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!
“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:
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
‘The processes are continuing forward’: Advertising’s dealmakers press on with M&A despite Iran uncertainty
War in the Middle East is a problem for advertising’s dealmakers. Just not yet.
In graphic detail: The numbers making the case for what holdcos could be
What the data says about the CMO-agency relationship — and none of it is comfortable.
TikTok rebrands its advertiser pitch around full-funnel ambition
The company’s latest business campaign aims to make the point that the app sees itself as a top tier platform for advertisers, where the full funnel can happen within one experience.