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

[peachesmahoney]

Here's the real deal: Rachel Ray is a terrorist of the worst kind. She represents middle of the road consumerism and low-brow entertainment in a covert way as to make the world think she's "fun" or "cute". We're too busy listening to her say dumb things like "Yummo!" to notice that the country is awash with no talent, souless corporate tools passing themselves off as nifty television personalities.

And yet it's her scarf that people are upset about! Forget that she's peddling fried dough to an already fat nation and stuffing our landfills with her crap magazines and shite cookware. Let's go after her scarf instead. I hope that scarf goes to prison where it is routinely raped and beat up by gangsters.

[Darsan54]

Jeez, Peaches...chill. Granted Rachel Ray isn't going to be asked to take over the Cordon Bleu anytime soon, but she can be ignored. She is not a sign of the Apocalypse. However, Michelle Malkin's pulling a controversy out of her ass may be. Put your animus to work on the real target.

[jimmyjones22]

...Maybe you could use a hot cup of coffee and a donut, you seem tense...

[JessWonderin]

I beleive that all commercials should have NUDE spokespersons to avoid ANY issues . . . can't wait for the Dole Viagra spots - please don't run during meal times. But I can see an "uptick" in Suzanne's Thigh Master sales . . .

[wasabinoir]

In what can only be described as a surreal, Twilight Zone-type coincidence, I discovered that Dunkin Donuts is partially owned by The Carlyle Group, a mysterious private company founded by David Rubinstein, with equity partners and former employees including the Bush family, James Baker, Shafig bin Laden (yes, that family), Norman Pearlstine, John Major and Olivier Sarkozy (yes, that family). Now that's what I call a big [censored]ing tent.

[chutry]

Thanks for pointing this out. This gives me yet another reason to boycott DD. I'm a little bummed that such a boycott will now include Baskin Robbins as well, but it probably won't hurt my diet.

[moorwill]

mine either... I'm in!

[Bouba]

Senator Mccain's daughter had her picture taken with a scraf very similar to the one Rachel Ray had on . I wonder how the right wing lunatics fell about that.

[chutry]

They're not big fans of McCain in the first place, so it probably doesn't change their opinion very much.

[wasabinoir]

Apparently, the scarf stimulated some sort of rorschach response in Ms. Malkin's imagination that reminded her of a "jihadi chic keffiyeh." Not since the dark days of McCarthyism has our public discourse reached such a pathetic and fear-driven state of affairs. To make matters worse, Dunkin Donuts immediately acceded to the bizarre threats of the Eva Braun of conservative commentators, giving further encouragement to despicable innuendo and whispered lies.

I've investigated Ms. Malkin's claims and scoured Ms. Ray's background for cryptic evidence of terrorist proclivities. Here is what I found: 1) Ms. Ray markets a line of her own modified santoku style knives, which could conceivably be used as terrorist weapons; 2) Ms. Ray has a dark complexion as a manifestation of her Sicilian and Cajun ancestry and should, therefore, be given cavity searches before allowed onto commercial airlines; 3) Ms. Ray uses a suspicious variety of hot spices in her recipes, which could be potentially lethal to unsuspecting Anglo-American palates (Ms. Malkin would likely survive any Rachel Ray first-strike culinary WMD due to her Filipino ancestry and be able to launch a second-strike attack on Ray and Dunkin Donuts command-and-control centers with a kare kare that will burn the tongues of terrorist sympathizers from Tehran to Quincy, Massachusetts).

Will someone please pay off Ms. Malkin with a year supply of jelly donuts and remind her to take her meds?

[xxnounxx]

The kaffiyeh is a traditional arab headdress and used as a scarf aswell..i find this totally insulting the arabs and muslims..i have been watching the campaign,it is the most racist,its like going back to 60's america,i have not heard a single positive word towards arabs or the muslim american community..all the campaign has been about isreal and how to please it..as for dunking bloody donuts,i have spread this link in all the middle eastern forums,to boycott..what nerve dunkin has,it just opened its 4oth branch in the uae,let alone the other arab countries..i guess king hussein of jordan was a terrorist aswell for wearing the kaffiye,and his son the present king and all the gulf rulers that washinton kissis their ass..no worries america can keep its dollar and food,we will manage soon with useing he euro for international trade. as for food we can get it anywhere arond the world.
maybe the gorl should have drapped the isreali flag around her neck,that would please america the capital of isreal.
by the way i have nothingb against jews...

