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Great post. I'll add social unconsciousness to the list of things that make me dislike her so much.

I am also so glad you posted this. Shame on Paula Deen and shame on Smithfield bacon. I never would have known about their safety record and such, so I really appreciate learning of it.

Yeah, besides having nasty ham, they are a large contributer to the big factory farm waste problem.

http://www.riverlaw.us/newsupdates.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12840743/porks_dirty_secret_the_nations_top_hog_producer_is_also_one_of_americas_worst_polluters

That's a shame about Smithfield and Paula but she sure didn't invent the hamburger with a fried egg on top and I tell you its genius ;)

Mmm mmm mmm. The ire might better be directed at the stockholders of the company, no? All the "little people" who want their old-age investment portfolios to remain healthy.

But Paula does wear those big damn diamond rings. Such a nice target.

This is every reason why she's wrong:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_127127,00.html

She may not have invented it, but she needs to be stopped.

My own snarky comment was tongue-in-cheek, doodoolemonque. Some of the other's comments may have been also.

Your own post just shifted from commentary on the topic to a direct attack upon the other commenters though - which is crossing a certain line.

Paula is not all that important in my life that I would want to follow Sharpton, Jackson, Sarandon, and Glover into a fray against her. It is interesting that this is happening, though.

I don't buy Smithfield. The reason being that the products suck. No more, no less.

As to workers rights and violations of those rights, thank goodness this country has an excellent record of addressing these sorts of things. I can't remember when the activities of celebrities on either side of these sorts of issues made any real difference in the actuality of the corporate behavior, though. Usually it just brings about media attention for the celebrities who have chosen to attach themselves to an issue. Good for them, though. An open and free society is an excellent thing to be able to participate in - and there are many fashions and options to do so.

Smithfield is a publicly owned company. Who owns it? The stockholders. Therefore it is the stockholders who theoretically could ask for answers on these reported worker violations. Maybe they have, maybe they haven't. Knowing how many small investors (including anyone with a pension plan managed by a third party) do not have any idea exactly what stocks may be in their portfolio bringing them profit or loss it could be possible (and I think even probable) that many people who might want to speak out as stockholders of the company i.e. the owners of the company don't even have a clue that they are owners of the company. The downside of the sort of big-ness that yields corporate profits can be anonymity. Sort of like on the internet. Secret handshakes can be everywhere even without intent. :)

As for her diamonds, that was a reference to another thread. I do think she loves to flash that bling. I think it's sort of cute, myself.

I'm off to the Farmer's Market to see what's really local this week and then decide whether (as a single mother who must decide whether this dollar will go towards her children's education or a nice vacation or for this head of lettuce) it is worth it to pay twice as much for the goods that the farmers bring. I know I'm supposed to support the farmers but lurking in my mind is the thought that first of all I better support my own family. Maybe when I get to the point where I too own a farm I too will become political and righteous.

Until then, msn nicely provided me with my quote for the day, right there on my homepage:

Politics is opposed to morality, as philosophy is to naivete. - Emmanuel Levinas