Paula Deen doesn’t need Wal-Mart, she has us

Wal-Mart and Target have done it. So have the Food Network, Smithfield Foods and Caesars Entertainment. They’ve ended things with Paula Deen.

Still, there’s one group that has renewed its contract with the so-called Queen of Southern Cookin’. It’s us.

In recent weeks, Deen has taken a grilling for admitting to using the “N-word” and wanting to plan a plantation-style wedding, in a deposition for a $1.2 million discrimination lawsuit.

“Well what I would really like is a bunch of little niggers to wear long-sleeve white shirts, black shorts, and black bow-ties, you know in the Shirley Temple days, they used to tap dance around,” is what she allegedly said.

There’s also a New York Times video of Deen speaking about race. I won’t spoil it, but it’s worth watching.

People can change, of course, but Deen has butchered the opportunity to prove that she has. Excuse after apology after apology after apology, Deen has failed to express a genuine sense of guilt or wrongdoing.

In the wake of this, the Wal-Marts and Targets of the world made the responsible decision of cutting ties with the celebrity chef. The same can’t be said for us.

The top-selling book on Amazon, as of this post’s publication, was “Paula Deen’s New Testament: 250 Recipes, All Lightened Up,” which will be released Oct. 15. “Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible” is not far behind; it’s the No. 7 seller. More books from the Deen collection were out of stock.

While sponsors have rightfully defrocked Deen from her rule as the queen of Southern cooking, we will still be keeping her on the throne.

Fox News reported that there is such enthusiasm for the annual “Paula Deen Cruise” that there will be not one but two cruises to enjoy this year:

“Due to so many requests from Paula’s fans in the past, we are actually planning two cruises for 2014 and look forward to both,” a rep for the cruise told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “It’s always an amazing time with Paula, her family and fans. If she goes -- we go.”

Deen, according to the article, also has scheduled appearances at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Houston, Dallas and in Washington. Tickets range from $95 to $500.

Thanks to us, Paula Deen will be just fine.

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Twitter: @danielrothberg

daniel.rothberg@latimes.com