Paula Deen has a short memory.
Less than a year after Deen told the Today Show’s Matt Lauer she had “learned her lesson” after being dropped from the Food Network over a racial discrimination scandal, she is facing another controversy.
Today, the disgraced celebrity chef posted a photo of her son Bobby in brownface to Twitter. Dressed as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the tweet read, “Lucyyyyyyy! You got a lot of esplainin’ to do!” and included the hashtag #TransformationTuesday.
Twitter users reacted with outrage to the photo, which has since been removed. But not before being preserved forever in Internet amber!
Ad position: web_incontent_pos1
“Paula Deen’s Social Media Manager posted a picture this morning of Paula and Bobby Deen dressed in costume as Lucy and Ricky, from I Love Lucy,” explained her rep to E! News hours after the photo was taken down. “This photograph is from a Halloween episode of Paula’s Best Dishes that aired in 2011.”
Deen has since apologized — and fired her social media manager — but not before the damage was done.
Some pointed out her past offenses:
@Paula_Deen @BobbyDeen Wait. Are you aiming for an annual race roasting? Brown face?
— Black Whoreacle (@KeenePOV) July 7, 2015
While others related her racism to her cooking:
Ad position: web_incontent_pos2
Paula Deen’s brand of racism is stewed to perfection. — A$AP Aspie (@ProfessorBLove) July 7, 2015
Legitimate questions were raised about her public relations strategy:
Paula Deen’s PR team is literally just 3 sticks of butter in a trenchcoat. — Mike Hinson (@HinsonMike) July 7, 2015
Some interesting theories were floated on the fate of famed Paulas:
THEORY: All of popular culture’s Paulas are cursed. Paula Deen, Paula Patton, Paula Poundstone, Paula Yates, Paula Abdul. It’s air tight. — Max Abelson (@maxabelson) July 7, 2015
And mostly, the people of Twitter think Deen has things backwards:
No, YOU have a lot to esplainin’ to do, yet again @Paula_Deen https://t.co/zlBWQhSaMv — Aaron Covington (@BearCov) July 7, 2015
More in Marketing
In the marketing world, anime is following in the footsteps of gaming
As marketers look to take advantage of anime’s entry into the zeitgeist, they might be wise to observe the parallels between the evolution of anime as a marketing channel and the ways brands have learned to better leverage gaming in recent years.
With the introduction of video ads and e-commerce, Roblox looks to attain platform status
Roblox is expanding into more areas than just ads in 2024. Much like platforms such as Amazon and Facebook have transcended their origins to evolve from their origins as online marketplaces and social media channels, Roblox is in the midst of a transformation into a platform for all elements of users’ virtual lives.
PepsiCo wants to remain a ‘driver of culture’ as it turns to influencers and activations amid rebrand
The soda-maker says it can translate cultural relevance into sales volume.
Ad position: web_bfu