or actor) promoting any other product for money. What's truly terrible is doctors promoting medications such as statins that cause more problems than they help....they not only get paid for the ads, they get...+READ
Not a Paula Deen fan myself. The Tunica casino restaurant is appallingly bad. I don't see the difference in Paula promoting a diabetes medication for money as being any worse than any chef (or actor) promoting any other product for money. What's truly terrible is doctors promoting medications such as statins that cause more problems than they help....they not only get paid for the ads, they get kick-backs from the pharmaceutical companies for pushing these things on their uninformed patients. It has been found that statins cause diabetes, high blood pressure and more and don't do all that much to prevent heart attacks.-COLLAPSE
Ridiculous! Anybody knows that you don't eat butter excessively! If Paula loves butter, oh well!
I'm sorry if it offends anyone, but I agree with Bourdain.
Yes I know it's a choose to watch show and a choose to eat, but how many going to be influnenced by her, especially kids.
In an informed world, in a society where obesity is hitting the ceiling, especially with young people, she is flying in the face of it, and expecting kudos. Not from me!!!!
ILOVE PAULA DEEN. SHE IS A GREAT COOK.LOOK TO YOURSELVES ABOUT WHAT ONE EATS OR NOT!
OK, I've got the frozen ham, direct me to pork faced satan and I'll bop her right in her bloated leathery makeup caked piehole
also...the entity I feel most sorry for in this whole ordeal is Butter...such a shame that once again it has come under such bad press. Butter is not the enemy!
Meh, call me when they hack off one of her hoofs.
When asked by Roker on the Today Show if she was getting paid to promote this diabete drugs she replied she was "just like you are getting paid". What a ridiculous answer. He's getting paid to interview. She's getting paid to promote a drug for personal gain. If she really wanted to help then she'd do free charity work for a diabetes charity. She also mentions she's always preached moderation....+READ
When asked by Roker on the Today Show if she was getting paid to promote this diabete drugs she replied she was "just like you are getting paid". What a ridiculous answer. He's getting paid to interview. She's getting paid to promote a drug for personal gain. If she really wanted to help then she'd do free charity work for a diabetes charity. She also mentions she's always preached moderation. Yeah right. Then at the end of the interview she makes a shameless plug for one of her son's new shows. Just the mention of her name makes me ill.-COLLAPSE
You can't compare foie gras to deep fried butter! Deen's cooking is about piling on the excess to large portions of bland flavorless food!
The entire affair reeks of self promotion and skeeziness, i's hard not to react to that...
"Deen’s haters sounded as if they’d been hoping that an admission of disease would at least mean death to her career."
Yes, that's what we hoped. For two years after finding out she had the disease she continued to represent Cool Whip as an ingredient and peddle her recipes as "food". It wouldn't have been too hard to join the health food bandwagon and even put a spin on it like "hey, I've...+READ
"Deen’s haters sounded as if they’d been hoping that an admission of disease would at least mean death to her career."
Yes, that's what we hoped. For two years after finding out she had the disease she continued to represent Cool Whip as an ingredient and peddle her recipes as "food". It wouldn't have been too hard to join the health food bandwagon and even put a spin on it like "hey, I've never cooked healthy before, let's learn this together."
The class-ism and sexism argument (second to last paragraph) is too moronic for me to even address...-COLLAPSE
Deen presented fatty indulgence in just about every one of her shows. Bourdain may be a bore, but there is a fantastic variety in the food presented on his show. While focusing Bourdain's Foie Gras visit may work for the purposes of this article, it does not define Bourdain or his show. Fat, Cream, and Deep Fried food does define Paula Deen and she is proud of that fact. I have no problem with...+READ
Deen presented fatty indulgence in just about every one of her shows. Bourdain may be a bore, but there is a fantastic variety in the food presented on his show. While focusing Bourdain's Foie Gras visit may work for the purposes of this article, it does not define Bourdain or his show. Fat, Cream, and Deep Fried food does define Paula Deen and she is proud of that fact. I have no problem with what she does, or her financial arrangements, but she should not be allowed to avoid criticism of her actions.-COLLAPSE
Big difference is Paula Dean made a career and made millions out of pushing her ultra junk food lifestyle. Then kept her diabetes secret for three years so as not to jeopardize her millions in income. She is destructive to peoples health and her own. It all came back (diabetes) to bite her in her ample butt
If you put yourself out there on TV, you are fair game. Personally, I don't watch Paula because I can't stand here voice, her food, or her personality, but that is only one man's opinion.
So "Stop Bashing Paula Deen" really means "Start Bashing Anthony Bourdain?"
Stop it. Just stop it. Why do you want this woman's head on a stake? She has known for less than 2 years about her diabetes. It is a difficult thing to manage and learn to live with. MILLIONS of people have it and dont know it. Millions more walk among us with it and we dont even know it. They keep this information to themselves and manage their disease in their own way. She and her family knew...+READ
Stop it. Just stop it. Why do you want this woman's head on a stake? She has known for less than 2 years about her diabetes. It is a difficult thing to manage and learn to live with. MILLIONS of people have it and dont know it. Millions more walk among us with it and we dont even know it. They keep this information to themselves and manage their disease in their own way. She and her family knew that this was eventually going to become public, and Im also sure they knew that this type of backlash was sure to follow.
Yes, her recipes are rich and sweet. MANY chefs and cooks who appear on TV show us dishes that are rich and sweet. Hasn't anyone ever watched Nigella Lawson? Full fat cream, butter, and sugar are almost always used. Mario Battali gives us pasta a thousand ways. Why aren't the carbo-phobics attacking him? All you self-righteous individuals already know that eating that kind of food every day will eventually do you some harm.
If this news can put a "face" on adult onset, Type 2 diabetes, and causes more of us to get outselves checked for it, then Paula is doing us all a favor. She didn't shove that cake into out mouths ... we did. What if Tony Bourdain, Rachael Ray or Martha Stewart came out with the same news ... would you still be acting as if they deserved it?-COLLAPSE
Your arguments are full of fairness, not.
