More things that smell "off" about this. Deen is a registered Democrat who endorsed Obama and had Michelle Obama on her show as a guest, where she praised the First Lady for promoting healthy eating habits, and also proceeded to tempt and tease Obama into eating some of her usual over-the-top deliciously unhealthy Southern dishes. That was done for fun, too. Obama did not appear to be offended, either. I used to live in Georgia, and Savannah does have a reputation for being a small but sophisticated city full of artists and writers. No doubt there are plenty of old money, Southern country club-type racist assholes there, but I just don't see it in Deen. Don't let that sugary drawling accent of hers condemn her before the law suit is finished in court.
As to the quote about dressing n-words in white shirts, shorts and bow ties? Sounds like an example of sarcastic humor to me. White Southerners make fun of rich, racist Southerners all the time. We imitate their blind-stupid, high and mighty egotistical bullshit. Was Deen channeling a Southern Belle bridezilla type persona, and trying to tease her brother in re his fiancé? Did she use the n-word, or the slightly toned down variation, a deliberate mispronunciation of "Negro" often used by old bigots in public, "neegra" or "nigra"? My own grandma used to pull that crap - was embarrassing as hell.
Deen also got slammed for an out-take video of her jokingly performing a fellatio-like act while eating a chocolate éclair. Because chocolate=sex trope. I saw it. It's a riot. She's an adult, the video set crew are adults...it was a risqué, goofy joke amongst adults at work, but the way some in the press state it, the insinuation is that she was being obscene and is a horrible person. W/E. That out-take along with a bunch more of Deen being risqué and using four letter words when she made mistakes on camera became a ridiculously huge lawsuit between her and a big promoter of a celebrity chef's tour event. The promoter requested a video blooper/out-takes segment for using as a comedic intro of Deen to the audience of event attendees before Deen was to come on stage and begin her live cooking demos/lectures. He said the bloopers provided were not "family friendly" and inappropriate. But instead of returning the blooper segment to Deen in exchange for something more family friendly, the promoter cancelled Deen's down payment check, kept the video for use in suing her. In the meanwhile, Deen sued him for her contract signing payment.
