Paula Deen shocked to learn her family owned slaves, Y'all"

**witchcurlgirl** · May 21st, 2012, 01:30 PM

On the season finale of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are, Paula Deen discovered that her great great great great-grandfather, John Batts, was a slave owner. Deen, who was born, raised and still lives in Georgia, found that Batts, a politician and plantation owner, was very wealthy — and a hefty portion of his assets were slaves.

Dr. Bob Wilson, a professor of history at Georgia College, showed Deen a document showing that Batts was part of a movement trying to get Georgia to support Democratic candidate John Breckenridge for president. Breckenridge was running on a pro-slavery platform; whereas Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, was against the expansion of slavery. Dr. Wilson showed Deen 1860 census records, showing that Batts was incredibly rich for his time. Deen also perused a Slave Inhabitants document, which detailed how many slaves John Batts owned: Thirty-five, some of them 8 and 11-year-old children.

"I have said so many times that my family was never involved in slavery in any way," Paula Deen said to Dr. Wilson. She added: "It is horrific and it is sad." Wilson put it this way: "It's the hard reality of the old South."

Deen was under the impression that her family was mostly farmers and laborers — not wealthy. But the truth reminds us all of the hidden privileges surrounding us. Think of it this way: Usually you learn to read from your mom and dad, and they learned to read from their mom and dad, and so on. But if your mom was an 8-year-old slave, in a state where it is not only illegal for a slave to read and write but a person could be fined for educating a slave, well… Anyway.

Later, Deen called the news "Quite a shock," and said: "I almost feel like somebody took a bucket of cold water and threw it into my face."
She also said:

If I could go back and talk to [John Batts], I would do everything in my power to convince him not to participate in the heinous act of slavery.

Surely that would go over well!

Paula Deen 'Shocked' to Learn Her Family Owned Slaves

**sluce** · May 21st, 2012, 01:35 PM

I really like this show and, for the most part, like Paual. However, she came across as fake in her dramatic response to this news.

**Laurent** · May 21st, 2012, 01:36 PM

Paula's use of the word y'all annoys the piss out of me. I'm from the south, I say y'all all the time, but no one here drags it out to three fucking syllables like she does. It's like she uses it as some cutesy affectation.

**Mel1973** · May 21st, 2012, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Laurent

Paula's use of the word y'all annoys the piss out of me. I'm from the south, I say y'all all the time, but no one here drags it out to three fucking syllables like she does. It's like she uses it as some cutesy affectation.

THIS x 11ty thousand! I have never been OUT of the South and I do NOT say "y'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ", goddammit! ONE syllable, bitch! Drop the shtick! Your family probably drove the damn Native Americans out too! now shut your fucking butter filled HOLE!

**hustle4alivin** · May 21st, 2012, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by Mel1973

THIS x 11ty thousand! I have never been OUT of the South and I do NOT say "y'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ", goddammit! ONE syllable, bitch! Drop the shtick! Your family probably drove the damn Native Americans out too! now shut your fucking butter filled HOLE!

My new signature!

**MontanaMama** · May 21st, 2012, 01:51 PM

^I now envision your new avi saying 'hey y'aaaaaaallllllll' (at least 4 syllables)

**MrsDark** · May 21st, 2012, 02:09 PM

I'd like to think none of my ancestors were slave-owners. But I'm realistic enough to know that there was probably a higher than average possibility. Most of my ancestors on mom and dad's side were southern (after coming over here anyway, with the exception of my mom's native american ancestry who were already here) plenty who fought in Civil War, a handful who owned at least a small amount of land, and my dad's surname (and mine before marriage) well...maybe there's something to this and maybe not, but outside of my family, I know a lot more black people with my former surname than white. So unless one of those ancestors was such a gem that a ton of black americans admired him enough to take the name, I'm betting someone owned people. I'm certainly not proud of it.

But then again, I'm one of those southerners who "gets it". Couldn't give two shits about the damned confederate flag, much less waving it all over the place, think the fact that it remains a part of the state flag is telling. And damned sure not demanding the right to discriminate against people (currently gays, like MS did a few years ago when 86% voted in favor of DOMA, much to my shame). Whatever in the fuck my ancestors did that I'm ashamed of, my descendants sure won't have to be ashamed of me years on down the road. Not for being a bigot, anyway.

Getting back to the main bitch this thread is about: Paula Deen always seems fake. And her restaurant sucks. Go make a huge donation to UNCF now, bitch.

I say ya'll the normal way, too. Not like this fake haint.

**darksithbunny** · May 21st, 2012, 02:11 PM

*laughing* butter filled hole!

**Genie123** · May 21st, 2012, 02:35 PM

I thought her episode was the most boring one they've had so far.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that can't stand her Y'all placed at the end of every sentence.

**shedevilang** · May 21st, 2012, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Mel1973

THIS x 11ty thousand! I have never been OUT of the South and I do NOT say "y'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ", goddammit! ONE syllable, bitch! Drop the shtick! Your family probably drove the damn Native Americans out too! now shut your fucking butter filled HOLE!

vouch all this and just want to add

now shut your fucking butter filled HOLE and get back in that kitchen and fix me something to eat you dumb ass hillbilly!

**Bluebonnet** · May 21st, 2012, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Laurent

Paula's use of the word y'all annoys the piss out of me. I'm from the south, I say y'all all the time, but no one here drags it out to three fucking syllables like she does. It's like she uses it as some cutesy affectation.

She does the same thing with the word "man". She pronounces it "Mayuhn".

But she's from JAAAWWWWJA! Don't they all talk like thayuht?

**witchcurlgirl** · May 21st, 2012, 03:50 PM

Is she from Savannah?

In the book Gone With The Wind Scarlet has a temper tantrum because she can't stand the Savannah accents of relatives she's visiting after husband # 1 dies.

**louiswinthorpe111** · May 21st, 2012, 04:09 PM

I would say most white people have a slave owner somewhere in their history. I found out I do, and I'm from Iowa. It's always positioned as, "He didn't want to be a slave owner, and freed his slaves the minute the North won." Um, ok?

**Mr. Authority** · May 21st, 2012, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Bluebonnet

She does the same thing with the word "man". She pronounces it "Mayuhn".

But she's from JAAAWWWWJA! Don't they all talk like thayuht?

LMAO.

One of the things that makes me laugh is when Paula is making some unhealthy dessert or dish. Whenever she garnishes it with a green leaf or something, she always refers to it as a "vegtible" (her words). Yeah cause putting something green on lumps of cream and butter makes it healthy ya'll!