Bourdain did one episode on a super fatty restaurant while Deen made a career of shows pushing the same content. Being a paid spokesperson means selling out for most people and doing so to benefit a disease is just inhuman. She's just another medicine doctor who sold you the poison in the first place!
Deen is the fault because she used her...+READ
Your arguments are full of fairness, not.
Bourdain did one episode on a super fatty restaurant while Deen made a career of shows pushing the same content. Being a paid spokesperson means selling out for most people and doing so to benefit a disease is just inhuman. She's just another medicine doctor who sold you the poison in the first place!
Deen is the fault because she used her popularity to push an unhealthy agenda. Bourdain never advocated for his viewers to eat the crap he eats on the shows.-COLLAPSE
Wow, just wow. This is all quite the chewy morsel, isn't it?
I come down solidly in the Bourdain camp, for every possible reason. He strikes me as brutally honest with himself because first and foremost, he's a writer, and a good one. And his writing is a cannonball off a cliff fearless lunatic in the style of Hunter S. Thompson or even Harlan Ellison. So we, some of us anyway, love him for...+READ
Wow, just wow. This is all quite the chewy morsel, isn't it?
I come down solidly in the Bourdain camp, for every possible reason. He strikes me as brutally honest with himself because first and foremost, he's a writer, and a good one. And his writing is a cannonball off a cliff fearless lunatic in the style of Hunter S. Thompson or even Harlan Ellison. So we, some of us anyway, love him for that. I don't know about his cooking, I've never tasted it. But he holds himself under a magnifying glass for his readers in a way that is every inch the opposite of Deen's schtick.
I can't say a whole lot about Deen's show because I haven't watched but about five minutes of it here and there over the years. I am perfectly capable of baking a cheesecake or throwing sugar and cream cheese into a mixer, thank you very much. She is not instructive. At best, I find her boring. And the whole homey family picture leaves me cold. Her's is a lifestyle I find repellent.
Some will call me elitist. This is a logical loop-de-loop that I almost admire for the audacity of it. I'm an elitist because I am repelled by ostentatious waste. Get your vocabulary straight. I'm not elitist, I'm judgmental. No, I will not support your RIGHT to be a GREEDY PIG.
But she represents this grotesque determination to anesthetize by way of gluttony. Worried about the future? Feed your face? Anxious about your social standing? Have more cake. Freaking out about downsizing at your company? Here's a platter of ribs.
We all have to eat, so why not enjoy it? But how much joy is really in it when you are stressing your body to the point that it develops a diet-based deadly disease?
And it's a pretty normal human thing, to self soothe like that. But on the Food Network it becomes a pathology. Every time I see a clip of Guy Fireball shoving yet another gloppy hunk of ground beef and processed cheese into his face, I can smell fear, and Pepto. Hell, I need Pepto just for watching it.
You know where else I smell fear? When I see people bristle at the public mention of healthy eating. Those folks who get indignant when it is suggested that soda should be taxed because damnit, they have the right to drink it by the bucketful for breakfast and bathe their g'ddamn kids in it. They are like fundies who don't want their kids to even hear that there are other ways of thinking. People who cling so hard to the safety blankets of their routines, that you could probably chase them away by waving some kale at them and telling them it is tasty. WHUTSAHMATTER WIT U, U UNUHMERKIN OR SOMETHING!?!
Diatbetes is frightening and stressful and EXPENSIVE. I would not wish diabetes of any sort on Ms. Deen or anyone.
But no, Mr. Birdsall, we are not going to stop bashing her. She makes a fat living off her celebrity. She won't be treated with the same loathing that, say, Micheal Vick, though she has probably done more harm. On the public judgement scale of celebrity scandal, she falls to the left of, oh, Roman Polansky, but well to the right of Brittany Spears. Perhaps we'll see Ms. Deen checking herself into rehab with a shaved head one of these days. But I rather doubt it.-COLLAPSE
I find this entire article so ridiculously slanted. Mr. Bourdain's distaste for this issue seems to me to come from the pharmaceutical tie in and the timing of the information. I watched Paula Deen on "The Chew" today and I felt that I was watching the beginning of the end of a career. I actually like Ms. Deen. I would never choose to cook about 99% of her recipes because I feel like they are...+READ
I find this entire article so ridiculously slanted. Mr. Bourdain's distaste for this issue seems to me to come from the pharmaceutical tie in and the timing of the information. I watched Paula Deen on "The Chew" today and I felt that I was watching the beginning of the end of a career. I actually like Ms. Deen. I would never choose to cook about 99% of her recipes because I feel like they are only about one step above the ridiculous "cooking" of Sandra Lee. But, with that said, Paula is likeable and Southern and funny and that was all that mattered to me before now. Today, I viewed her as fake and money hungry. Her reasoning for partnering with Novartis? Because her sons and her were all being compensated (why the sons?) and that they need to work just like everybody else. Really, Paula? I'm sure you would go broke if not for your diabetes (likely self-induced) endorsement. I'm sure your pots, pans, television shows and deals with food manufacturers couldn't possibly sustain your lifestyle. And as she led into her belief that stress was the major contributor to her (very serious) disease, I could only picture butter, sugar and more butter.
Anthony Bourdain might be crass and a bit judgemental but he is only pointing out the obvious when it comes to Ms. Deen and her commercialism. Paula has lost a fan in me.-COLLAPSE
There are a number of confusions in this article, I think.
First, Bourdain's remark about Deen's "bad taste" seems to be a one about hypocrisy, or something of the like. It is not obviously a first-order complaint or rant against fatty foods. Assuming it is is the only way to get it to sound like it's inconsistent with his rant against legislating good eating habits.
The same assumption is...+READ
There are a number of confusions in this article, I think.
First, Bourdain's remark about Deen's "bad taste" seems to be a one about hypocrisy, or something of the like. It is not obviously a first-order complaint or rant against fatty foods. Assuming it is is the only way to get it to sound like it's inconsistent with his rant against legislating good eating habits.
