Five Not-Impossible Things Before Breakfast
by Latoya Peterson
As I wrote last week, my inbox was filled with so many tips I didn’t have time to tackle them before the week was out. So, here are a few of the ones we can get done quickly:
Rachel Ray and the Paisely “Islamic Jihad” Scarf
Rachel Ray is wearing a scarf. She is not sending a message for Islamic Jihad!
Will someone please tell that to Dunkin’ Donuts and Michelle Malkin?
This is nothing but shameless racism. I really hope more people speak out about this because it is not only outrageous, it also reflects the ridiculous amount of paranoia and xenophobia that’s tarnishing our society. Yesterday morning, I heard about Rachael Ray’s new commercial for Dunkin’ Donuts getting pulled because of complaints from the right-wing blogosphere, specifically from the notoriously anti-Islamic and xenophobe Michelle Malkin. What were the complaints about? Well, according to Malkin, the black-and-white colored scarf worn by Rachael Ray in the commercial heavily resembled the keffiyeh, which she defined as the “traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad.”
Are you kidding me? The commercial was yanked because of a black-and-white patterned scarf with paisley designs? The bigots from the right-wing were so offended and worried that Dunkin’ Donuts was “promoting terrorism” or “Palestinian jihad” because their sponsor wore a scarf?
Two: Where are the stories about how terrifying it is that we live in a country where right-wing nutjobs dictate what TV hosts can and cannot wear in advertisements for donuts?
And
Three: Since when is it okay for us to hate any group of people based upon nationality, religion or scarf preferences? Am I the only one who sees Dunkin Donuts ad-pull as a nod to fascism?
I would say something like boycott Dunkin’ Donuts to protest their stupidity at bowing to the demands of petty wardrobe fascists, but I can’t remember the last time I ate there.
Gawking at the Indigenous in the Amazon
Amazon Indians from one of the world’s last uncontacted tribes have been photographed from the air, with striking images released on Thursday showing them painted bright red and brandishing bows and arrows.
Survival International has the scoop on what’s been going down in that region:
A French company is locked in a legal battle with Amazon Indians over its plans to drill for oil in parts of the jungle inhabited by some of the world’s last uncontacted tribes. A hearing is due on 30 May.
The company, Perenco, is working in a remote part of the Peruvian Amazon where at least two uncontacted tribes live. It is believed to be the biggest oil find in Peru in thirty years and the Peruvian president, Alan Garcia, has expressed hopes it will transform the Peruvian economy.
The case has been filed by Peru’s Amazon Indian organisation, AIDESEP. It urges the judge to prohibit Perenco and other companies from working in the region and making contact with uncontacted tribes.
A quick scan of their website reveals articles from all over the globe, based on efforts to preserve the last bits of traditional lands and culture for these groups of indigenous people.
Mena Suvari Gets Cornrows to Play Black Character
The plot is based on a true story — the woman’s name was Chante Mallard, and she hit a homeless man in 2001 after she spent an evening smoking pot, drinking and taking Ecstasy with friends. Her boyfriend later ditched the body in a park. Mallard is now serving a 50-year jail sentence. Mallard, it should be noted, is black. Mena Suvari is not. But she does wear cornrows to play the role of Brandi. [...]
There’s a lack of parts for women in Hollywood altogether — do actresses of color have a chance if white women can just put on some corn rows (or a curly wig) and play “a particular kind of girl from a particular place” ?
Suvari said, “Look, I could put on a bikini and make a lot of money,” she says. “But I’m trying to stimulate myself as an actor.”
Oh really? Somehow, I get the feeling the bikini may have been the smarter choice.
Sharon Stone Learns About Karma
Sharon Stone decided to share some special celebrity understanding on how the world works in Cannes:
“They’re not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who is a friend of mine,” Stone said on camera at the time, discussing the Chinese. “And then all of this earthquake and all this happened and I thought, is that karma? When you’re not nice, that bad things happen to you?”