[hugs4u]

no more dunkin donuts for me. Let the right wing wacko's support them.

[moorwill]

Me too and it was my second favorite coffee.. they won't miss us but I will feel better.

[ArabianMonkey]

Sad & ignorant.

I wonder if the environmentalists and the Sundance Channel are aware that green is the symbolic color of Islamists....

LOL!!

[ZimboChick]

lol that is a good point....people have become crazazy!

[darthmaul]

It's a pretty sad state of affairs when people think this stuff is important. Sort of the flip side of the flag pin. Hopefully the morons that thought this was an issue will relish their "victory" over Duncan's, and in a celebratory glutinous feast, eat enough Dunkin donut's to bring a quick end. Then we can all get on with solving the real problems that America has.

[fschroeter]

In this corner of the Montana boondocks, we have no Dunkin Donuts emporium. So the best thing I can do is offer these obvious suggestions.

For those of you in the cities, why not advise the manager of the local franchise of your decision
and then take your donut business to a competitor. You could encourage him/her a little by saying you'll be back when the last US troop / mercenary leaves Iraq. Most of all make sure the story gets wide circulation in the Detroit vicinity and other areas with vibrant Arab communities. Or at the next public Malkin event, fashion conscious non-Arab young women could show up decked out in the appropriate scarves.

Or alternatively, just ignore Malkin and her sister harpies. Keep them where they are and not up to real mischief.

[urbangreen]

I feel a fashion trend coming on. Where can I buy a scarf like Rachel's? Do they have them in different colors?

Somebody will do a handbag with fringe in that fabric and make millions, no doubt.

[TEEHead]

Well, now you good leftists know what caving in to the idiots feel like.

Those of us in the center witness companies and gov't doing it for you guys all the time. Anyone remember the dude in DC that used the term "niggardly" and lost his job? Make the slightest off-color comment and some bisexual transgender multiracial nitwit will demand their rights and your head.

I put an American flag on my fence after 9-11 and the 4 black college girls next door told me they were offended and that I was "being aggressive toward them". Couldn't quite figure that one out, but I told then (non-aggressively, of course) that tough shit - the flag was staying. And guess what - they got over it.

Malkin is an idiot and Dunkin' Donuts didn't do anyone any favors by caving to that idiot. Give the radicals an inch - Right or Left - and they end up taking your soul and giving you Trent Lott and Nancy Pelosi in return

[ZimboChick]

ughh just go away

[FogBelter]

If I were Michelle Malkin I would worry less about using stereotypes to attack others and more about not perpetuating stereotypes myself.


Michelle Malkin Cheer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mPkOberRCo

[sethyeah]

So weak.
So Lame.
Embarassing.

[FieryLocks]

Malkin, please explain this photo...
http://static.crooksandliars.com/2008/05/malkinkeffiyah.jpg

Besides, Dunkin Donuts is owned by the Carlyle Group and we all know who is involved with the Carlyle Group don't we?!
The Bushes and bin Ladens. So go right ahead with your little jihad Malkin you stupid little drone. You're going against the very people you love and worship.

[dadw5boys]

NOT ANY LONGER!!!!!!!!

OUR COMPANY BOUGHT IT. CSL!!!!!!

[Wanjiru]

...we're fighting these scarves over here so that we don't have to fight them over there...

...oh wait...

...hmmm...

now I'm confused...

.

[LeftVetPatriot]

Dunkin's reply to my email was;

"The scarf was not appropriate for an iced-drink advertisement."

No coupon.

[THATGUY]

You're kidding me?
Gee, maybe we should send them scarves...

[Lane]

Conservatives are the ruination of this country!!!­!!!!!!!!!! Open mindedness goes out the window whenever one of them opens their small minded mouths!!!