The same assumption is also the only way to get it to sound like he's being hypocritical when he says he loves, e.g., fatty foie-gras. What he seems to be "against" is bad-*tasting* fatty stuff; and people who promote and act like they love things that are secretly detrimental to their health, until they can profit from doing otherwise.
You seem also to assume that a man's hypocrisy towards two women will just lead one to begin to wonder if he's an outright sexist. That seems silly, given how often we are hypocritical. Maybe if you actually backed up this leap with reasoning --- say, an appeal to Bourdain's general machismo, or something --- it would make more sense. But you don't.
You also seem to suggest that thinking that one kind of food is better than another comes close to some kind of classism. I don't see the rationale behind that gigantic leap. (Furthermore, are you suggesting it is simply ignorant or stupid or obviously wrong to think that people who need to be lectured about nutrition and willpower are generally poorer than those who can fairly be said to fall into occasional indulgence? I don't think that's obviously true; but I'm missing where you say why it's obviously false.)
I actually don't really agree with Bourdain's statement about Deen (if it's a serious assertion at all --- see buenasola's comment below); nor am I pleased about coming off like some kind of weird, passionate Bourdain fan. But I can't help noting that this article is full of really SHITTY REASONING. Can't we do better?-COLLAPSE
Man, Chow really dropped the ball on this article. Implying Bourdain is sexist when it seems the only evidence you have is that he criticized two women (as if he never grouses about men) is a cheap argument. Cherry pick examples from No Reservations all you want, but there is simply no comparison between the magnitude with which Anthony Bourdain and Paula Deen promote unhealthy food. Bourdain is...+READ
Man, Chow really dropped the ball on this article. Implying Bourdain is sexist when it seems the only evidence you have is that he criticized two women (as if he never grouses about men) is a cheap argument. Cherry pick examples from No Reservations all you want, but there is simply no comparison between the magnitude with which Anthony Bourdain and Paula Deen promote unhealthy food. Bourdain is known for promoting interesting and exotic food that is representative of different regions of the world, which happens to sometimes include things you shouldn't eat everyday, but also often includes healthy food. Paula Deen is known for promoting literally nothing but artery-clogging, buttery, cholesterol-laden health nightmares. I mean come on, there is even a meme about it: http://tinyurl.com/7rytjlc-COLLAPSE
I am a skinny 104 lb bitch whose diet consists of fat and salt ( no sugar) who exercises a lot with great blood lipids who also has pre-diabetes. My dad, was the same, except he ate lots of sugar. He also eventually died from the daibetes. Some type 2 diabetes is genetic and has nothing to do with diet, etc. Deen gave the public what they wanted and should bear no blame.
I just gotta say... I love that you used the term "schadenfreude"... If Deen could drawl the word out without sounding straight-up "hillbilly" she'd be smearing Bourdain's face in the very butter he pretends to take issue with.
I love them both but he's just acting like an arrogant no-it-all older brother. Any chef worth the edge on their blade eats butter Deen-style. It's how we're taught. Too...+READ
I just gotta say... I love that you used the term "schadenfreude"... If Deen could drawl the word out without sounding straight-up "hillbilly" she'd be smearing Bourdain's face in the very butter he pretends to take issue with.
I love them both but he's just acting like an arrogant no-it-all older brother. Any chef worth the edge on their blade eats butter Deen-style. It's how we're taught. Too bad Bourdain's too ashamed to own who he truly is... butter and fat, salt and (oh dear god!) white sugar, red meat and gristle are the very fabric of our whites. He knows that! Time to get back to your roots Bourdain! It's starting to appear as though he may indeed know nothing about meat! ;)-COLLAPSE
Why does anybody feel the need to defend either of those two clowns? They are two sides of the same coin.
I'm more interested in what FoodTV will do now that all of this has come out. That is, whether or not they feel an ethical obligation to make a stand about Deen shilling for a drug company. IMNSHOOC, Deen should be canned. Will that happen? Uh, no.
One's health is nobody's business. Deen could have kept quiet and kept cooking for years. Why did she announce it? Maybe THAT was her downfall.
They should rename her show "How I Got Diabetes, And You Can Too!". Seriously though, how can you defend her on this?
Anthony Bourdain is a jaded asshole, and he's the first one to tell you that! That's why his No Reservations so much fun to watch. He knows he's preachy about food and he admits it.
I disagree with most of this article. Bourdain is a hyperbole spewing lovable asshole. I enjoy his commentary and find him entertaining. Like some of my most sarcastic friends though, I can see right through it. Deen makes everyday foods with more fat and sodium in them without increasing their flavor proportionally. She's known that she has diabetes for 3 years now, and she doesn't say anything...+READ
I disagree with most of this article. Bourdain is a hyperbole spewing lovable asshole. I enjoy his commentary and find him entertaining. Like some of my most sarcastic friends though, I can see right through it. Deen makes everyday foods with more fat and sodium in them without increasing their flavor proportionally. She's known that she has diabetes for 3 years now, and she doesn't say anything about making healthier food(or that she has diabetes) until it coincides with a pharmaceutical company's diabetes campaign!!! She doesn't care about anyone but herself.-COLLAPSE
A travel show is entertainment. A cooking show is educational. You are INSTRUCTING people how to cook. If somehow using as much butter as possible becomes an acceptable norm, if you are encouraging that behavior, then you should be held accountable for it. It is not okay to present that sort of cooking as an acceptable alternative to a balanced diet. Like many have said, Anthony Bourdain doesn't...+READ
A travel show is entertainment. A cooking show is educational. You are INSTRUCTING people how to cook. If somehow using as much butter as possible becomes an acceptable norm, if you are encouraging that behavior, then you should be held accountable for it. It is not okay to present that sort of cooking as an acceptable alternative to a balanced diet. Like many have said, Anthony Bourdain doesn't attempt to conceal the truth of his behavior, he doesn't pretend that what he's doing at any given point is "normal" behavior. He assumes his audience will know the difference. After all, there is a Parental Advisory. Bringing sexism into the picture doesn't even make sense, and is just as reprehensible as TMZ's incendiary accusations. Mr. Birdsall, you have no proof to back those comments, only a couple of weak examples, and an unfounded assumption of someone you are looking to discredit. You see, I agree with Mr. Bourdain. I think Paula Dean's behavior is dangerous and reprehensible, and am also weary of the government legislating good eating habits. People should be free to eat whatever they want. Hopefully, they'll be well informed enough to make the right decision. Does that make me a sexist?-COLLAPSE
"But if Deen’s become rich showing Americans how to consume as much butterfat as possible, is that Deen’s fault?" Hell yes, it is. And for you to imply she bears ZERO responsibility for pushing it for years even AFTER her diagnosis is simply idiotic. I don't hate the woman, but she created her persona and her brand and rode it to the hilt of millions of dollars. Of course she bears a...+READ
"But if Deen’s become rich showing Americans how to consume as much butterfat as possible, is that Deen’s fault?" Hell yes, it is. And for you to imply she bears ZERO responsibility for pushing it for years even AFTER her diagnosis is simply idiotic. I don't hate the woman, but she created her persona and her brand and rode it to the hilt of millions of dollars. Of course she bears a responsibility, just as much if not more than all the folks to choose to make and eat her food. And yeah, it's "entertainment," but if the power of stardom didn't have any effect on people watching, there'd be no such thing as celebrity spokespeople. So please, quit making excuses for her.-COLLAPSE
Deen waited until she could make a profit off her diagnosis. That is what is reprehensible.