Although, hmm. There’s just something–and I haven’t quite put my finger on what it is–about nonchalantly attributing a natural disaster that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of Chinese citizens… to karma. A massive “punishment” unleashed upon innocent citizens as payback for the decisions being made by their ruling Communist government.
Well Sharon, karma’s a bitch and her China Dior ads have been pulled as a result. As well, the house of Dior is distancing itself from the actress, who has since apologized. Her words: “In the course of the interview I made inappropriate remarks and for any harm created towards the Chinese people I am extremely sad and apologize,” Stone said. It is still to be determined if the actress will continue to represent the house.
It was only after reviewing the video in her home toward the end of the interview that it seemed to dawn on Ms. Stone why her comments had caused such an uproar. “I had absolutely no intention of saying that, which I did say,” she said, “and now, looking at it on the tape, I look like a complete ding-dong.”
Agreed!
Jake Gyllenhaal to Play Prince of Persia in Movie Adaptation
This is the Prince of Persia (based on the video game art):
This is Jake Gyllenhaal, who was tapped to play him in the movie adaptation of the game:
And here are the Arab American Actors who will not be playing the Price of Persia:
Al Issmail
Philip Shabaz
Jake Yacobi
Haaz Sleiman
Better luck next time, gents! I’m sure the next great role for Arab-Americans is just around the corner! [/sarcasm]
(Thanks to readers Allison, Alexandra, Marge Twain, Jess, Joan, and lfresh for sending in your tips!)
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Celeste wrote:
If they changed the Chante Mallard to a white character, why didn’t they change her boyfriend to a white character? I don’t give them the benefit of the doubt that they’re tryign to raise the profile of interracial couples
I’d say 3 out of the 4 arab actors shown above is more handsome than Gyllenhaal.
Is there someone to send angry emails to that will actually care? Not giving these productions my $10 doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 6:44 am ¶
Kendra wrote:
@ Celeste
The Prince of Persia is more handsome than Gyllenhaal.
I’m sorry, but they are just too lazy and “white utopia” minded to have warped the real and fictional representations, respectively, of Chante Mallard and the Persian prince.
I will not waste a single penny on either productions, just as much as I won’t waste even a minute on the DBZ movie.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 7:24 am ¶
Orientalista wrote:
Not having heard of the game previously, I don’t know what the prince in question’s origin is, but it seems that the Prince of Persia might be better played by somebody… Persian, not Arab.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 7:46 am ¶
Matt wrote:
Matt Zeitlin has a good point, in a post he understandably titled, I can’t believe I’m about to say this… After pointing how wrong the critics of the Rachel Ray commercial were, he accepts that Michelle Malkin was on to something: the kaffiyeh is “only popular in the West because of its terrorist chic.” And, even though the association is wrong, it is the case that that association is what made the fashion.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 7:48 am ¶
thesciencegirl wrote:
mmmmm. Can I get a helping of Jake Yacobi with some Haaz Sleiman on the side?
The Mena Suvari in cornrows movie makes me want to scream. They really couldn’t find a single black actress to play that character? And if they were gonna make her white, why throw in the cornrows? Is she supposed to be just a little bit black? Is Mena going to affect a “blackish” dialect? That should be interesting.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 8:23 am ¶
Marge wrote:
I thought according to the original video game, though it is set in Persia, the main character of the “Prince” is actually from a foreign (possibly European) land in the first place.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 8:36 am ¶
Paul wrote:
Persians are not Arab. Before calling out Hollywood on racial issues, people ought to make sure that they have their ducks in a row.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 8:44 am ¶
deb wrote:
Michelle Malkin is an clown.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 8:48 am ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
A search for Persian actors was retranslated by Google into “Iranian” and gave me stars from overseas.
I did find one site that offered some actors that could be used that were Persian, but it also included a lot of racial slurs toward other groups, so I could not link back to that site.
(Besides, another name that kept popping up was Kal Penn.)
