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TwitterRachael Ray + Fringy Scarf = Fashion Statement or Terrorist Statement?
Uh, oh, donut overboard! Dunkin' Donuts is running scared after a conservative pundit accused the company of sympathizing with terrorists after an online ad featuring perky spokesperson Rachael Ray supposedly made a major fashion faux pas.
According to a Boston Globe story, in the spot, Ray Ray was seen wearing a rather snazzy white, black and grey scarf.
Harmless enough, especially if she was a bit chilly, right? Not so, says political commentator and vocal Republican Michelle Malkin. Apparently, this was no mere fashion accessory, but looked suspiciously like a keffiyeh.
"The keffiyeh, for the clueless, is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad," Malkin instructs in her syndicated column. "Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant and not-so-ignorant fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons."
Initially, the purveyor of all things round with holes in them (that aren't bagels or tires) insisted that the accessory was not a keffiyeh, merely an apolitical scarf. As the objections and stink grew, however, Dunkin Donuts bowed to the right wing and pulled the ad along with releasing the following statement:
"In a recent online ad, Rachael Ray is wearing a black-and-white silk scarf with a paisley design. It was selected by her stylist for the advertising shoot. Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial."
Whether or not the scarf was scarf by any other name, would the donuts or Rachael be any less sweet? We think not. And really, isn't backing down from freedom of speech and expression just letting the terrorists win?
Was Michelle Malkin right? Should Dunkin' Donuts have caved to the pressure? Is Rachael Ray hiding something? Who here owns and has worn a scarf similar to the one featured in the ad? Anyone here own a keffiyeh, worn it and NOT been a terrorist or terrorist sympathizer? A show of hands of those who don't care? Freedom fries anyone?
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
The scarf she's wearing is ugly and very distracting (probably not a good idea for a commercial) but is obviously not a keffiyeh. I think the person raising a fuss is a jealous designer. Probably the same one who "blew the whistle" on John McCain's daughter for wearing one as well: http://gawker.com/5003288/mccain-daughter-dons-islamic-terror-scarf. At least that actually looks like it might be a keffiyeh.
I'm more inclined to boycott Dunkin Donuts because they caved to such idiocy than because of anything Rachel Ray was or was not wearing.
How can anyone have this much time to waste? How about the obvious fact that it is the traditional headdress of Arabic MEN...considering that these are countries that will execute a woman for being raped, her wearing an item intended only for macho Arabic men is a stand against terrorism if anything...as I said--don't these people have anything better to do?
maybe a crime of fashion, but certainly not a crime of terrorism hahaha....
rachel fire that stylist!
Really, I find it incredibly scary that someone with a voice would accuse another of sympathizing with terrorists based on a scarf. I would think Ms Malkin would have better ways of spending her time than looking at the fashion dos and don'ts of celebreties
This is getting ridiculous and out of hand. Right-wingers seem to have no bounds in their pursuit of stupidity and fear-mongering. That said, Rachel Ray is definitely a terrorist- The Neo-cons finally found one.
There goes Rachael's plan to do "40 Jihads a Day"!
Those paisley wearing terrorists... trying to dupe innocent people into wearing their fashion accessories for Allah. What will they think of next?
Oh, good grief. What a bunch of idiots, I just can't believe it. Common sense is dead.
Why does anyone pay attention to Malkin? It bewilders me.