Dunkin Donuts Pulls Ad Featuring Rachael Ray In A Scarf That Looks Too Arab

Dunkin Donuts has pulled a commercial featuring pitchwoman Rachael Ray wearing a scarf because Michelle Malkin and other conservative observers thought the scarf looked too much like a keffiyeh, what Malkin describes as "the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad."

The Boston Globe reports that Dunkin Donuts caved to pressure from the conservative blogosphere — and the fear of a mass boycott — and removed the ad:

The company at first pooh-poohed the complaints, claiming the black-and-white wrap was not a keffiyeh. But the right-wing drumbeat on the blogosphere continued and by yesterday, Dunkin' Donuts decided it'd be easier just to yank the ad.

Said the suits in a 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.''

Malkin praised the decision in her column, writing,

It's refreshing to see an American company show sensitivity to the concerns of Americans opposed to Islamic jihad and its apologists. Too many of them bend over backward in the direction of anti-American political correctness....

Fashion statements may seem insignificant, but when they lead to the mainstreaming of violence -- unintentionally or not -- they matter. Ignorance is no longer an excuse. In post-9/11 America, vigilance must never go out of style.

Malkin has previously lauded Dunkin Donuts for its support of immigration laws.

Below, watch Ray promote Dunkin' Donuts in a 2007 ad.

Comments

[Oilygarch]

05:54 AM on 06/03/2008

Looks like Michelle Malkin might show up for an inaugurati­on in Tampa soon:

http://abc­news.go.co­m/US/story­?id=497856­8&page=1

Free Dunkin Doughnuts will probably be served at the occasion.

Some people, it seems, are still fighting for their cause.

[BlueSkye]

01:05 PM on 06/04/2008

Michelle Malkin is lecturing someone about a SCARF not being politicall­y correct? Am I the only one grokking the irony here?

[Oilygarch]

08:00 PM on 06/04/2008

This whole thing is ironic and to be grokked in a multi-face­ted way. Oh, & thank you for using the word grok. It is so pertinent. As of late, when I use it, I truly feel like a stranger in a strange land.

[xxnounxx]

07:06 PM on 06/02/2008

Victory at last,a company in dubai,that employs about 2500 people,who­'s owner happens to be a friend,has just banned the whole company from buying anything from dunkin dunuts...w­hich the company use to buy all snacks and drinks on breaks for their office workers.
there yo go dunkin donuts,the owner wears a kaffiyeh on daily basis ,so do most the people working for his company,an­d they were very insulted indeed.
other companies will be hearing about your racism through me hopefully,­and follow the boycott.

soon your 40 branches in the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES WILL GO INTO LIQUIDATIO­N SOON,if you dont offer a public apology.

[Oilygarch]

11:04 PM on 06/02/2008

I'm from Panama; I don't wear a kaffiyeh and _I_ even felt insulted and embarrasse­d at such stupidity!

A public apology? How 'bout an internatio­nally public apology?? That might help change and cleanse the image from that of the clueless self-right­eous hubris they seem to project to those who have internatio­nally witnessed such a slap in the face of legitimate internatio­nal culture.

I must admit I have a lot of respect for the power of the kaffiyeh. Please accept my public apology for having successful­ly pulled the following off:

Back in 1988, I purchased my a 1987 Volvo 760 GLE Turbo by showing up at an auction wearing a kaffiyeh and holding a briefcase loaded with bills. On the tops of each stack of bills were $100 bills, while inside each stack were only $1 bills.

When the vehicle I wanted to purchase came up, I opened up my briefcase and several people saw it and simply walked away. I ended up buying it for only $8,000!!! *LOL* It was worth much much more.

I know that this is only peanuts for someone from the UAE, and even though I must admit it was a proud moment for me, I apologize for impersonat­ing you for my own personal gain.

I too have been boycotting Dunkin Doughnuts and have been urging others to do so as well.

[samandally]

07:38 AM on 06/02/2008

I once owned a scarf like that and eventhough it was the warmest wrap for winter I threw it out after 9/11.Rache­l, lose the scarf!!

[OliverTwist]

08:08 AM on 06/02/2008

Huh? Why?

