Paula Dean!!! Tell Me It Ain't So!!!

[Claude91098]

As much as I like Paula and her shows, the wife & me discovered something today that we were previously clueless about!
Paula was on the QVC channel promoting her branded things along with some food dishes of hers.
Well, as it turns out, almost ALL of her things she promotes on QVC are MADE IN CHINA OR TAIWAN!!!
One would think that an American Southern cooking icon would use and sell things Made in the USA.
We won't stop watching Paula nor stop using her recipes, HOWEVER, the stuff she sells on QVC will NEVER grace our kitchen!

And while I'm at it: We used to collect Longaberger pottery items...NO MORE!
Longaberger, a long established company in Ohio, now uses "Made in China" stuff for their pottery line. At LEAST the baskets are still Made in the USA at the Dresden, OH factory....for now at least!

[jbm32206]

I like Paula too, and find it disgraceful that her items for sale aren't made here...shame on her!

[Bike Jax]

We all have Wally Mart to thank for that. What manufactures that weren't forced over to China to meet Walmarts pricing had to make the move just keep their prices competitive.

[rpschutt]

Actually, if we were honest, we have Washington to thank for that. The Chinese have kept the Yuan at a low valuation rate for years, refusing to adjust it even as its realistic value has risen. Washington has failed to address this issue, which has exasterbated our trade deficit problems. Once again, Washington fails us...

[lindab]

It is really hard to find USA made items. Check the clothes you are wearing, shoes on your feet, linens on your bed.

http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/

[jbm32206]

I know, it's a damn shame!

[Diane Melendez]

lindab,

Thanks for the link to made in America items. I do look at tags all the time and it aggravates the tar out of me that you can rarely find well made items made in the U.S.A. I will pay a higher price for better merchandise and to support our home industries.

It is easy enough these days to find "cheap", but not as easy to find "quality"!

[lindab]

I saw a tv report on the declining economy where the commentator speculated that because of the low dollar manufacturing would return to the US. China's workers are not so cheap anymore.

Another thing - lots of long time manufacturing companies in US have the worst websites you ever saw. Something as simple as upgrading their presentation to the public would help their sales.

I would love to see a turn around in US manufacturing. Plus, I'm really sick of hearing that our environmental standards and safety controls are the reasons business goes overseas.

[jbm32206]

I agree, it would be great to have the business of manufacturing come back home, where it should be.

As for the reasons it's left...they know damn well that it's not the environmental standards or safety controls...unless of course, they mean that we have laws against hiring children for below minimum wages to work long hours, in deplorable conditions...then yeah, they're right!

[Claude91098]

I know that there's a whole "everything is made in China" syndrome in this country, but I was stressing another point:

Paula, bless her soul, is an American Southern Cooking Icon for crying outloud!
I guess I'm just dissappointed that her branded name items are made in China.
The woman should understand that people that know and love her would gladly pay MUCH MORE for her stuff anyway...SOOOO...why not add "Made in America" to her attributes?

I'm just sorely dissappointed in Paula...that's all. (But she's STILL a damned good cook!)
I do like her one philosophy tho: "Never trust a skinny cook!" LOL

[pearlstone]

some people get blinded by the dollar sign when fame comes their way and it is sad indeed Claude.

[Screamin Eagle]

some people get blinded by the dollar sign when fame comes their way and it is sad indeed Claude.


Harrumph.

[pearlstone]

well hey there Frank,
that pitcher of beer I bought for you has been sitting on the bar over at Eagle's for sometime now...
...you ever gonna drink that thing? he he he

[Diane Melendez]

Toss it Pearl and set up a cold one. Meet you guys over there. LOL