Paula Deen Syndicated October 2009

by

Dr. Wilson Triviño

            Paula Deen will have her own nationally syndicated show in September, 2009.  Was the big announcement Deen made at the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining (MC&E) Show on May 3.  “Because of ya’ll”, exclaimed cooking diva Paula Deen to a live audience of several thousands as she heeded her publicist advice and came out with the big news. “I’m going to get the switch tonight when I get back to the hotel room”, sneered Deen.  “Besides, being in Atlanta is close to home (Albany) that she felt she was with family.”

            A media sensation, Paula Deen has made Southern cooking and the use of a stick of butter fashionable again. “She (Paula) is so real and can relate to us”, shared Kathleen Eldreidge of Dayton, New Jersey, who spent her vacation time traveling down South to see Paula live.

            The MC&E show centered on a traveling cooking road show that mimics favorite cooking programs.  Creator of the “tiny kitchen series”, Denise Medved’s vision of this program is to “bring lots of activities to teach, delight and inspire any cooking and entertaining enthusiast.”

            This show was truly this fat boy’s dream, good food, and endless world class chefs with samples. No one can prepare better southern comfort food than Paula Deen.  Paula was the big draw but had her two boys Bobby and Jamie in tow.  The Deen boys did an afternoon warm up act demonstrating the delights of cheesy casserole, delightful parfait, and a spunky Bloody Mary.

            Paula Deen walked on the stage like a rock star, with a beaming white smile and a big “hey y’all” as she walked around the stage and waved at everyone.

            Part revival and home coming, Paula wowed the audience as she share home spun humor and tales from her latest adventures.  Paula says, “she is on the Food Network over 21 times a week and you can see her cooking there, but now she wanted to interact to the reason of her success, her many fans.”

            Paula took questions, threw out cup cakes, passed out plates with piles of food and said, “take a bite and pass it along, ya’ll.”   Her fans brought gifts, one woman gave her a Paula Deen inspired song she composed with a CD cover photo of her signature stick of butter. Another brought an invitation to a Paula Deen wedding shower.  At that shower the bride’s wedding party can bring dishes of their one favorite recipe.

            Paula did have a group of protestors who charged up the stage with what seemed to be a petition asked her when “she will meet with the steel workers”. This reference stems from allegations of her sponsors connection with treatment to workers at non-unionize processing plants.  Paula said, “she was not a politician and she did have an agenda.”  Paula’s stated agenda is “to share good recipe’s that feeds all to bring families back to the table and to feed the many people who are hungry in the US.”  By her own accounts she has fed over a million needy people to date.

            In the Deen love fest, Paula did announce an upcoming Alaskan cruise.  I asked her how she “keeps her girlish figure.”  Paula gave me a toothy grin and said, “thank you honey, I hope you never need any glasses.”  With that Paula was whisk out a side door leaving her adoring fans who yelled, “we love you Paula.”

Political Scientist Dr. Wilson Triviño resides in Marietta, Georgia and is a speaker and writer for ABC Vision.  A consulting firm that focuses on leadership, change, and innovation. He may be reached at abcvision@gmail.com