Image Credit: Food Network; Travel Channel
Where Paula Deen goes, Anthony Bourdain seems to follow…and so does a big ol’ serving of controversy.
Shortly after the news came down this morning that famed food personality Deen confirmed that she has Type 2 diabetes, Bourdain — who’s famously had a beef with Deen in the past — made an oddly coincidental and cryptic comment on his Twitter feed, likely referring to his rival’s latest revelation. “Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business,” Bourdain wrote, “so I can profitably sell crutches later.”
TMZ picked up on the tweet, but Bourdain hedged his response to Deen on Twitter later in the day: “For the record: Never called anybody a “diabetic scam artist”. TMZ’s words. Not mine.”
The tweet likely refers to the fact that Deen officially announced her affliction while also touting her new Diabetes in a New Light Web site and products, thus capitalizing on a disease that — one could argue, and it seems Bourdain certainly is — she helped further in America with the comfort food she teaches the television masses to make. Not to take Bourdain’s side, but all that fried chicken, mac and cheese, and sticks of butter definitely weren’t preventing diabetes in any way.
Bourdain’s bad blood with Deen dates back to last summer, when he called her the “most dangerous person to America” and said that she’s “proud of the fact that her food is f—— back for you.” Deen responded, naturally: “Get a life.”
Love him or hate him, does Bourdain have a point? Is it sick that Deen is profiting from a disease she seems to endorse? Are you Team Bourdain or Team Deen in this feud?
Tanner on Twitter: @EWTanStransky
Read more:
Paula Deen has diabetes, tells ‘Today’ it is ‘not a death sentence’
Paula Deen and Anthony Bourdain are at war
