The fallout continues over celebrity maker-of-unhealthy-food Paula Deen's li'l racism problem, with Walmart becoming the latest rat to flee the sinking ship.
BREAKING: Walmart ending relationship with Paula Deen Enterprises and "will not place new orders beyond those already committed."
— @RebeccaJarvis
Showing its typical social conscience, Walmart didn't take this step until the
Food Network,
Smithfield, and
Caesars had already dumped Deen. Because why would you get out in front on an issue like Deen's casual, habitual, gratuitous racism?
But, that aside, congratulations to Walmart for doing the right thing in dumping a celebrity brand despite the ire of her fans. Now if only the company would sign on to the binding safety plan for Bangladesh along with many top European and Canadian retailers. Or be honest and up front about its own non-binding safety plan. Or in general, if only Walmart would do something to show it values the lives of its workers.
Oh, what's that you say? Dumping Deen and continuing to risk workers' lives in Bangladesh come from the same place, and that place is the profit motive? It's all a short-term cost-benefit analysis in which they've decided that deaths happening to brown people over there will draw less attention and hurt profits less than the racism of a folksy, telegenic celebrity? That sounds about Walmart's speed.