Karen’s Diner/Katie Hopkins - cancel?

[RosaMoline]

Quick question:
In the words of Mumsnet, AIBU?
It’s my eldest’s 30th this year, and as a surprise I’ve planned a day out for us on March 17th. We’re going to Hello Kitty cafe, Priscilla the Party and ending up in Karen’s Diner in Islington.
Some of you might know Karen’s from Social media. You basically get insulted and it looks very amusing.
I see from their insta, they’re doing some kind of collaboration with Katie Hopkins in their Manchester and Birmingham restaurants I think.
I am horrified and have left comments to that effect.
I actually feel that I want to cancel, and it’s a shame as it’s something we’d wanted to do for ages.
I however, cannot give my hard earned ££ to an organisation that is giving a platform to a racist right wing Trump supporting bigot.
Am I being unreasonable to cancel our reservation??

Well said

I'd cancel if you feel strongly.

When my groups of friends go to watch horse racing or greyhound racing I always come up with an excuse not to go as I strongly believe using animals in such a way is wrong.

That's just my opinion though and I respect theirs might be different. In the interest of not falling out (and the fact I am a bit wimpy) I just have an excuse ready rather than say the actual reason.

That's probably not the right thing though.

Katie Hopkins made statements suggesting that refugees were responsible for a particularly horrific murder where I grew up. They weren't, a young person with a long connection to the area was.

That was racist behavior and could have been dangerous in the very heated environment after the incident.

Karen’s diner is quite popular but I can’t see the appeal personally!! As for Katie Hopkins 🤮

Sounds nice, good company, good times.

Hope your plans for March 17th give you and yours some happy memories op.

TBH, I don't remember it being that bad either. I went sometimes with other waiting staff from our restaurant and it was okay; went with a friend who was a regular and got great treatment. But the customers we had who'd walked out of Wong Keis - they'd come in genuinely either laughing with shock or crying from being screamed at, or ravenous from being served inedible food, or waiting an hour with nothing arriving. Too many of them to think it was a one-off.

I’m sure I went to Wong Kei years ago, thought it was more cheap and cheerful and no frills, don’t remember rude service but staff didn’t hang around whilst serving

Yeah - and there was an Indian one similarly in Bayswater, Imthink. Went to Chinese and was gutted to be treated courteously

Some people? No, the whole lit of them and their front organisations, as well as Vice, the Spectator etc.

Ok, they haven't supported; every single person disinvited from government organised conferences like Dan Kaszeta. Every single librarian, teacher or teaching assistant who the government was found to be spying on, Assange etc etc.

You are sounding like a conspiracy theorist tbh.

The FSU supports its members, it has limited funds and cannot support those who are not its members. No Union supports non-members. You can surely grasp this. Having limited funds, it has to make choices about the level of support it can provide, yet still manages to support those covering a wide range of backgrounds and causes. Unlike the left leaning organisations who have noticeably given a body swerve to all those who don’t fit a rather narrow definition of their version of politics.

So in short, you STILL haven’t managed to evidence your claim that Toby Young and the FSU only support right wingers and right wing thought.

And you can’t. Because it’s demonstrably untrue.

I'm sure you know best.

They have never received a rating of 0 by the food hygiene standards authority. I have put the link below I have to have some faith in the authorities or else I will never eat outside again.

https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business-search?business-name-search=Karen%27s+diner&business_type=-1&country_or_la=all&hygiene_rating=all&range=Equal&hygiene_status=all

https://themanc.com/eats/karens-diner-hit-with-zero-food-hygiene-rating-following-inspection/

https://www.joe.co.uk/news/karens-diner-receives-food-hygiene-rating-of-zero-from-inspectors-385368

Newport- Zero
Birmingham -1
Sheffield - 2

Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, does it?

Was that meant to be a put down?

Is that your standard response to people you find you can’t argue against because you can’t evidence your position and they can?

Funny, when I’m in those situations I consider changing my opinion.