Um, you're crazy if you think Tony is uncomfortable with assertive women. His wife Ottavia is nothing if not assertive. Not to mention that Tony is right, Paula shouldn't be shoving her fat, calorie clogged food down a nation's gullet if she herself is suffering from diabetes.
This is so ridiculous. Nearly every time Bourdain eats something especially artery-clogging, he mentions his high cholesterol. But he's not a spokesman for Lipitor! It's a classic conflict of interest-- Deen has a financial stake in promoting unhealthy food: both the disease and the treatment. She kept her diabetes a secret -- leading her viewers down the same disease-ridden path -- until it was...+READ
This is so ridiculous. Nearly every time Bourdain eats something especially artery-clogging, he mentions his high cholesterol. But he's not a spokesman for Lipitor! It's a classic conflict of interest-- Deen has a financial stake in promoting unhealthy food: both the disease and the treatment. She kept her diabetes a secret -- leading her viewers down the same disease-ridden path -- until it was in her financial interest not to. Saying that she promotes moderation is disingenuous. She admits that the food she cooks is for everyday people; it's laughable to compare foie gras poutine to that.-COLLAPSE
All that said, for the record, I don't think it's funny that she has diabetes. I don't think disease or hardship is ever funny. I don't believe that people always have to make their private life public (but if you are benefitting so greatly from endorsements and everything else, I do personally believe that people should take an interest in any conflicts of interest or deception involved).
I...+READ
All that said, for the record, I don't think it's funny that she has diabetes. I don't think disease or hardship is ever funny. I don't believe that people always have to make their private life public (but if you are benefitting so greatly from endorsements and everything else, I do personally believe that people should take an interest in any conflicts of interest or deception involved).
I still think she comes across as a vapid individual with questionable morals.-COLLAPSE
When Tony revels in foie gras or anything heavy in pork fat, he celebrates the people that work hard to craft that food and maintain a heritage that struggles to survive. Much the same as when he delights in beautiful soba or sushi.
Deen, on the other hand, tells us that slapping a burger between donuts is just good ol' Southern homecooking!
Sorry, but I think that does a disservice to her...+READ
When Tony revels in foie gras or anything heavy in pork fat, he celebrates the people that work hard to craft that food and maintain a heritage that struggles to survive. Much the same as when he delights in beautiful soba or sushi.
Deen, on the other hand, tells us that slapping a burger between donuts is just good ol' Southern homecooking!
Sorry, but I think that does a disservice to her viewers AND to all the legitimately gorgeous food that comes out of the American South. While purporting to celebrate a food culture that is beloved for good reason, she offers up donuts-cum-hamburger-buns and fudge made out of processed cheese product.
Furthermore, Tony is more upfront about his vices (dirty water dogs) and doesn't apologize for them. Deen talks out of both sides of her mouth. When she's called on it, she feigns surprise and parrots, "but I always say 'in moderation'!" If you ever watch her show, when she uses the word moderation, it's usually in the context of a joke about moderation meaning you don't eat the whole cake, blah blah whatever.
Finally, if Tony one day finds out his cholesterol is dangerously high, then works to conceal that fact for years while not only still trumpeting the glory of foie gras but actively SELLING it (Deen pastes her face and name all over factory farmed pork, amongst a proliferation of other products) - THEN, one he's found out, tearfully admits to it and tries to change his tune, pulls strings to get Ariane a vegan cooking show, and teams up to sell us all Lipitor.... On that day I will gladly equate him to Deen. But only then.-COLLAPSE
I think what is shameful about the Paula Deen bashers is that you can't even BEGIN to phathom what its like being diagnosed with diabetes. You think everyone will point the finger at YOU because of how you eat or lack of exercise but it can strike anybody due to family history, stress and yes, diet. Releasing personal, medical information is YOUR business, not the whole worlds!! No one is making...+READ
I think what is shameful about the Paula Deen bashers is that you can't even BEGIN to phathom what its like being diagnosed with diabetes. You think everyone will point the finger at YOU because of how you eat or lack of exercise but it can strike anybody due to family history, stress and yes, diet. Releasing personal, medical information is YOUR business, not the whole worlds!! No one is making anybody cook her recipes, no one is making anybody buy the foods she promotes and noboday has to use the medicine she endorses. Those are personal choices. Shame on ALL of you that buy into the "they deserve it" mentality. Shame, shame, shame...what has happened to compassion?-COLLAPSE
So I wonder, do all the Deen haters also hate Chow? They talk food glorious food and promote food that can make you fat and provide an area for people to discuss fattening food.
