Is America's Martha Stewartesque cooking icon Rachel Ray a terrorist sympathizer?
If you poke around the conservative blogosphere, you might get that impression.
Ray became a target of some prominent right-wing bloggers after she was featured in a new on-line ad for Dunkin' Donuts wearing a checkered scarf that looks something like the Middle Eastern kaffieyh.
The ad sparked an irrational frenzy among bloggers who suggested that the ad was something akin to endorsing terrorism.
Michelle Malkin derided it as "clueless jihadi chic" and "hate couture."
In a post titled "Mainstreaming Terrorism to Sell Donuts," Little Green Footballs decried Dunkin' Donuts for being the latest company "to casually promote the symbol of Palestinian terrorism."
Never mind that the kaffiyeh is worn by millions of men in the Middle East who are not terrorists, or that the kaffiyeh is worn by Bush administration allies like Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, Malkin et al went off on a crusade that quickly forced Dunkin' Donuts to pull the ad.
"Absolutely no symbolism was intended," the company said in a statement on the blogosphere-generated controversy. "However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial."
Looks like we can all sleep a little more soundly tonight...
This is so stupid, I can't even believe it. She isn't even wearing anything on her head
This is as stupid as saying one of the telletubbies is gay just because his suit is purple!
Posted by: karen keating | May 29, 2008 at 01:27 PM
We are indeed a nation of morons.
Posted by: oldfaithless | May 29, 2008 at 05:26 PM
This woman is as stupid as Sharon Stone.
Posted by: amj | May 29, 2008 at 05:58 PM
Shot off an email to Dunkin' Donuts and digging out my kaffiyeh (which is actually really comfortable and keeps one really warm in the winter).
What ignorance. Dunkin' Donuts with amazing cowardice has caved to neo-conservative idiots and insulted anyone and everyone who wears this age-old traditional piece of apparel.
Also pisses me off that I'm now going to boycott DD and I really like their donuts. Damn them!
Posted by: Edie | May 30, 2008 at 09:48 AM
Sadly,commonsense is passe.
Ms. Ray, D.D.& the rest of us
deserve better than absurdist
politics.When will we be forced to close all KFC's?
Posted by: rikc | May 30, 2008 at 10:04 AM
I knew it. We are being poisoned by E.V.O.O. It's a terrorist plot.
Yum o
Posted by: rick | May 30, 2008 at 10:50 AM