So we guess you can’t just say any old thing and expect to keep your endorsements, eh, Paula?
People.com reports that Smithfield Ham, of which Deen has been a spokesperson for since 2006, has officially severed ties with the embattled cook after Deen’s admission that she used the N-word during a sworn deposition in connection with a discrimination lawsuit. They will also cease selling their hams with Deen’s face and name emblazoned on the front. So basically, you’ll no longer be able to buy an official Smithfield Paula Face Ham.
Smithfield says:
“Smithfield condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind,” Smithfield says in a statement. “Therefore, we are terminating our partnership with Paula Deen. Smithfield is determined to be an ethical food industry leader and it is important that our values and those of our spokespeople are properly aligned.”
The move comes on the heels of Deen’s firing from The Food Network where she reigned as one of the network’s most popular personalities. After 11 years of making lasagna sandwiches, roasted chicken with a beer can up its rear end, and hamburgers between two glazed donuts, the Paula Deen regime of butter-fried-butter has come to a scandalous end — one that didn’t end with atherosclerosis amid a bathtub filled with lard and cream cheese apparently.
This new blow by Smithfield could do considerable damage to the Deen empire, as it was a key deal that not only paid her well, but also helped her charitable image by delivering their hams to food banks in her name. Well, yes, surely now no one wants a racist-spewing Paula Deen hate-ham showing up at the food bank door. Not even if there were a clause that indicated at least once per charity event one ham has to hit her in the face. Ahem.
But that’s not all, Smithfield may not be the only ones to pull their support and endorsement, more could follow. Deen was on her way to becoming somewhat of a ham shilling, butter dousing, biscuit-crammed-in-a-foodhole celebrity chef mogul. She also has deals with:
- QVC where she sells cookware
- Diabetes drug makers Novo Nordisk and Sears Holdings
- Harrah’s Hotels and Casinos, the location of her restaurant, Paula Deen’s Kitchen
- Random House, Inc., her book publisher
- Target, Walmart, J.C. Penney and Kmart, also sellers of her cookware
For her part, Deen has thanked The Food Network for the opportunity to grow her empire, and has launched her own apology tour that started with a personal statement — and will continue tomorrow when she appears on the Today Show in a sit down with Matt Lauer, everyone’s favorite morning show confessional and high-priest celebrity absolution conduit. We expect it to be some version of, “Ah really ah-am a good person, y’all. I truly, truly ah-am. I never meant to hurt nobody with mah bad talkin about the colored people way back wheh-en.”
For our vote, we think the interview should be conducted by Seth Meyers with Kristen Wiig as Deen’s interpreter and spirit guide. Always.
Image Source: Flickr