The Arab American actors link does break out actors of Persian decent (if Persian translates to Farsi/Iranian)
http://www.arabamericanactors.org/menfarsiall
However, none of them looked close enough to the rendered Prince of Persia. So I used the men on the page who looked close enough to the rendered character.
Hope that clarifies.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 9:03 am ¶
Ailurophile wrote:
Yowza. Those are some good-looking Arab actors there! Thanks for the AM eye candy!
Why is Mena Suvari playing a black character? Surely there are plenty of black actresses who could play her? I doubt there’s anything unique Ms. Suvari offers that a black actress couldn’t.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 9:11 am ¶
wendi muse wrote:
hmmm re: suvari, considering what the real girl did, maybe it’s better for stereotypes of black women and black people period that the character is played by a white woman. i wonder if that was the intention of the casting director?
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 9:25 am ¶
f wrote:
Ok, about the DD ‘keffiyeh’ thing. What does annoy me is that this fashion trend DID start off with actual keffiyehs and people wearing them in total ignorance of what they are or their significance, which really annoys me. Then they just mutated to any scarf resembling a keffiyeh, which, since people didn’t know the meaning of what they were wearing in the first place, they didn’t notice. So the whole trend really did annoy me because I guess I don’t think you should wear something so meaningful unless you actually know what it is.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 9:29 am ¶
f wrote:
And maybe three ‘annoys’ are too much for a single comment.. if you guys couldn’t tell, that really annoys me
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 9:33 am ¶
whatever15 wrote:
f, this always happens to any “foreign” culture, similar to the bindi. Now its worn by anyone anytime with no cultural significance. Since the War on Terror the US has been focused on the Middle East so be prepared for more cultural practices to be made into fads for first the wealthy then the mass.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 9:43 am ¶
kd wrote:
I’m still upset that a common Arab/Mid East/N African cultural item is now equated by Right-wingers to automating mean terrorism
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 10:11 am ¶
Chris wrote:
@kd:
Exactly.
I’m just wondering what all the Right-wingers were thinking when two years ago these scarves were all the rage and were rocked by every indie chick and hipster guy in a tight american apparel t-shirt and thrift store vest.
But you gotta remember: it’s only radical extremism when it’s not Protestant Christian. The plug wasn’t pulled in the 70 Club for the many ignorant things that have slipped out of Pat Robertson’s mouth, but apparently Christians promoting breaking the 6th commandment in order to take out a political leader clashes less than the arab scarf and the donuts at the local church meetings.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 10:37 am ¶
Crogirl wrote:
Rachel Ray – So I wave to a friend. Someone laughs and says it RESEMBLES a Hitler salute. Should I be hanged for one person’s interpretation? I wear a hat that has a star on it. One person says the star RESEMBLES the star in the communist Russian flag. Am I now officially supporting communism because of someone’s twisted interpretation? We could do this all day. Since when do we live in a country where you’re penalised for wearing a fashion accessory?
Indigenous in Amazon – That’s so sad. Leave the people be. Shouldn’t we be working on alternative energies anyway? Leave oil alone!
Mena Suvari – There’s got to be a reason the director cast a white woman to play a black woman. I’d be curious to find out what the point of that was. I highly doubt it was just for the hell of it, because visually it’s confusing, not to mention the hell he/she’ll get for doing such a careless thing. It’s like casting a boy to play a girl, and expecting the audience to believe it. I’d really like to hear more about this before the world gets all up in arms.
Prince of Persia – Jake Gyllenhall is as much Persian as Mena is black. But Arabs aren’t Persian either; Persians are Persian. But then again, Hollywood is notorious for this… how many Italians played Hispanics or vice versa. Someone thought visually he’ll be able to pull it off. Plus he’s a “name”, where the men you listed aren’t names that’ll pull people to the box office. It’s all about the Benjamins, baby.
That’s my Monday $.02!
