#PaulasBestDishes, the Apology and the Non-renewed Contract

Celebrity chef Paula Deen is feeling the heat as the hashtag #PaulasBestDishes continue to trend on Twitter, drawing criticism and jokes from online users. Based on reports, Deen made anti-semitic and racist jokes in a deposition in a suit brought by Lisa Jackson, the chef?s ex-employee. The deposition was recorded on video and there were further reports alleging that Deen constantly used the derogatory word ?Nigger? and also suggested an outrageous wedding idea to let black waiters wear slave costumes. Tracy Clayton, editor of TheRoot.com, decided that Paula Deen might also like to know how her fans and viewers feel about her comments and jokes. Clayton (@brokeymcpoverty) launched the hashtag #PaulasBestDishes, which is also the name of her TV show on Food Network. The hashtag immediately brought in several online users, who had rhetorics and jokes of their own relating to Deen?s apparent racism and kitchen concoctions. There were other funny and witty remarks that made use of metaphors to link her cooking with the recent anti-semiticist issues. Clayton herself tweeted, ?Kale and Kabbage Kasserole (KKK for short)? followed by the hashtag. KKK is also the acronym used by an anti-black movement or organization who call themselves the Ku Klux Klan. By June 19, 2013, the hashtag nabbed the top spot on Twitter in trending topics. The posts grew to several hundreds on June 19, also called by online users ?Juneteenth?. June 19 is known as Emancipation or Freedom Day, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865. The hashtag garnered as many as 18,000 tweets at its peak. Since it started in June 19 (racking up 3,000 tweets at its first hour), it has generated 120,500 unique tweets. Many of the posts were unique recipes which suggested Paula Deen?s racism. There were also a number of hate or serious comments, sharing how the United States has grown into a world leader and needs to be the pioneer role model in presenting equality among all races and nations. Here are some of the tweets posted. (You may also view the live stream.) Paula Deen has since apologized (and awkwardly so) in THREE VIDEOS for the incident. Here they are. In response to the entire brouhaha, the Food Network has also announced that it will no longer be renewing Deen's contract with the network.   .