Paula Deen says she's from the South, where everyone says the N-word
The Juice* thought for sure we'd catch hell for saying Paula Deen's racist rantings in her court deposition were simply the result of her growing up in Savannah, Ga., but now we have some pretty strong backup. Paula herself is using that excuse following a public backlash she probably never imagined.
Paula Deen Enterprises released a statement Thursday excusing her admissions of casually using the dreaded N-word and suggesting a slave-themed wedding party as part of her upbringing. And since The Juice* once lived in Chatham County, Ga., we knew all too well how casual it can be.
"During a deposition where she swore to tell the truth, Ms. Deen recounted having used a racial epithet in the past, speaking largely about a time in American history which was quite different than today," the statement to TMZ read.
"(Paula) was born 60 years ago when America's South had schools that were segregated, different bathrooms, different restaurants and Americans rode in different parts of the bus. This is not today. To be clear Ms. Deen does not find acceptable the use of this term under any circumstance by anyone nor condone any form of racism or discrimination."
That groaning sound you hear is millions of middle-class Southerners decrying the nation's perception of Georgia and the rest of the south. Transplanted Atlantans, especially, seem to be louder than the rest. Meanwhile, the plaintiff in that discrimination case, Lisa Jackson, no doubnt added another zero to her $1.2 million lawsuit.