Just how offensive is Sandra Lee’s crazy Kwanzaa cake?

Salon.com ^ | 12/26/2010 | Francis Lam

[Claud]

Just how offensive is Sandra Lee’s crazy Kwanzaa cake?

A recent mea culpa from the creator of this Internet sensation raises the question: What is Kwanzaa food?

It was the cultural mash-up that was destined for the Viral Video Hall of Fame: Sandra “Queen of QVC, First Lady of New York” Lee going all-out for African America with her Kwanzaa Cake.

In the clip, the very perky — and it must be said, white — Lee takes her Semi-Homemade philosophy (yes, she refers to it as a “philosophy,” and yes, it’s trademarked) to new heights, using an array of store-bought cake, frosting, canned pie filling and corn nuts to “celebrate” the African-American holiday. As you might guess, the video takes pride of place in the pantheon of hilarious culinary disaster videos. ...

Sandra Lee and the Famous Kwanzaa Cake"

[shibumi]

"I want a Festivus cake. What would it be?!"

Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

[Cronos]

I don’t get the idea of Kwanzaa — it’s supposed to replace Christmas. Christmas is not a “white people’s holiday” — it’s a ‘all colors peoples’ holiday’

[autumnraine]

Yes, nothing says Africa like cocoa, cinnamon and apple pie filling...

[Vehmgericht]

This Kwanzaa cake is an American tradition going all the way back to 2011. The cake gave Lee an opportunity to demonstrate her cosmopolitanism. It also gave an opportunity for the perpetually offended to be offended. Lee can now grovel and apologize for being White. Everyone comes out a winner.

[LadyBuck]

Sandra Lee’s “cooking” is offensive.

I always imagined Kwanzaa Cake would be filled with mac & cheese, then frosted with potato salad...and maybe some red koolaid sprinkles on top to make it festive...

[left that other site]

Just take a knife and give it a whirl!

Almost as much fun as shooting a gun sideways.

LOL.

[CodeToad]

Sandra is a liberal yankee through and through. She is about as southern as I am a yankee.

[Calvin Locke]

Personally, I've always found her a bit phony and overly sanctimonious, and change the channel whenever she comes on.

I heard Bourdain on a drive time show a year or so ago saying that of all of the "FN mob", "Sandra Lee is the one that scares him".

I read his "Medium Raw" a few weeks ago, and he described an encounter with her [when Cuomo was the NYS AG] that probably led to the founding of that fear.