Let’s all take a moment to mourn the loss of Paula Deen’s deep fat fryer. That’s right, the Queen of Cholesterol has been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Now, before you feel badly for her, know this: Type 2 Diabetes is treatable. And Paula Deen is cashing in on her disease. Consider the next few weeks to be the “Paula Deen Diabetes Media Tour!” Who can blame her? Those of us in public relations know when you have a good angle, you run with it.
Yesterday Deen appeared on ABC to reveal the diagnosis, along with name-dropping the Novo Nordisk drug. She added that she and her family kept the diagnosis private while they figured out what to do. This was an excellent PR move, as her livelihood revolves around her high-fat Southern cooking. My guess is that during this time, which she claims was a few years, she was also shopping offers from diabetes drug companies. Deen was very PR savvy in waiting to reveal her diagnosis after lining up endorsements.
Like Deen, other celebrities are cashing in on unhealthy habits. Jessica Simpson recently signed a multi-million dollar deal with Weight Watchers to be their official spokesperson. Simpson, whose weight has fluctuated over the years, explained that she’s eating for more than two at the moment, which isn’t just an investment for her baby, but is also a surefire way to get a dramatic before and after result for Weight Watchers.
There are even rumors that Deen will be on the next cast of “Dancing with the Stars.” The woman is raking it in for being overweight! The producers love her “likeability” factor and know that the audience will get hooked on a good backstory.
One person who is not enamored by her “likeability” factor is fellow chef, Anthony Bordain. Bordain and Deen have publicly feuded on Twitter about her recipes in the past, with Bordain even calling her “The Most Dangerous Person in America.” Yesterday, in a very thinly-veiled tweet, Bordain wrote “Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later.” Well Bordain, looks like Deen’s getting the last laugh when she looks at her bank statement.