WHERE is the outcry?
Pfffft.
To all of you blaming her for the fat people in the world: YOU are responsible for what and how much YOU put into your pie hole. Unless someone has you hooked up to a feeding tube - it is ALL YOU.
Yeah, Jason King - your comment was not at ALL elitist.
We don't hate Ms. Deen we really dislike the deception on her part!!! Ms. Deen is the one who signed on the dotted line with each company she is in business partnerships with. She has been the one offer her best dishes seal of approval with every broadcast, book and Oprah appearance. As a person with the same killer persuing me I've had to learn that I can not give one inch. That what you food...+READ
We don't hate Ms. Deen we really dislike the deception on her part!!! Ms. Deen is the one who signed on the dotted line with each company she is in business partnerships with. She has been the one offer her best dishes seal of approval with every broadcast, book and Oprah appearance. As a person with the same killer persuing me I've had to learn that I can not give one inch. That what you food professional need to open your eyes and see. With each stick of butter in every recipe you are making a choice... A choice that is killing a lot of people! Food is a important it not just something used to enrich your pockets and platform. Food is "life"!!!!-COLLAPSE
I agree with the elitist arguments, but there's another reason to bash her. This cynical, opportunistic way that she's sponsoring this diabetes drug is disgusting at best. Instead of coming clean and saying, "Hey y'all, maybe tons of butter and fat and carbs ain't so great for you," she's basically saying that you can eat and do whatever you want as long as you take this drug I'm sponsoring. Now...+READ
I agree with the elitist arguments, but there's another reason to bash her. This cynical, opportunistic way that she's sponsoring this diabetes drug is disgusting at best. Instead of coming clean and saying, "Hey y'all, maybe tons of butter and fat and carbs ain't so great for you," she's basically saying that you can eat and do whatever you want as long as you take this drug I'm sponsoring. Now why would she say that? One, because it goes against her brand. I get that, even though it's a lost opportunity to spread a powerful message. The second reason is that the drug company she's working with doesn't want people to eat healthy. That would cut into their profits. Instead, the underlying message is that you can eat all the crap you want and it's okay because there's a great drug that you can take and everything will be fine. (This drug, by the way, has been known to cause thyroid cancer in rats. It says on their own website.) So yes, there's a really good reason to bash her.-COLLAPSE
Before anyone defends Paula Deen, it should be noted that obesity is a recent epidemic that has increased rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and a host of other issue and that she has not only encouraged irresponsible eating habits but profited enormously from them.
Paula Deen criticizes Anthony Bourdain: “You know, not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills.” Well apparently she feels everyone can afford $500 a month for diabetes medication, which is the cost of the drug Paula Deen is pushing, now that she has deceived God...+READ
Paula Deen criticizes Anthony Bourdain: “You know, not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills.” Well apparently she feels everyone can afford $500 a month for diabetes medication, which is the cost of the drug Paula Deen is pushing, now that she has deceived God knows how many people into developing diabetes by not sharing advice she undoubtedly received to lay off the kind of food she cooks, when she was diagnosed three years ago. "But don't worry" she assured us today. "She'll be right there to help guide us to live with diabetes" that she helped us get. Awful. She should give back every dollar she earned pushing carb loaded dishes since her diagnosis.-COLLAPSE
LOL this article is laughable. Trying to defend a person who knowingly misled her viewers so she could continue to make money off of them and eventually become a spokeman for big pharma... too funny.
Can't stand Paula Dean or, for that matter, The Food Network in general. When I heard this news I thought to myself what I bet most of us did ...."Duh". Just thinking that it's obvious that you will have health issues if you eat unhealthily is far from schadenfreude-edged. Her food is disgusting ya'll. That's where it begins and ends with me.
Can't we just go back to the way we were? Where we're just happy that something bad happens to someone you hate and NOT have to dissect that feeling? Ahh, good times.
i think i should just stop reading your posts about these kinds of issues...i am torn between which enrages me more, the horrendous article written here or some of the comments...oh ignorance.
Nonsense. Paula Deen is the cheerful face of two multi-million dollar brands (Food Network and Smithfield Foods) charged with making each a part of everyday American life. Her footprint positively dwarfs Anthony Bourdain.
She did not invent unhealthy eating but she actively and proudly promoted it. While there are (perhaps many) people who watch her show and do not cook, she takes to the...+READ
Nonsense. Paula Deen is the cheerful face of two multi-million dollar brands (Food Network and Smithfield Foods) charged with making each a part of everyday American life. Her footprint positively dwarfs Anthony Bourdain.
She did not invent unhealthy eating but she actively and proudly promoted it. While there are (perhaps many) people who watch her show and do not cook, she takes to the airwaves daily to champion the idea that portion control has no place in the American Kitchen.
Obesity is a problem. Obesity is bad. Obesity is the reason that schoolkids raised by deluded parents who have been conditioned to think that corn syrup has a place at the breakfast table will live shorter lies than their grandparents. Has Paula Deen played a part in promoting the notion that fat is harmless and that we should be happy with our jiggly tummies? Absolutely.
That she now has the gall to allow her name to be applied to a brand of diabetes drug represents a degree of self-servedness that is rareley seen. Shame on her and on those who defend her.-COLLAPSE
Sorry Chow. You lost me here. What's up with all your editorial pieces lately? This article is full of contradictions, trying too hard to be PC.
Bourdain has never hid his excesses under a rock. He is what he is. Paula Deen has not only hid a disease brought on or at least worsened by her cooking style, but then times her "coming out" to coincide with shilling for a drug company that makes pharms to "manage" said disease. And has the audacity to tell Al Roker that "she's paid just like he is for what he does". She is self-serving and...+READ
Bourdain has never hid his excesses under a rock. He is what he is. Paula Deen has not only hid a disease brought on or at least worsened by her cooking style, but then times her "coming out" to coincide with shilling for a drug company that makes pharms to "manage" said disease. And has the audacity to tell Al Roker that "she's paid just like he is for what he does". She is self-serving and delusional.-COLLAPSE
Child's and Beard's healthy recipe ratio far outdistances Deen's. There is no comparison.
