01 June 2008

Dunkin' Donuts Dunked for the Kaffiyeh

I was going to write about this a few days ago but I got busy and it slipped my mind. But late on a Sunday evening while doing some web surfing before catching some shut eye I came across the picture and it jogged my memory.

Dunkin' Donuts fashion people obviously do not watch enough TV because if they did they would not have chosen a back and white scarf that closely resembled a kaffiyeh. When it is all said and done it is a traditional Palestinian scarf. The scarf was made popular by one Yasser Arafat of PLO fame. However, it also seems to be the scarf of choice for terrorists of Palestinian origin and particularly those terrorists that wrap it around their head before cutting off the heads of their captives.

The advertising campaign was an Internet-based campaign. It was not running in newspapers or on TV. Well, at least, that is my understanding of it.

Do I think Rachel Ray is a terrorist, absolutely not! Is she a terror in the kitchen, without a doubt. Was she consciously making a statement in support of Palestine, buggered if I know. You will have to ask her that question. Was there someone in the fashion department with an agenda, who knows.

My take is that it is not the scarf that makes the terrorist. It is just a piece of cloth, it is the person wearing the cloth that makes the terrorist. I guess though after this little flare up it goes without saying that wearing a kaffiyeh is a fashion crime!

End result Dunkin' Donuts pulled the ad and apologized for any offence that it caused. Is this another example of political correctness out of control?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I suppose you don't know that particular scarf is popular fashion item here among the youngsters here in scandinavia and I'm sure they're not tied to any palestinian terror organisation. So it's just a normal scarf.

Anonymous said...

......and I don't even know why people complain about that Dunkin Donuts had to pull down the advertisement. I guess people here are more open minded and tolerant in one way?

Rob Baiton said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Therry said...

It must be the job of those Starbucks bastard :P

Slightly off topic - what is with people wearing scarves with a summer outfit?

I see girls wearing tank tops and shorts, and then there is the hideous and garish scarf (sometimes even those resemble the terrorist-lookalike scarves) wrapped around their necks.

Young Indonesian men seem to have caught on with the hype too because they are inclined to wear the black-and-white scarves paired with short sleeve shirts and also jeans.

And then there are those crazy Indonesian Idol contestants with the scarves again, topping the whole thing up with a porky hat.

Maybe a scarf will make them look trendy? Who knows.

By the way Rob (even more OOT this time), I have migrated my blog to my own domain at
Therrysays.com
so would you be so kind to update? Many thanks before :)

Rob Baiton said...

Therry...

Fashion crimes happen everywhere and I guess Indonesia is no exception...

Updated!

Therry said...

Thank you! ^^

Anonymous said...

@Rob: Yeah I know, I didn't read throughout your post before I made the first comment, that's why.

Therry was probably right LOL It was probably those Starbucks bastard hahaha

Rob Baiton said...

The Writer...

I understand it is a fashion statement and most people do not wear a black and white scarf to express their solidarity with the Palestinians.

That was my point in a very subtle way -- this was a case of making a mountain out of a mole hill.

It is a little bizarre that there was a suggestion that Dunkin' Donuts was not only selling ice coffee (and in my view bad ice coffee) but promoting terrorism.

Competition must be pretty tough in the coffee business if selling to terrorists becomes a legitimate marketing campaign :D

Just playing around with my comments...this is a repost of an earlier comment that kind of accidently deleted...oops!

Argh...Starbucks! I wonder if I am going to get any one passing by saying it is a Jewish conspiracy!!

rimafauzi said...

yes to the question in the last paragraph.

The scarf isn't even a keffiyeh, it's a white scarf with black paisley prints.

You get your wish Rob. I will say these things:

Starbucks, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, MTV and all things that came from the land of the white and yellow infidels were funded by the Jews, therefore must be part of the Jewish plan to dominate the world. It is a proven fact by our Book experts and our Astronomers. Do not eat/use/watch/like/buy any of these or you will experience the smite of God.

Good Enough? ;)

Rob Baiton said...

I guess!

site said...

Little doubt, the dude is completely fair.