I gave you a list of people they haven't supported. A list of serious breaches of free speech that they ignore and mentioned earlier some on the right, and far right that they have supported through their affiliations.

It sounds like a conspiracy because it is. They're part of a network that conspires to shape and limit public and academic discourse while professing to do the opposite.

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/12/08/alt-right-pseudoscience-part-2-the-free-speech-union-and-scientific-racism/

@Jumpingthruhoops if you can’t see the irony in your statement, I don’t think there’s anything else I can say.
Aside from I have been privy to what KH says off camera about her supporters and respectful is the last word I’d use about it.

If you really think your view of her supporters is true, then the phrase ‘there’s one born every minute’ could have been created for you

I'd say there's a huge amount of irony in your post, too. Criticising someone for being nasty... then being nasty yourself!

Classic!

@Jumpingthruhoops bless.

My sibling is a Karen and it fucks me off no end what has been done to her name

She goes by her middle name for the most part now as she just cannot handle the stigma and judgement and negative associations.

Well, you are being nasty! Criticising someone for saying unkind things... then behaving just like them by saying unkind things, kinda dilutes your argument, no?

I think you two might have more in common than you think!

@Jumpingthruhoops thankfully I have nothing in common with KH.

If you think I am being nasty though, you would not believe the things KH says about her followers when she is not on camera. I might be a nasty meanie on the internet but I’d still advise you not put your faith in internet grifters who see people as pockets to be rinsed. KH would not piss on you if you were on fire regardless of how amazing you think she is but it’s no skin off my nose if you don’t believe me.

Well, she's certainly rubbed off you! 😂

Can you direct me to where I specifically said KH was 'amazing'?

Again, Unions support their members. You can’t give random lists of people and say ‘Ha! Gotcha’. That’s insane. Give the name of any other union that takes action on behalf of a non-member. Go on. You can’t.

If your argument rests on looking at things that would not be in the scope of a union to do anyway, you have no argument.

There is one thing you clearly have not done, that you need to do, to test whether your claim that the FSU only supports right wing people is true, and that is look at the people they have supported. That would not support your claim.

But you are a conspiracy theorist because, like all good conspiracy theorists, you have a poor grasp of your subject as you only listen to the ‘evidence’ of those supporting the conspiracy theory, and think everyone presenting counter evidence is a ‘dupe’ ( as you called me) who has fallen for the conspiracy.

I’ve had a lot of contact with several real life full on conspiracy theorists and you fit their pattern.

I have repeatedly presented evidence to support my position, you haven't presented any. You've just made blanket statements and ignored the umbrella groups aligned with them.

You attempt to present the FSI as simply a Union, just like any other. But they aren't. Most of their funding comes from donors not members, eg Mark Hillery gave them £400,000. They don't declare most of their donations, but given people like Charlie Vaughan are involved, there is clearly some serious financial backing.

The FSU champion the incel's hero, Jordan Peterson, the guy who argues (against all evidence) that gender & class hierarchies are the result of the natural order. Supporting a false narrative is not the same as supporting free speech.

Some things are actually bad, the racism, misogyny, class eugenics they support is worse than the equality, queer theory or critical theory they oppose.

Name a Union that takes action on behalf of a non member? That would be every Trade Union, they work for better pay and conditions in the workplace for all employees not just members. The FSU just last week were trumpeting taking up their "biggest case ever", the Newcastle fan investigated over anti-trans social media posts. Yet they were conspicuously quiet about the Liverpool fans having Free Palestine flags & clothing confiscated.

Now, let's look at the Thiel https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/22640

Now, how about you come up with some evidence that the FSU aren't ideologically driven?

Name a Union that takes action on behalf of a non member? That would be every Trade Union, they work for better pay and conditions in the workplace for all employees not just members.

there is a difference between taking action for a member to working for better working conditions as a collective.

non members don’t complain about the inclusiveness of unions work to get better overall conditions but will wilfully cross a picket line

a non member approaching a union for assistance will be denied assistance as they have chosen not to be including or pay membership