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 11:00 am ¶
Tasha wrote:
I haven’t not seen The Visitor but i suspect i’m about to become a huge fan of Haaz Sleiman. That said…movies are a celebrity name game they rarely pick an ‘unknown’ for lead roles…that said… Oded Fehr is well known enough and why couldn’t he get the role?
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 11:06 am ¶
Tasha wrote:
oh and before anyone comments on Oded being Israeli, I’d be happy is they even start with anyone close to being Asian/MiddleEastern. I’m still boycotting mel gibson’s the passion because of the convenient oversight
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 11:13 am ¶
Rob Schmidt wrote:
What about the Indians?
I posted a few items on the uncontacted Amazon tribe. Check ‘em out.
Indiana Jones tribe found?
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/2008/05/indiana-jones-tribe-found.html
More stupidity from Rush
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/2008/05/more-stupidity-from-rush.html
Uncontacted tribe sends a message
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/2008/05/uncontacted-tribe-sends-message.html
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 11:34 am ¶
Mary wrote:
The other name I kept hearing for Prince of Persia was Sendhil Ramamurthy… he came in a distant #2 behind an actual Iranian actor in some online poll I saw. Which of course, is totally scientifically valid.
I wasn’t really expecting Sendhil to get the role before, but now I’m kind of mad. I mean come on, if they weren’t even trying to find a Middle Eastern actor for Prince of Persia (let alone an actual Persian), they might as well have put Sendhil’s hotness on the big screen.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 11:58 am ¶
Celeste wrote:
@Tasha: Yes, expecting them to cast someone Persian is asking way to much of them at this point. Apparently asking for ballpark geographic extraction is too tall of an order to fill as well at this point.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 12:24 pm ¶
S&S wrote:
This is from the interview with Mena Suvari:
“Suvari portrays Brandi as a bewildered, white-trash victim of a single terrible decision but also as a merciless angel of death, determined to get rid of Rea. She wears her hair in cornrows, maintains ghetto-fabulous nails and appears mainly in baggy hospital scrubs (so much for the bikini).”
So, in order to portray “white-trash” (which is a completely offensive term), a white person should wear cornrows? I wasn’t aware. So as a black women, when I get cornrows, am I rocking the latest in white-trash chic?
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 12:58 pm ¶
Persia wrote:
The cornrows thing boggles me. Have they changed the character’s race in the Mena Suvari movie? Or is she a white girl in a mixed or black neighborhood or…I’m just confused. I can understand, to a certain degree, not wanting to have a black actress in such an unpleasant leading role– but then I remember all the critical praise Charlize Theron got when she played a serial killer, and I get far more cynical.
And yes, the Prince is always Persian in the videogame. Unlike Jake Gyllenhall. (Wouldn’t it be nice if someone asked these stars in interviews how they feel about appearing in ‘whitewashed’ roles?)
(My nick is suddenly full of cultural appropriation. Which, to be fair, is completely true. Er.)
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 1:07 pm ¶
Kirk Van Irvin wrote:
God, this annoys me! I’m paraphrasing what I heard one commentator say: “ I guess if we wear sweaters with hoods on them, we must all support the Uni-Bomber”. I’m trying to figure out Michelle Malkin, I really am . I’m all about agreeing to disagree, and being tactful about it , but I’m wondering how you can be Filipino-American and say the things she says . I just don’t like the far right or left (Al Franken’s a loudmouth too.)
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 1:10 pm ¶
Fatemeh wrote:
Latoya, I second that thanks for the eye candy gallery. Yum!
Here’s a list of Iranian-Americans in entertainment. Some of them are actors:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Iranian_Americans#Arts.2Fentertainment
Iranian American actor David Ackert would be a brothereffing SHOE-IN for this stupid role:
http://persianesque.com/2008/02/04/the-pretender-interview-with-iranian-american-actor-david-ackert/
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 1:27 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
@Fatemeh –
Thanks for the assist!