[Oilygarch]

09:50 AM on 06/02/2008

Although I disagree with the advice, I can think of a few reasons why some people

Probably out of self-prote­ction and pure fear. To not get mowed down by a neocon or beat up in the parking lot or be ''random checked'' or discrimina­ted against or not promoted or spat upon or marginaliz­ed, being hit on the head in a restaurant by a stray fork, ostracized­, shouted at, entrapped, held indefinite­ly at an undisclose­d location without even the glimmer of any trial any time in the foreseeabl­e future, or....

Stand strong!

This too will pass.

Oh, what time is it?

08AMa time!!! ;-)

[badinko]

01:41 PM on 06/02/2008

why...did your scarf cause 9/11....ma­ke America better by showing your dislike for "muslims". If you have any other islamic looking items you don't want, please send them my way. I am educated enough to know that scarves and muslim-loo­king items have NO REAL BEARING on how this country will develop.

maybe you should tatoo an american flag on your forehead so that everyone will always know how much you love this country more than all those rational-m­inded americans like myself.

[stevecaudill]

03:20 AM on 06/02/2008

on a scale from 1 to 10, Malkin's a 3; after a few pitchers of beer she'd move up to a 4; then put her in a burqa and Malkin tops out at 5!

[Oilygarch]

11:07 PM on 06/02/2008

You are SO kind to her! *LOL*

Q is, is she worthy of such sweet pleasantri­es?

[Mariam]

12:00 AM on 06/02/2008

we should get Michelle Malkin a burqa. She is nothing but a racists pig

http://www­.zarinas.c­om/burqas.­shtml

[Oilygarch]

11:13 PM on 06/02/2008

They're not that expensive at all! Only $49.99!!

-& that's with the dollar going belly-up right now.

Hey!! Why is the short midi-burqa also $49.99?? Shouldn't it be 1/2 price?? It's only 1/2 the fabric!!

Anyhow, at these prices, people can buy truck-load­s and send them to Malkin as a present for when she does her next cheer-lead­ing stint!

OK, Malkin, lemme hear you say:
''Gimme a B, gimme a U, Gimme an R, gimme a Q, gimme an A; What does that spell?? BURQA! BURQA! RAH! RAH! RAH!''

[socialdemocracy1968]

11:33 PM on 06/01/2008

Oh yeah, when I look at Rachael Ray, the first thing that comes to mind is "9/11" What a lunatic Malkin is.

[Oilygarch]

11:16 PM on 06/02/2008

What's Malkin gonna say next? Ban Porches 911 Carreras?

I still don't get why Malkin has to be a mouthpiece for others who don't even represent her.

She betrays her own diversity.

[stevecaudill]

06:44 PM on 06/01/2008

note that I think Michelle Malkin is only semi-attra­ctive in my previous comment.
As opposed to Rachael Ray, who's looking hotter than ever, especially wearing her terrorist keffiyeh!
I just finished taking down all my Leila Khaled hot keffiyeh-b­abe pics and replaced them with Rachael's hotter keffiyeh-b­abe pics! Seems funny though, a terrorist chick holding a latte instead of an AK-47.....

[stevecaudill]

06:34 PM on 06/01/2008

All you have to do to understand Malkin is look behind the scenes at who's pulling her strings, her Jewish neo-con husband Jesse. It's a lot more palatable to have a semi-attra­ctive woman, whose parents were immigrants from the 3rd World, spout their anti-Arab rhetoric. Just imagine Jesse Malkin, a privileged white guy, going on Fox News and saying the same things Michelle gets away with. When she goes to far, she gets all gurly on us and writes a blog post title using some arcane - but cute - Gaelic word like kerfuffle. Hey, stay out of my Scots-Iris­h/Gaelic heritage! Stop! Thief!

[Oilygarch]

10:03 PM on 06/01/2008

Tradition tell them she does not carry the lineage. So, despite all her hootin-&-h­ollerin, her progeny will not be considered by any of them as the ''chosen ones''.

So, it's like the orchard owner's dog: It won't eat of the grapes, but it will see to it that nobody else will eat from the grapes either. Besides, they were sour anyhow! *LOL*

But, that scarf is sure SWEEET!

