Bigotry in the details

So I'm reading some of the latest posts on my favorite blog sites, and I found the lamest story I've heard this year/month/week (depending on how often I pay attention to Paris Hilton gossip). I'm not saying The Superficial was lame in writing about it, because I think they're awesome. I just think some things are getting out of hand.

A few seasons ago, the keffiyeh was popping up in many hip retail clothing stores like Delias and Urban Outfitters as a trendy new scarf. The keffiyeh is a black or red checkered scarf that is worn across the Middle East. The black is usually associated with Palestine while the red is associated with Jordan. To wear a black one is to usually make a pretty strong statement.




I have a red one that I bought in Jordan, as you may see pictured on me above. I like to wear it as an accessory on casual warm days. It also acts as a magnet for Arab men, they try to hit on me. My Arabic professor didn't like it when I wore it, he said it made me look like some kind Arabic hillbilly. The other guy in the picture is Axis of Evil comic, Ahmed Ahmed. He's fun.

Back to the story, Rachel Ray's latest ad for Dunkin' Donuts has been pulled because some people got upset at her "hate couture". According to (what I think is) an Ann Coulter worshipper, Michelle Malkin:

"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."

Seriously?

Luckily, The Superficial diffused the situation fairly well:

"The only jihad that scarf makes me want to commit is against my hangover - with sweet caffeine. And if that's not American, shit, I don't know what is. That said, I'll assume for their next commercial Rachael Ray, clad in the Stars and Stripes, will fire an AK at a Boston Creme - then dump scalding hot lattes on a gay wedding. Wow, I should work in advertising. I would sell stuff's face off."