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 1:30 pm ¶
Keke wrote:
First, Rachel Ray- It’s a scarf!!! I’ve seen lots of women and even men wearing the scarf just like she is! Does it mean they are terrorists? Nooo!! It means they have fashion savvy and probably cold necks to go with it. I have to ask myself, are we as country this intolerant that a simple scarf will cause trouble? The very thought scares me.
As for the Indigenous in the Amazon, I’m with you Crogirl, we should be trying to invest our time and money to developing alternative energies and not trying to displace groups of people from their lands in order further erode and exploit the environment.
Last, but not least…dear Hollywood, you never cease to amaze me! *sigh* It would make too much sense for Hollywood to actually cast people of color in movies that depict people of color. I think Hollywood movie execs would actually spontaneously combust from the logic.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 1:45 pm ¶
Sarah wrote:
Hallo Haaz Sleiman! I just saw The Visitor, which I didn’t really like, but I sure enjoyed him!
And I totally second the annoyance at not getting actors of the proper race to play roles intended for them. WTF?
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 1:49 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
Tash~~mmm Oded Fehr. I kind of wonder if he weren’t Mizrahi (?) if his prospects would be better….
Chris~co-sign Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson blazed the trail for Sharon.
If she apologized, sincerely, she should get her job back (lawd KNOWS she needs the $).
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 2:28 pm ¶
Matt wrote:
Oded Fehr. I kind of wonder if he weren’t Mizrahi (?) if his prospects would be better…. Funny, given that Gyllenhal is Jewish. So someone “more Jewish” would be Middle Eastern enough to play a Persian? It has a certain logic, I admit, but perhaps we’re running into authenticity as a fetish?
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 4:17 pm ¶
thesciencegirl wrote:
I like David Ackert’s eyebrows. Darn it; I’m supposed to be studying. Stop distracting me with beautiful men!
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 4:21 pm ¶
Joseph wrote:
I’m picturing myself attending the Prince of Persia premiere wearing my keffiyah and a belt made of donuts.
That’s right Gyllenhaal…you just earned yourself a taste of my Donut Jihad!
You want coffee with that, bitch?
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 6:41 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
@ Joseph -
I’m laughing so hard I can’t type straight.
That would be an AWESOME movie scene. I would pay to see someone do that, scripted or real.
(In the meantime, now me and ChicaDificil have issues with our band name. Donut Jihad or Blue Solo Cup Jihad? Hmm…decisions, decisions…)
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 6:46 pm ¶
Joseph wrote:
@Latoya
You don’t have to decide…There is plenty of Jihad to go around. A Jihad in every pot, that’s what I say!
Donut Jihad: A powerful struggle over something that is hollow in the middle.
Oh my God. I may have just invented a new guiding metaphor for the Middle East peace process. So long “Dove Holding An Olive-Branch,” don’t let the door hit you in the ass.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 7:08 pm ¶
gothic guera wrote:
Oh my gosh I see alot of girls wear that scarf, I mean GRANDmother has that type of scarf should we arrest my granny for wearing that? As for Sharon stone I mean did tyou what the Soup with Joel Machale(Spelling?) She asked P.diddy did he spend his money on crack.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 8:25 pm ¶
Brigitte wrote:
When I was in Paris last month, these scarves were offered for sale at every sidewalk vendor I encountered in every combinaton of colors imaginable. Everyone was wearing them. I didn’t realize that Paris was a hotbed of Palestine supporters.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 9:43 pm ¶
Logan wrote:
Not sure if you were being sarcastic, but there were race riots not too long ago in France due to the relatively high Muslim population there. They very well could be as a counter-reaction to that.
Posted 02 Jun 2008 at 10:21 pm ¶
Orientalista wrote:
Persian is one ethnic group within Iran (last I heard about 60% of the country), but “Iranian” also includes Azeris, Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, Armenians and others (Farsi is the word for “Persian” in Persian. Persian language is indo-european and therefore closer to French than Arabic, so if it you’re going to suggests Arabs to play a Persian, why not some white dude? Especially since a lot of Persians are really sick of being mistaken for “Arabs”.