When Beard first appeared on television, programs were sponsored by one company and many sponsors required pitches during the program by the cast. Omaha Steaks, meat buying and availability is not the same as when Beard promoted them.
Try attacking some of the living instead of concentrating on the...+READ
Child's and Beard's healthy recipe ratio far outdistances Deen's. There is no comparison.
When Beard first appeared on television, programs were sponsored by one company and many sponsors required pitches during the program by the cast. Omaha Steaks, meat buying and availability is not the same as when Beard promoted them.
Try attacking some of the living instead of concentrating on the dead who can't respond to your misguided claims.-COLLAPSE
I'm afraid Anthony will be dead in another 5 to 10 years. This insecure man is no poster boy of healthy eating. If he thinks he is balancing nutrition properly - he is fooling himself.l
His absurd consumption of alcohol, gluttony of pork, beef, chicken, eggs and dairy products will be his demise
He and Paula crawled out of the same sewer , but at least Paula has come to terms with it.
...+READ
I'm afraid Anthony will be dead in another 5 to 10 years. This insecure man is no poster boy of healthy eating. If he thinks he is balancing nutrition properly - he is fooling himself.l
His absurd consumption of alcohol, gluttony of pork, beef, chicken, eggs and dairy products will be his demise
He and Paula crawled out of the same sewer , but at least Paula has come to terms with it.
Anthony's extended air travel on transcontinental flights may do him in with pulmonary thrombosis.
Mark my word - 5 to 10 years max.-COLLAPSE
And, just to be clear, I wouldn't want to see Bourdain doing some horrid "healthy eating tour" on his shows. But just acknowledge that the kind of eating he celebrates can be harmful to one's health, as he's experienced himself. (And he absolutely suggests directly and indirectly that people who don't eat meat or don't eat a lot of meat are lame, soulless, snobs, etc.) Stop ranting about...+READ
And, just to be clear, I wouldn't want to see Bourdain doing some horrid "healthy eating tour" on his shows. But just acknowledge that the kind of eating he celebrates can be harmful to one's health, as he's experienced himself. (And he absolutely suggests directly and indirectly that people who don't eat meat or don't eat a lot of meat are lame, soulless, snobs, etc.) Stop ranting about vegetarians. Eat a plate of food once or twice on the show that's mostly veg and don't bitch about it. He can do that and still be himself.-COLLAPSE
I love Bourdain, but I'm so happy to see him being called out on his hypocrisy. He's great in many ways, but he can definitely be his own kind of snob. Sorry, but this man is known for his hatred of vegans and vegetarians, the irritation he displays on his show (which I've watched religiously for years) when he's served anything that isn't primarily meat, and the way he seeks out fatty meat...+READ
I love Bourdain, but I'm so happy to see him being called out on his hypocrisy. He's great in many ways, but he can definitely be his own kind of snob. Sorry, but this man is known for his hatred of vegans and vegetarians, the irritation he displays on his show (which I've watched religiously for years) when he's served anything that isn't primarily meat, and the way he seeks out fatty meat dishes morning, noon and night on his shows. He's also on Lipitor for high cholesterol. Go figure. But that hasn't changed his tone or the kind of food he celebrates. He simply moans about taking his meds and stuffs more pork in his face. To say that it's not hypocritical of him to give Paula Deen a hard time about the food she cooks is just ridiculous. Certainly, Bourdain isn't the soulless money whore that Deen is, but that doesn't mean he's not capable of being full of it.-COLLAPSE
Talk about cherry-picking quotes from Bourdain. Straw man, anyone? What a poorly written article. Bourdain has never denied that grease-soaked food tastes good. He *does* have a problem with the ethics of an influential pseudo-chef (what do we call this now? a chef-like personality?) promoting--and forming an empire--around butter-drenched, artery clogging glop to a nation that has a *problem...+READ
Talk about cherry-picking quotes from Bourdain. Straw man, anyone? What a poorly written article. Bourdain has never denied that grease-soaked food tastes good. He *does* have a problem with the ethics of an influential pseudo-chef (what do we call this now? a chef-like personality?) promoting--and forming an empire--around butter-drenched, artery clogging glop to a nation that has a *problem with obsesity.* Her career is centered around this type of food. She puts half a stick of butter in recipes that don't need extra goo. And somehow you try to relate this to Bourdain? Someone who, for years, has vocally denounced unhealthy fast-food, advocated for fresh-made food at street stalls, and usually prepares simply made food with fresh ingredients? Get your facts straight. Can one eat healthily and still say, "I enjoyed fried duck I ate in China when I visited." Yes, one can. It's one thing someone to say he/she likes ice cream or duck or foie-gras (who doesn't like at least one of those three?). It's another thing to spend one's fame and influence around adding cream, butter, extra cheese, bacon, grease, and oil into every fried, breaded, oozy, heart-blocking piece of meat, dough, or vegetable one cooks and then tries to *get other people to eat the same way.*-COLLAPSE
I enjoyed fried duck I ate in China when I visited." Yes, one can. It's one thing someone to say he/she likes ice cream or duck or foie-gras (who doesn't like at least one of those three?). It's another thing to spend one's fame and influence around adding cream, butter, extra cheese, bacon, grease, and oil into every fried, breaded, oozy, heart-blocking piece of meat, dough, or vegetable one...+READ
I enjoyed fried duck I ate in China when I visited." Yes, one can. It's one thing someone to say he/she likes ice cream or duck or foie-gras (who doesn't like at least one of those three?). It's another thing to spend one's fame and influence around adding cream, butter, extra cheese, bacon, grease, and oil into every fried, breaded, oozy, heart-blocking piece of meat, dough, or vegetable one cooks and then tries to *get other people to eat the same way.*-COLLAPSE
First of all Bourdain is a humorist. Paula Deen is a food show "personality". Both are interesting. He's an informed food critic. She's an excellent cook. Now Paula's latest best selling cookbook has a recipe for General Robert E. Lee cake that calls for 10 eggs and 4 egg yolks. Also 7 1/2 sticks of butter. Also a chapter on soups and stews that the canned soup "healthy eating" denouncers of...+READ
First of all Bourdain is a humorist. Paula Deen is a food show "personality". Both are interesting. He's an informed food critic. She's an excellent cook. Now Paula's latest best selling cookbook has a recipe for General Robert E. Lee cake that calls for 10 eggs and 4 egg yolks. Also 7 1/2 sticks of butter. Also a chapter on soups and stews that the canned soup "healthy eating" denouncers of Paula Deen might find informative.-COLLAPSE
The unfortunate truth is that she can make more money by promoting a pharmaceutical solution than by promoting a healthy weight loss/lifestyle solution (Type II diabetes is reversible, given a lifestyle change). It's easy to call anybody a hypocrite just because we all enjoy a certain "guilty pleasure" from time to time, but it's another thing altogether to call someone a hypocrite because they...+READ
The unfortunate truth is that she can make more money by promoting a pharmaceutical solution than by promoting a healthy weight loss/lifestyle solution (Type II diabetes is reversible, given a lifestyle change). It's easy to call anybody a hypocrite just because we all enjoy a certain "guilty pleasure" from time to time, but it's another thing altogether to call someone a hypocrite because they enjoy the occasional "treat." From the PD-supporter's perspective, yes, it is one's choice what to watch and what to eat, but; simultaneously, from the AB-supporter's perspective, having a pop-culture influence gives you a sense of responsibility. I say: be a good role model.-COLLAPSE
Good for you. Bourdain is a hypocritical jerk. He seems to forget he is an ex drug addict and was slinging hash in tourist trap NYC restaurants before he became famous.
