Rachael Ray recently shot a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial and a firestorm has erupted to the point where the ad has been pulled. That’s right – DD couldn’t take the heat and decided to get out of the kitchen.
The company canceled an ad in which RR was wearing a scarf that has been identified by her critics as a keffiyeh. For many it symbolizes terrorism. Particularly vocal was ultra conservative Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin who pushed for a Dunkin’ Donuts boycott and wrote in her syndicated column:
The keffiyeh, for the clueless, is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad. 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.”
At first the donut empire let the complaints go unheeded but eventually bowed to public pressure and released this 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.”
Check out other keffiyeh examples below.