Posted 03 Jun 2008 at 3:53 am ¶
Jane C. wrote:
I’m currently studying in France, and though I don’t really consider myself an absolute authority on French culture since I’m not actually french, I’m pretty sure the popularity of those kind of scarves has absolutely nothing to do with the Muslim population. The people who wear them tend to be upper middle class middle schoolers and teenagers from mostly white neighborhoods. The scarves have been very much popularized by kids who are into tectonik–a pretty silly dance craze that’s more about consumerism than it is about social consciousness.
Posted 03 Jun 2008 at 4:36 am ¶
C. Van Dyke wrote:
To see how utterly stupid the reactionary racists on the right are, check out Malkin’s follow up to her terrorist donut entry: “keffiyeh kerfuffle”:
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/05/28/the-keffiyeh-kerfuffle/
She rants on about “hate couture”, and includes pictures of actors, Hugo Chavez, and Howard Dean wearing “kerfuffles.” However, if you find the un-cropped picture of Dean, it is obvious he’s NOT wearing a kerfuffle at all, but in fact is wearing a Tzitzi’ot — a JEWISH PRAYER SHAWL.
Not only is Malkin ignorant enough to equate all middle-eastern fashion with terrorism, but apparently equates jewish religious garb with the anti-Israeli movement as well.
Of course, all of this is besides the point, as Rachel Ray isn’t even wearing a keffiyah at all. Sometimes a scarf is just a scarf . . .
Posted 03 Jun 2008 at 5:28 am ¶
Karen wrote:
What’s the big deal about these scarves? They were all over my high school in the late 1980s, and I remember people wearing them when I was in college in the early 1990s. Have they since gone out of style? and then come back? Sheesh.
Posted 03 Jun 2008 at 9:49 am ¶
Fatemeh wrote:
lol @ Joseph.
Man, I want a doughnut now.
Posted 03 Jun 2008 at 1:45 pm ¶
RandallJones wrote:
Look at John McCain’s daughter wearing a keffiyeh
http://gawker.com/tag/keffiyeh/?i=5003288&t=mccain-daughter-dons-islamic-terror-scarf
Posted 04 Jun 2008 at 12:42 am ¶
Eric wrote:
Slightly OT, but apparently there are plans to spin off a video game from the Prince of Persia movie. As in, not the original video game (a series which itself was based on an 80’s computer game), but a new one, based on the movie.
Maybe when they make a movie about turning the movie into a video game, they will explain the back story of the new white Prince of Persia video game hero, modeled after Jake Gyllenhaal. White man goes to exotic land, rescues dark-eyed hottie from brutal sexist oppressors, becomes prince. The villain: a lecherous old man wearing a turban and sinister facial hair.
And, of course, the blog posts about this will be written by a black woman, played by a white woman in cornrows, cementing her “ethnic” cred by wearing a Jihad scarf and holding Jihad coffee.
Delicious Jihad coffee. Mmmm.
Posted 04 Jun 2008 at 3:04 am ¶
Fatemeh wrote:
…still thinking about what a hot piece Oded Fehr is…
Seriously, I think I’ve had a crush on him since The Mummy. Rowr!
Posted 06 Jun 2008 at 2:27 pm ¶
PERSIANS_NOT_ARAB wrote:
To the PUBLISHER:
PERSIANS are NOT ARABS.
PERSIANS are NOT ARABS.
PERSIANS are NOT ARABS.
PERSIANS are NOT ARABS.
I know this was an honest mistake — so no offense taken girl
Posted 15 Jul 2008 at 10:10 am ¶
Debbie Davis wrote:
I think Jake Yacobi should reprise the role of Khan in a new Star Trek movie, if he is taller than Chris Pine. The new Khan should be an Arab. Yacobi has the look.
Posted 09 May 2009 at 11:42 am ¶
Debbie Davis wrote:
By “the look” I mean of the character–attractive and yet capable of being a Superman.
Posted 09 May 2009 at 11:44 am ¶