As a Food Network junkie, the only way I’m able to watch Paula Deen‘s show is with a morbid sense of curious fascination. Sort of like Epic Meal Time, but without the date-rapey overtones. Anyway, turns out you can’t actually eat a metric ton of fatty, sugary, greasy, deep-fried junk food without running into some serious medical issues, so now Paula has type 2 diabetes. But I’m sure this has taught her a lesson about reconciling tasty food with healthy moderation and – nope, she’s just going to pretend like nothing happened. From the Huffington Post:
“I was diagnosed three years ago during a regular physical exam with my doctor, that I had type 2 diabetes. I am here today to let the world know that it is not a death sentence. I am working with a very reputable pharmaceutical company. I’m working on a new program called Diabetes in a New Light. You can go to our website. I’m going to be there for you and help you manage every day of your life with this, because it can be done.”
Yes, diabetes is no longer a death sentence. But there’s also the fact that you knew about this for three years, and in that time, advocated the diet that lead you to that diagnosis for the sake of ensuring a healthy pay day and a television show, you contemptible hypocrite. Yes, thanks to modern medicine, diabetes is a manageable illness, but that doesn’t mean it’s something you can just write off as “oh, I just need a couple pills a day.” Your show is glorifying something you knew was hazardous, you terrible human being.
And just to clarify how morally corrupt this situation is, here’s chef Anthony Bourdain with a pretty straightforward analogy he posted on Twitter.
Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later.