In Defense of Rachael Ray. Again.

Last time, she faced charges of excessive perkiness. This time, she’s been ridiculously accused of being a terrorist sympathizer for wearing a scarf that some bloggers thought looked like a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headdress worn by, among others, the late Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat. She wore it in an ad for Dunkin’ Donuts (pictured). The company initially “pooh-poohed the complaints,” according to the Boston Globe, but eventually took down the ad “because the possibility of misperception detracted from its original intention to promote our iced coffee,” reports the New York Times.

So, the scorecard: Dunkin’ Donuts gets a wave of publicity for iced coffee. Right-wing bloggers get to claim another head. And my heart feels diminished by the whole episode.

Over at the Atlantic, though, there’s a bit of comic relief. Jeffrey Goldberg has an idea to help Ray avoid any future Middle East-related wardrobe malfunctions.

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