Deen made no one eat her food. And she did not promote a lifestyle. I am not a tool - i think for myself. And I think her recipes are no more gluttonous than anyone else on any of the cooking channels. I do not like how she hid...+READ
Good for you. Bourdain is a hypocritical jerk. He seems to forget he is an ex drug addict and was slinging hash in tourist trap NYC restaurants before he became famous.
Deen made no one eat her food. And she did not promote a lifestyle. I am not a tool - i think for myself. And I think her recipes are no more gluttonous than anyone else on any of the cooking channels. I do not like how she hid her diabetes but I do think she was challenged with how to deal with it along with her business. I also was gobsmacked over the gloating of her illness. How would you like it if someone did that to you? Talk about high school.
People love to be self righteous. I've not watched her show on a regular basus, but the hatred towards her scares me. Your article is right; no one is forced to eat her stuff. I guess people have so much low self esteem they have to gloat over a complete stranger's illness. At least she can cry all the way to the bank.
Heck, this unbalanced anger makes me want to go to Ladies and Sons.-COLLAPSE
Not sure how this is a man woman thing. I think having lung cancer and selling cigarettes is abominable. I think what's distasteful is she's selling her brand and not an actual point of view or traditions. It's about making a buck. Her sons have no talent but they have their own shows. It's lame.
The point is there is no point. We are all just people, we know what is good for us and what is bad, we know what we should do and what we should not do. My mother had type 2 diabetes for 32 years she past away 2 years a go from cancer she did not have a choice. Paula Deen was just the chosen as the target for the week. So please don't judge her. you know that old saying if you are with out sin...+READ
The point is there is no point. We are all just people, we know what is good for us and what is bad, we know what we should do and what we should not do. My mother had type 2 diabetes for 32 years she past away 2 years a go from cancer she did not have a choice. Paula Deen was just the chosen as the target for the week. So please don't judge her. you know that old saying if you are with out sin cast the first stone. I like Paula Deen's recipes like any other recipes you can modify it to your tastes and needs-COLLAPSE
Oh my God Obomobo, there you go again. She didn't invent the Novo Norodisk she is simply a paid spokesperson!! By your logic any celebrity that has ever endorsed any product shouldn't ever be paid for doing so. I weep for the future of this country if you are part of it. Paula Deen is simply a person who seized the American dream, took her talents and abilities, and is successful. God forbid!!
Gee, obomobo I must have missed something: Is Paula Deen the only chef out there promoting, heavy, caloric, rich foods? I had no idea that every other person on the Food Network was making only nutritious, wholesome foods. Just because you dress up a food like foie gras as "high class" doesn't make it healthy.
Hello? Did Julia Child promote healthy eating? No. Does Bourdain? No. There are plenty of chefs both past and present who have specialized in heavy, rich foods. Bashing Deen is pure idiocy.
Something is satisfied upon hearing this news!
I think the Paula Deen bashing is well deserved.
Paula Deen started in a hotel kitchen and as a working single mother; trying to take care of her growing boys at the time. She made a name for herself and has a successful restaurant in Savannah. I own the her first cookbook Lady and Sons and tried some of her recipes, they are great. She's not the reason for Obesity and other health related issues like Diabetes in this country. The growing...+READ
Paula Deen started in a hotel kitchen and as a working single mother; trying to take care of her growing boys at the time. She made a name for herself and has a successful restaurant in Savannah. I own the her first cookbook Lady and Sons and tried some of her recipes, they are great. She's not the reason for Obesity and other health related issues like Diabetes in this country. The growing epidemic is due to lack of knowledge on one's part to stay healthy and eat in moderation. Anthony Bourdain is a self proclaimed hypocrite alright.-COLLAPSE
Everyone should stop bashing Deen for developing Type 2. Diet is *but one* factor in a concert of other factors. I myself am at risk for Type 2, as a home-cook CSA-subscribing "proper BMI" gym-three-times-a-week vegetarian (with PCOS, which gives me my risk factor), so please: lay off the FATTY FATTY FOOD PERSON IS FAT AND GETS THE FATTY DISEASE. It's unseemly and inaccurate.