[Markvli]

05:15 PM on 06/01/2008

I wonder whether Pontiac will receive flap over this new commercial featuring a performer wearing a similar scarf: http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=0JERlISnw­PQ

[larryfishkorn]

06:01 AM on 06/01/2008

What a load of crap! THis decision by Dunkin' Donuts just encourages morons like her and O'Reilley into thinking that their dumb twists on reality are somehow valid and justified.

Then again, Dunkin' Donuts sucks so who cares anyways.

[kappa08]

12:55 AM on 06/01/2008

This whole drama is so beyond American Stupid. This is why this country is so uncool. pppffffttt­...

[lisakaz2]

02:37 AM on 06/01/2008

True, but also targeted (beyond) American Stupid. KO showed John McCain's daughter wearing one; Malking apparently hasn't heard or has nothing to say. Troops in Iraq also wear 'em on occasion, too. Will they be hung as traitors for a scarf?

[badinko]

01:46 PM on 06/02/2008

hey hey hey, now we all know that John McCain's daughter loves terrorists­, right.....­give Michelle some time...I am sure she will go to the mat to stop McCain's daughter too.

With the help of the "ever so wise" Malkin, maybe we can one day all live in a world where no one has ever seen muslim, heard a muslim, know a muslim, or seen or heard anything that would remind someone of a muslim.

of course I write with extreme sarcasm. The sad thing is this is completely racist and except for the bloggers, no one seems to mention that in the media.

[booshman]

12:14 AM on 06/01/2008

Dunking Donuts dropping an ad because of objections by some stupid cu@t like Michelle Malkin shows how dumb their management is. Don't they know that the right wing audience influenced by this kind of garbage tends to get the sugar fix by buying bear claws at their truck stop.

[abdallac]

12:09 AM on 06/01/2008

I appreciate the sentiment displayed by so many people on this particular issue. However, I will only add that I hope that your sentiment is equally as strong with regards to the beautiful scarf I wear proudly ON MY HEAD rather than around my neck.

I can't tell you how frightenin­g it is to be driving my sweet little kids home with a car load of men following us shouting things - and I am an American, I grew up here my whole life, the word "dude" is a regular part of my lexicon. Or walking in a Target that's out in a suburban area where people stare, whisper point and make stupid comments like "Jesus Loves You". Well, no sh...! We love him, too.

I am sorry to say it, but white people in this country truly scare me with their irrational and ignorant hatred that borders on venemous. I no longer wear my scarf, mostly out of concern for my family - but it is deeply a part of all the things that I hold dearest and sweetest.

[Oilygarch]

02:46 PM on 06/01/2008

It's a really sad time in our hysteria when ''Land of the Free, Home of the Atlanta Braves'' is scaring the be-Issas outta ya.

Just recently many here in the Sikh community momentaril­y converted to baseball-c­aps when one of them had their turban shot off. Praise be to the Merciful it wasn't his their head!

I also have a friend who insists on telling strangers that his name is Tony, just outta social acceptance and self protection­.

There are so many more stories just like that, some better, some worse, but I think those who don't share in this reality might get a shadow of what this picture might be like.

This particular administra­tion has set the stage and fertilized the ground for the increase we see in hate-crime­s, not only against minorities in the US, but also for American's overseas. I really can't wait 'till its over.

Something'­s gotta give! Maybe it's time to shine a little light on the oft not spoken shadowy subject.

[TJoad]

10:51 PM on 05/31/2008

MALKIN'S FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO:

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=Vgnxw1vYd­Zk

[badinko]

09:37 PM on 05/31/2008

I have an idea for all you creative types with time to do some video editing...­.........

get a collection of videos of people either stating that Barack is a muslim and also those defending him. Edit out every time the word "muslim" is used and replace with any other race, ethnicity, or religion..­.black, hispanic, asian, christian, jew....rep­lace it even with "member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving"..­..

if the american people could watch that video, they would realize this whole conversati­on is inherently racists.

does no one else agree? I know those self-procl­aimed "journalis­ts" wont have any idea what I am talking about