News that Paula Deen, the queen of greasy, sugar-loaded Southern cooking, may have type 2 diabetes was met with disdain across the Web on Friday.
After all, the Food Network star was the brains behind creations like the " Lady's Brunch Burger," which famously served up a fried egg, bacon and burger between two glazed doughnuts. Let's not forget the equally inexplicable Krispy Kreme bread pudding, deep fried lasagna and deep fried stuffing on a stick.
But reactions turned even more derisive when it was reported that the Georgia-born chef had landed a multimillion-dollar deal to hawk a diabetes drug for a pharmaceutical company.
It remains to be seen whether Ms. Deen will try her hand at healthier recipes, or continue pushing deep-fried confections on America while on this purportedly lucrative pharma contract.
With the news, eyes are also now turning back on Anthony Bourdain, who seethed that Ms. Deen is "the worst, most dangerous person to America" back in August.
"She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations and she's proud of the fact that her food is ... bad for you," the No Reservations host told TV Guide. "I would think twice before telling an already obese nation that it is OK to eat food that is killing us."
Then, Ms. Deen pulled the class card, retorting:
"You know, not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills ... It wasn't that long ago that I was struggling to feed my family, too."
(Feeding them luscious Twinkie Pie? Here's hoping not.)
New York Times columnist Frank Bruni jumped into the fray then too, dissing Mr. Bourdain for being an elitist culinary hypocrite who was serving up fatty duck confit as he assailed Ms. Deen's monstrosities.
"You can almost imagine Bourdain and Deen as political candidates, a blue-state paternalist squaring off against a red-state populist over correct living versus liberty in all its artery-clogging, self-destructive glory," Mr. Bruni wrote.
Foodie infighting aside, what place does tradition – be it of the Bible Belt or France – have when you're serving up artery-clogging fare?
Zosia Bielski