I feel so bad for Paula Deen

I've never actually eaten anything produced by Paula Deen (uh, it's not kosher) and I've never been to her restaurant, bought her housewares, or followed her show, career, magazine, etc.    Though I have watched her Youtube clip of her making classic southern macaroni and cheese. Just watching it will freeze your arteries.  Globs and globs of cheese and butter, and another heap o' cheese and more bubbling cheese....

And she's from the south and clearly doesn't have a racially diverse following, which is allowed.  But I do not get the total shunning, vilification, character assassination of this woman.  Her endorsements are dropping her faster than you'd drop a fresh deep fried ball of mozarella.

Why?

Because she used racial slurs 20, 30, years ago? Or even if she used them 10 years ago? Or 6 months ago?  It wasn't during a conversation with someone, it wasn't while she was being interviewed by Matt Lauer or Oprah or Regis or Kathy or NPR. There isn't an outraged individual the day after, talking and complaining loudly to the press. So why this destroying of the woman and her career?

I'm not in favor at all of racial slurs. They are hurtful, harmful, create barriers, offend people, divide people, etc.

But hasn't Paula Deen earned something for all the companies she has associated her name with?
Hasn't she really been the Queen of Southern (unhealthy) Cooking?

There seems to be no sense of loyalty, and worse, almost no outspoken verbal support! Why not?

It's somewhat frightening to see how tenuous some well known persona's popularity can be.   It's scary to think that the media and the press and even the American population can like someone so much and then....just drop them.  Just like that.

opinions, anyone?