The Word: Paula Deen has diabetes, now is ‘God’s time’ for her to make cash
Thanks to a super scoop by The Daily about two weeks ago, we learned that celebrity chef Paula Deen, champion of all things fattening — deep-fried butter balls, Velveeta fudge and butter/mayo/whiz spread, to name just a few of her recipes — had type 2 diabetes and would soon take that news on a publicity blitz. Well, that whirlwind media tour kicked off yesterday when she went on “Today” to coincide with a USA?Today feature about her diagnosis.
Although she’s apparently been diabetic for more than two years (while continuing to shill her high-fat, high-calorie cooking), she decided to wait to go public because it wasn’t “God’s time” when she first learned she was sick. “I felt like I had nothing to offer anybody other than the announcement. I wasn’t armed with enough knowledge. I knew when it was time, it would be in God’s time,” she told USA Today.
Interestingly enough, for Deen, “God’s time” means “time to finagle a lucrative contract with the makers of a diabetes drug.” As, oh yes, Deen used that lull to sign on as a sponsor for the diabetes medicine Victoza. A new website featuring Deen as their spokesperson also launched yesterday.
Deen doesn’t want to talk about how much money she’s making off the deal. She tells USA Today, “Talking about money is garish. It’s tacky. But, of course, I’ve been compensated for my time. That’s the way our world works.”
Is it just me, or is it also “garish” and “tacky” to continue to shill your junk food to people even though you know it can cause long-term damage to their health — like it did you?
Lohan might not be Taylor
Lindsay Lohan’s plans to relaunch her acting career may not be as set in stone as she thought. The troubled actress is up to play Elizabeth Taylor in a Lifetime TV movie, but the film’s producer tells E! News that Lohan isn’t the only starlet being considered. “I’ve been talking to Lindsay Lohan directly, and with her reps, and have been in conversation with other actresses, including Megan Fox,” Larry Thompson says. “It’s a very serious selection. It’s like casting for Hollywood royalty.”
If Taylor’s really Hollywood royalty, why are you having Hollywood jesters up for the role?
For more gossip news visit Dorothy Robinson’s Word blog. Follow her on Twitter @DorothyatMetro.
