Paula Deen "In Bad Taste"?

   By drodriguez  Jan 18, 2012
58

For a Food Network chef as well-known for her Southern twang as she is for her love of mayonnaise and butter-laden dishes, Paula Deen’s recent admission that she’s been suffering from type 2 diabetes for the past 3 years has some questioning why she continues to whip up such high-fat meals. And no one is more vocal about his disdain for her fatty and sugary fare than fellow cook Anthony Bourdain.

Bourdain sat down with Eater to discuss his reaction to Paula Deen’s recent announcement that she’s had diabetes for three years now and has signed on with a pharmaceutical company to endorse a drug she takes to manage her disease.

When asked whether he feels Deen’s plan to endorse the diabetes medication while dishing out dangerously high-fat foods is hypocritical, Bourdain quips, “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... It's in bad taste if nothing else.”

While discussing her condition on the Today show Paula Deen did defend her cooking by explaining to Al Roker that she has always told viewers that this type of food should not be consumed on a daily basis. Deen explains, “I share with you all these yummy, fattening recipes, but I tell people, in moderation... it's entertainment. People have to be responsible. Like I told Oprah, 'Honey, I'm your cook, not your doctor.' You have to be responsible for yourself.”

What do you think of what Anthony Bourdain has to say about Paula Deen’s cooking style?

Do you think Paula Deen’s plan to endorse diabetes medication and cook high-fat fare sends the wrong message?
 

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jenndta69 by jenndta69 | SHERMAN OAKS, CA
Jan 18, 2012

I never liked her or her type of cooking. Having said that, we are all in charge of ourselves. If you eat that way all the time, duh...it's not good for you. I'm sure the way she cooks and eats contributed to her disease. She should have been more honest about it 3 years ago when she found out. She is a public figure. On a seperate note, Anthony Bourdain is a snarky, bully! He hates everyone except for himself. He's gas ragged on all the famous cooks.

srsnowden by srsnowden | INWOOD, WV
Jan 18, 2012

I think Bourdain's comments are in poor taste and are very harsh.

stefaniek99 by stefaniek99 | SILVER SPRING, MD
Jan 18, 2012

I totally agree with Anthony Bordain. At the very least it's completely hypocritical. Yes, people should always make their own decisions, but I have never once heard her say the word "moderation" in her program. Why exactly is she a paid spokesperson for this drug (which who knows what the side effects are)? If she really believed is what she's now saying, then she'd be an unpaid representative for the American Diabetes Association. There's no way she needs the cash, having been to Savannah and seen how much people are willing to pay for her food at her restaurant.

Orchidess by Orchidess | NEWBURGH, NY
Jan 18, 2012

I am so torn about this. First off....Your private life is YOUR business. You do NOT need to tell me everything. If you choose to, do NOT lie to me, or tell me just to use me to further your own bank account. Anthony Bourdain is just as bad as Paula is in this, who appointed HIM the food police? Paula should be ashamed of herself for using her diabetic state to earn money. Tony ought to shut his yap. I had to do the lifestyle change to avoid diabetes. It is extremely difficult for me. I am no longer in the danger zone, my numbers are all in the normal range, and I eat and work out to keep them that way. I feel betrayed by her. This has made me really angry.

kokomojo by kokomojo | Winston, OR
Jan 18, 2012

I have never heard her say to eat in moderation. And while I think her health is her business, the fact that she's now going to use her type 2 diabetes as a selling point seems very - - wrong. If she had done this when she was first diagnosed, I'd have a lot more respect for her. This way I have none.

pam674 by pam674 | SUN VALLEY, NV
Jan 18, 2012

I feel bad for Paula, but it is her business. She is not forcing us to eat the food that she makes. We are all responsible for our own health. I love Paula Dean, but do not choose to make her recipes daily. It is up to me to be health conscious, not Paula's responsibility. Give the woman a break.

Glamamama1 by Glamamama1 | E BRUNSWICK, NJ
Jan 18, 2012

She has caused and is continuing to cause her own disease to flourish. She is obese and that is a fact. Everyone dances around the subject because no one wants to say the "bad" word "fat." It is what it is. People make choices...choices to go the gym and eat healthy food or eat fatty food that worsen or cause health issues. Why do we keep trying to say it is someone else's fault?

animalgal by animalgal | kenosha, WI
Jan 18, 2012

I have been wondering for a long time why she is on tv, and why she is promoting such unhealthy food. Yes, we all eat & enjoy foods we should not on occasion. But she is a public figure, and along with the fame & money comes the bad. In this case someone is being vocal & calling her out. What I do not like is the fact that she has been promoting unhealthy foods for 3 years while knowing & hiding the fact that she has an illness directly related to her cooking & eating. And then on top of it, she is now a paid spokesperson for a company that sells medicine for that disease. I think that the company that is paying her has acted in very poor taste. We should not feel sorry for her, she is making the best of her situation while cashing her checks. But I for one will never consider her a role model.

vtangelgirl by vtangelgirl | Fairfax, VT
Jan 18, 2012

Mixed feelings I guess. I guess I have less of a problem with her not changing the show and more with getting paid by the pharmaceutical industry to push one particular medicine. My dad's a diabetic and he had to try several before finding the right one. In that way, I think it's not helpful to other diabetics. I am a big believer in taking responsibility for my own health and I don't have a problem with her not changing the show. I don't think her health issues are my business. Still, when we have a serious obesity epidemic in this country, starting a Deen done lighter segment would be a good idea.

YoursTruley by YoursTruley | BEND, OR
Jan 18, 2012

I am from the south and was raised off of Butter, oil and fried food! i am now in my 30's and as an adult have learned how to eat the things I love in freaking moderation! Paula Dean preaches about "comfort food" which is EXACTLY what it is! Period food, rainy day food, happy food! No one freaking reaches for a healthy helping of salad when they are in termoil. Mr Anthony can go back to eating bugs in some crazy place, as for me I will stick with Paula!

eightozs by eightozs | Edwards, CO
Jan 18, 2012

I love Paula Deen but have never once heard her say anything regarding moderation. She is also the "face" of a large ham company which is known in the region for treating its employees worse than the pigs they kill. It's all about our own choices.

Roseofsharyn by Roseofsharyn | Candler, NC
Jan 18, 2012

Yes I feel like it sends a terrible message! Love her or hate her, if you're ENDORSING a medication to help those with Type 2 Diabetes, why in the world would you encourage cooking unhealthy foods?

jtry1953 by jtry1953 | CRANSTON, RI
Jan 18, 2012

Paule Deen is a real person, Anthony Bourdain is just a creepy SNOB. He should mind his own business and knock off his diva attitude-he's soooo PHONY he turns my stomach. Give me a real person with a real disease who faces life head-on and isn't a whiner!

Hockeygem17 by Hockeygem17 | MANCHESTER, NH
Jan 18, 2012

I feel that people always like a punching bag...Paula Deen is just the latest one. Her cooking show is traditional Southern Cooking, it is for entertainment and not for you to be creating these meals everyday. Just like her sons show is all about recreating them into healthier versions. All cooking shows have their niche. The fact that Paula Deen has diabetes is none of my business. If you don't like heavy foods, why are you watching her show?

mweible by mweible | Folsom, PA
Jan 18, 2012

I like Paula, but it doesn't take a a Rocket Scientist to know all that fatty food is bad for you. But I also realize she only puts out about 30 new show a year. She isn't forcing anyone to make these recipes at home, everyone has a choice. It's TV, take it for what its worth... entertainment. Realize this, most people don't cook her recipes everyday, but probably make other foods daily that are just as bad for you. Again, by choice.