In Defense of Rachael Ray: LGF Sets Its Sights on a New Victim

Charles Johnson of LGF likes to make some strange accusations about his fellow “anti-Jihad” travelers at very inconvenient times. Like when he called the Born-Again Christian Lionheart a neo-Nazi for voicing tepid support for a movement to reform the BNP. That was right when the British government was looking to pin hate crime charges on him.

Then there was of course the time he single-handedly destroyed the credibility of of a fledgling anti-Jihad group, The Center for Vigilant Freedom, by insinuating they were Nazis because some of their members might have attended a conference where other attendees might have had ties to people who might be Nazis.

That bit of logic was strange indeed since most of his evidence came from Communist bloggers, but none dare question Charles Johnson’s ties to violent Marxists. The charges from Johnson also came at a time when a vicious attack on counter Jihad activists by radical leftists was being ignored by all the major news organizations, and LGF.

Now Johnson is attempting to smear another individual with false charges. This time it isn’t a political group or controversial blogger. It’s food network star Rachael Ray:

I didn’t believe this story when people first started emailing about it; but sure enough, its true. Dunkin Donuts, the venerable old fried dough seller, is the latest American firm to casually promote the symbol of Palestinian terrorism and the intifada, the kaffiyeh, via Rachael Ray: Dunkin’ Breakfast Choices.

I’m with The Jawa Report on this one because I don’t see it. In fact if you look closely at the scarf pattern you’ll see a Paisley style design, the kind you see on bandannas. I don’t think there are Paisley kaffiyeh. Frankly Charles Johnson doesn’t either. But judge for yourself:

rachael-ray-lgf-smear.jpg

See the pattern on it? Looks suspiciously like a scarf from Lane Bryant to me. What it doesn’t look like is this:

keyyifeh-plaestinian-terrorist.jpg

See how the above doesn’t look like a scarf from Lane Bryant?

Are we on the right really at the point where all black and white scarfs are a secret show of solidarity with terrorism? Do we believe that all celebrities are so stupid as to have themselves filmed in one and not know what it means? Rachael Ray makes a living being liked by Americans of all political stripes and we’re supposed to believe that the people around her would allow her to create this sort of controversy?

The worst part of the attacks on her intelligence ala Michelle Malkin is the naive idea that Rachael Ray just shows up on set to do a commercial in her own clothes, and that a team of P.R. people doesn’t vet her wardrobe. Even more naive is the idea Dunkin’ Donuts would allow her to make such a controversial fashion statement on their dime.

As Malkin herself points out, Dunkin’ Donuts has made efforts to reach out to conservatives with some of their policies, a smart business decision that keeps them in competition with liberal favorite Starbucks. But according to Johnson and his Internet lynch mob the socially retarded Ray and the clueless corporate goobers at Dunkin’ Donuts are too stupid to get the meaning, and consequences, of that evil scarf. Not like we righty bloggers! It’s the kind of narrative popular with people who need to fuel their sense of self-importance with slanderous attacks on the intelligence and morality of others.

The worst part about LGF’s nonsense: he stole it from Atlas Shrugs and didn’t credit her. She had the same (asinine) analysis on May 18th, and Johnson put his story up today. Stay Classy Chuck. And I love Atlas Shrugs, but c’mon Pam. Really?

I have a white bandanna with a black pattern on it, am I also sporting “Jihad Chic” when I wear it? Sorry kids, but this whole “controversy” seems a little too much like nutrootery to me. We can do better.

I proudly support Rachael Ray, in whatever it is that she does. But she is a really bad tipper.

5 thoughts on “In Defense of Rachael Ray: LGF Sets Its Sights on a New Victim

  1. Holy crap.

    No wonder Republicans can’t win wars anymore. It’s a freakin’ donut commercial people. There’s no global jihadist conspiracy. She’s wearing a #%$@ paisley scarf that the wardrobe dept. probably bought at Target.

    Wow. Just like, wow.

    I came here from Malkin’s little cave, where she’s huddled in a defensive crouch, ever vigilant against the fatwah with chocolate sprinkles and a medium coffee.

    How sad that Republicans have become so paralyzed with fear that they believe even the simple purchase of a donut is fraught with peril and far-reaching national security implications.

    “Mainstreaming terror!”

    “Jihadi chic!”

    “Hate couture!”

    Just look around the internet and watch the chickenhawks run. Good Lord.

    And they wonder why nobody takes them seriously anymore…

  2. Are you literate? I’m a Republican and I defended Ray, while Charles Johnson is widely thought to be a Marxist, albeit like Chris Hitchens and Ayann Hirsi Ali one on “our” side in the war on terror.

    But that aside, Malkin’s post didn’t say what you claim, it said in essence that Ray and other celebrities wear Kaffiyehs because Urban Outfitters popularized them, and they have no idea what it means or how offensive it is to Jewish people whose families may have been maimed in killed in Israel by people wearing that same item.

    That’s a point you can debate I guess, though that’s not your interest, is it.

    It’s amusing that a person who goes from blog to blog posting the same comment under different assumed names claims others are “chickenhawks” especially in reference to Malkin who has been to Iraq. When did your favorite Keith Olbermann, go to Iraq?

    This comment is politically asinine but what’s worse is that you’re so contemptuous of others and me that you won’t bother to read what we wrote before vomiting forth a talking point cobbled together from late night viewings of Countdown while typing out childish comments on DailyKos. It’s childish, disrespectful and par for the course for people like you.

    By the way, if there is no terrorist conspiracy, how do you explain the Hezbollah rally in Nigeria?

  3. While I agree this is ridiculous because her scarf looks simply like a scarf, I’d like to play the devel’s advocate. We must remember symbols have always represented an important part of all cultures throughout time. Had Rachel Ray worn a swastika arm band or white hood the world would have been appalled. I am amazed that certain forms of dress have become en vogue. As an expatriate from the U.S. it disturbs me that we can be so insensitive especially after 911 and I can only attribute this to ignorance. For many of us living elsewhere in the world, we see up close what these symbols represent. These organizations and governments actively support the suppression of women, the banning of freedom of religion and speech, and the tacit acceptance of violence against innocent human beings all in the name of a cause or belief. Have we become so P.C. that we refuse to tell the truth or are we somehow hoping that our own human/democratic values are also shared by all? Read, listen and observe. Actions always speak louder than words. Remember, symbols are powerful messages!

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