“Your color of your skin, your religion, your sexual preference does not matter to me, but it’s what’s in the heart, and my family and I try to live by that. I am here to say that I am so sorry. I was wrong…and I offer my sincere apology to those that I have hurt and I hope that you forgive me because this comes from the deepest part of my heart.”
These are the remorseful words of celebrity chef Paula Deen from a video she posted on Youtube on June 21. In the video, Deen apologized for racial slurs that she admitted to using in the past during a deposition on May 17. According to The Huffington Post, Deen and her brother are being sued by Lisa Jackson, a former employee of a Paula Deen Enterprises restaurant, for sexual and racial harassment in the workplace by Deen’s brother.
Since the National Enquirer published an article on June 19 about the deposition and racial slurs, things have not been looking good for the southern cooking queen. According to People Magazine, Deen has lost contracts with Food Network, Smithfield Foods, Wal-Mart, and more. I do not condone the racist comments that Deen used, but I do not think the severe punishment that Deen has received in the loss of her major contracts and the loss of her clean reputation fits the “crime” she committed.
According to The Huffington Post, Deen admitted to using the N-word, even though she said she hadn’t used it in “a very long time.” Upon being accused of making racist or politically incorrect jokes and comments, she said, “Have we said things that we should not have said, that — yes, we all have. We all have done that, every one of us.”
She is right—we all say things that we wish we could take back. Unlike Deen, however, our few mistakes do not become magazine headlines that threaten to destroy our lives. Even though Deen could not take back her comments, the three apology videos that she posted on Youtube following the scandal make clear that she sincerely feels bad for any harm she caused.
We also have to remember that Deen grew up when society was segregated and the N-word was used regularly. Of course, this doesn’t make its usage now alright, but it grants Deen a little bit more leniency when she is caught to be politically incorrect. Deen does not believe in racism, but being raised as a white woman in the south doesn’t give her the same filter that kids develop today, something she should be forgiven for.
I can understand that Food Network cannot disregard any kind of racist comment and end up offending viewers. However, the firing affects not only Deen, but everyone who worked on her show. It also sets a standard—other companies feel that they need to end their contracts with Deen or risk looking racist, which leads to more people losing jobs over a few comments Deen made years ago.
Once again, I am not condoning the comments Deen made. But, if the concern is the continued use of the N-word, then Deen is not the right target for punishment. There are plenty of rappers and comedians that use the N-word freely. They may not use it maliciously, instead as a name for a friend or in a joke, but that doesn’t make its usage any more innocent than Deen’s.
No one should use racial slurs in any context, but if the goal is to crack down on racism in this country, Paula Deen is not nearly the biggest offender. Racism makes life unfair for racial minorities, but by punishing Deen so harshly in an attempt to crush racism, is she being treated fairly? Hopefully, Food Network will see the error of its ways and Paula Deen will soon be back on the air teaching us all how to clog our arteries in a delicious way.
