Hey Y’all, I got diabetes. Can you just hear that spoken in Paula Deen’s southern accent? Well, that may not be exactly how she released the news, but it’s true – one of America’s favorite chefs has Type II diabetes.
It really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. If you’ve ever seen a Paula Deen show, read one of her recipes, or even eaten a Paula Deen recipe someone’s cooked, you know they are so good because they are so bad. Her Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies recipe contains a stick of butter. Her Cheese on the Cob is corn on the cob slathered in mayonnaise and cheese. Deen’s Bill Nicholson’s Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding contains – you guessed it – a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts.
Common sense should tell you that you cannot eat stuff like that and not suffer the consequences and that’s what’s happened to Deen. And, she is suffering the wrath of many for finally coming clean.
Not only did Deen announce she has diabetes, but she’s making money off of it too, which is ticking off many people. Deen signed on for a deal with Novo Nordisk as the spokeswoman for their diabetes drug Victoza. Now, she has said a portion of her salary will go to the American Diabetes Association, but that doesn’t seem to be helping much.
Her worst critic is fellow chef Anthony Bourdain. He has had a problem with Deen’s recipes for a while now, once calling her “the most dangerous person in America.” Since her diabetes announcement, Bourdain has tweeted his disgust with the situation. “Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business,” Bourdain tweeted, “so I can profitably sell crutches later.”
Ouch.
Bourdain then told Eater.com that this has been coming for a while and Deen has obviously been looking for ways to position herself.
For her part, it seems as if Deen is trying to get healthy. She is trying to come out with healthier recipes and son Bobby Deen hosts a show titled “Not My Mama’s Meals” which takes her comfort food and makes it better for you.