However: everyone...+READ
Everyone should stop bashing Deen for developing Type 2. Diet is *but one* factor in a concert of other factors. I myself am at risk for Type 2, as a home-cook CSA-subscribing "proper BMI" gym-three-times-a-week vegetarian (with PCOS, which gives me my risk factor), so please: lay off the FATTY FATTY FOOD PERSON IS FAT AND GETS THE FATTY DISEASE. It's unseemly and inaccurate.
However: everyone should START bashing Paula Deen for cynically and sickeningly pivoting her brand identity - at this exact moment, some time after her diagnosis and right after she secures the endorsement deal - from her empire of foods that do not NOT contribute to health problems and to a DRUG that will make LOADS of money for her. Like obomobo says.-COLLAPSE
@unabashedfoodie So if a cigarette company sold as many cigarettes as possible, then cornered the market on nicotine patches, that would just be being "savvyy" as you so charmingly put it?
TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS ARTICLE. I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF DEEN'S COOKING, BUT BOURDAIN'S HYPOCRISY IS SO EVIDENT. ALSO, LET DEEN DEAL WITH HER CONDITION AS SHE SEES FIT--IT'S HER LIFE AND BODY. WE DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW HER RECIPES OR STICK OUR MONEY INTO HER WALLET EITHER.
Obomobo it sounds as if you have missed the point of the article. If Paula Deen can be accused of anything it is being a savvy business lady. Part of being savvy is seizing opportunity when it knocks. Sounds as if you, Michelle Obama, and Mr. Bourdain should have another fois gras hot dog with your righteous indignation. I for one will choose what I want to eat without being dictated to by the...+READ
Obomobo it sounds as if you have missed the point of the article. If Paula Deen can be accused of anything it is being a savvy business lady. Part of being savvy is seizing opportunity when it knocks. Sounds as if you, Michelle Obama, and Mr. Bourdain should have another fois gras hot dog with your righteous indignation. I for one will choose what I want to eat without being dictated to by the elites who think they know what is best for everyone else. Let 'em eat cake!!-COLLAPSE
My personal problem with Deen and the shows like hers is it still proliferates unhealthy eating. I can understand showing "tradition", but every time I turn on Food Network, more and more of the shows are about large portion meals of high-calorie/high-fat food.
I'm not saying censor it, but I am saying much of this still sends the message out to many that you can eat this stuff all the time...+READ
My personal problem with Deen and the shows like hers is it still proliferates unhealthy eating. I can understand showing "tradition", but every time I turn on Food Network, more and more of the shows are about large portion meals of high-calorie/high-fat food.
I'm not saying censor it, but I am saying much of this still sends the message out to many that you can eat this stuff all the time and somehow "be ok".
Deen or Bourdain, the problem is food television seemingly is pulling away from showing the actual reality that you can have flavor and make it healthy in favor of ratings by showing 1000 more ways to make a burger and loads of other comfort foods.
I actually like the shows on PBS now. I get to learn about cuisine around the world and eat healthier.-COLLAPSE
Bourdain is doing stuff and eating things in No Reservations (and to a far lesser extent in The Layover) that borders on fantasy; he has access to people, restaurants, and food that most mere mortals cannot reasonably acquire. Sure, anyone can belly up to Au Pied de Cochon and drop $200 on what may be the least healthy meal they'll ever have, but it's not realistic nor is it intended in any way...+READ
Bourdain is doing stuff and eating things in No Reservations (and to a far lesser extent in The Layover) that borders on fantasy; he has access to people, restaurants, and food that most mere mortals cannot reasonably acquire. Sure, anyone can belly up to Au Pied de Cochon and drop $200 on what may be the least healthy meal they'll ever have, but it's not realistic nor is it intended in any way to be "everyday". I would also wager most people tune in to see the "exotic" locales and see just how drunk he gets, rather than take notes on what they should eat.
Furthermore, Bourdain has taken back most of the nasty things he said about Alice Waters in his most recent book. Painting him as some hypocritical misogynist is desperate.
Deen (and the rest of the Food Network stable, for that matter) is about selling a LIFESTYLE. The shows, the magazines and cookbooks; they're all about how to feed your hole in less time for fewer bucks. Deen is the worst offender in this arena; no moderation, no balance, and now she's bald-faced shilling for a pharmaceutical company. It's food appealing to the lowest common denominator and it's validation that eating garbage is ok. After all, it's on TV, right? The Food Network has created this market for itself with its Kwanzaa cakes and a homophobic hedgehog reviewing diner food; it can't stop now. It can't do a "Easy Vegetarian" series with its demographic. It wouldn't last a week.
Nobody complained about James Beard on boxes of steaks or Child's cream sauces because they weren't selling the lifestyle; it was an authentic recipe, or a reasonably harmless product that is usually a "special occasion" meal.
Maybe the reveling in Deen's illness is childish, but we all know the four sweetest words in the English language are "I told you so."-COLLAPSE
Ladyjane, notice that not once in this article were the words "pharmaceutical endorsement" or "Novo Nordisk" mentioned in this article.
If she wants to make shitty food, that's her prerogative. People can choose to eat it or not eat it as they like.
But to get diabetes, keep it a secret for 3 years, then begin a press tour by announcing her multi-million dollar endorsement deal with the...+READ
Ladyjane, notice that not once in this article were the words "pharmaceutical endorsement" or "Novo Nordisk" mentioned in this article.
If she wants to make shitty food, that's her prerogative. People can choose to eat it or not eat it as they like.
But to get diabetes, keep it a secret for 3 years, then begin a press tour by announcing her multi-million dollar endorsement deal with the diabetes drug Novo Nordisk while keeping this "aw shucks" persona kind of makes her a monster, no?
No prevention, no major lifestyle changes. Just take this drug. She then went on the today show to make a DIABETIC FRIENDLY LASAGNA. That does not exist. This article COMPLETELY misses the point of why people are upset.-COLLAPSE
No obomobo, you have missed the point. Deen did not invent unhealthy foods. Moreoever, she didn't force anyone to eat her food, watch her show or buy her books. We still have free will in this country. Don't like what she promotes?? Don't eat it!!!!!
You are missing the point so badly I don't even know how to begin.