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??

You kind of proved the point there by labelling everyone who isn’t left wing as far right. It’s ridiculous but is done to demonise anyone who may hold a different viewpoint to you rather than responding to their points.

Labour will win a landslide because people who are not financial net contributors to society will vote for them. Unfortunately that is 80% of the population. They are reliant on the 20% to bankroll them. It’s why we end up in a situation whereby ridiculous policies such as VAT on school fees is heralded as some sort of tactical master stroke.

It won’t end well.

As for genuine far right well the issue you will find is that if the left cry wolf often enough they will soon realise that when a genuine far right party come along their protestations will be ignored and they’ll gain a foothold.

The UK has easily the most left leaning group of political parties imaginable primarily because the masses do not support personal accountability.

Have a look at some local countries and their recent elections. Holland voted in Geert Wilders. The National Front under Le Pen very nearly ended up winning the French presidency. Italy has a far right government.

It is only a matter of time over here too. One or two catastrophic terms in government from Labour and that will open the door to a similar response.

At the moment many people are less pro- Labour and more anti- Conservative. Once people become both anti conservative and anti Labour there will be a big political void to fill and that will be used inevitably by a right wing party.

Point proven.

Can’t understand why anyone would want to go there anyway!

I agree.

I however, cannot give my hard earned ££ to an organisation that is giving a platform to a racist right wing Trump supporting bigot

But you are fine giving your money to a company who are capitalising on misogyny?

I wouldn't book a Karen's diner purely on what I've heard the bases of them is about.

The fact they are Katie Hopkins collaborators confirms it and I would cancel if I'd booked.

Why would people take their kids there? For their birthday? I've been to Won Kei as an adult, and it was unpleasant. I can't imagine a child understanding some rude waiter slagging them off for their birthday. What a thing to teach kids about acceptable behaviour in public.

‘Labour will win a landslide because people who are not financial net contributors to society will vote for them. Unfortunately that is 80% of the population. They are reliant on the 20% to bankroll them. It’s why we end up in a situation whereby ridiculous policies such as VAT on school fees is heralded as some sort of tactical master stroke.

It won’t end well.’

As a centrist, I agree with this statement.

Nothing wrong with KH...you only need to look at the risen of Reform to see the right are taking a stand. Karen's diner on the other hand??? I don't get that at all...but if it's your thing go for it.

Rather than people who are not afraid to speak their opinion I just see Nigel Farage and Katie Hopkins as just more privately educated people who are out of touch with reality for a large percentage of the country, the same as the current government.

That’s Wong Kei and it’s still there. They weren’t rude as in insulting, just not your ‘friendly waiter’ type - the food was great and cheap! I went a lot as a teen and I wouldn’t touch Karen’s Diner with a barge pole (as someone who was bullied at school it’s be far too close to the bone for me). As for KH - no words.

That’s saying only people on benefits would vote Labour. If that’s become 80% of the population you only have the Tories to thank for destroying the country. Or you could think after 14 years of this shit show it’s time for a change. Not further right.

I'm starting to think now that KH started this thread just so people start talking about her 😂

It is there still. Staff are not rude, rather brusque to the brink of rudeness! But Michelin star service it is not!

Some interesting responses here. I’ve been flamed by many of you, and I’ve taken that on board - you’re right - it is a misogynistic trope & I shouldn’t be giving them
my custom anyway.
Someone also said up thread ‘why would you take a child there?’ - I am not sure if this was directed at me, or in general, but my daughter is an adult. Nearly 30. I definitely wouldn’t take a child there!
i have written them a strongly worded email to explain why I’m cancelling. But that aside, I’ve thought about what you’ve all said, and I was in the wrong to have even considered going there in the first place.

I know nothing about the Hopkins cafe thing - but I’d steer clear of hello kitty- You can’t book the hello kitty cafe and the waiting time was three hours when I got there the other day. That was the Wednesday of half term. Might he better on a school day but I assume you will be there on a weekend so just to warn. Insane !

Regardless of whether you find that kind of thing funny, yes I absolutely would cancel anywhere that collaborated with Katie Hopkins (or any other vile racist, along the lines of Farage and anyone associated with the Reform party).

Sadly we have a significant minority of people in this country who will vote for racists.

Yould love me then. I would tell you that people that like narcissists like KH are simple.minded fools that have fallen for a right-wing trap' Detract the easily led by pointing at people on benefits or refugees or anyone vulnerable. Create some culture war and call it a woke agenda. Make sure the idiots are some how linking these people with the fact that their lives are harder and they are poorer. Rather than blaming the people who caused this (to increase their own wealth) they use people like KH to spout hate on the most vulnerable and create a popularist detraction.

Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson for that matter are attacked because of people’s inability to listen to what they actually say.

Hardly. It's from listening to what they say that I decided that, to put it lightly, we have completely different ways of looking at things.

If you listen to them and like what they say @Charlie2121 , then I can accept that. Maybe you could accept that I, and many others, have a different opinion?

That’s incorrect.

Cancel. So many wonderful places you could go for dinner! Not ever part of the day needs to be a thing.
i wouldn’t give my custom to anywhere that collaborated with that vile woman.

Argh! We’re going on a Sunday. We’ll give it a go, and if it’s ridiculously long, we’ll have to give up.

I can't think why you'd want to go to Karen's diner in the first place. Yes, cancel

I remember Wong Kei I used to go there about 40 years ago. I had friends who were opera nuts and they would get stand by tickets and we would go there between leaving work and the opera starting. In fact I thought it was aimed at people who were going the theatre/opera and had limited time. It was on 2-3 floor and you used to see Chinese eating on the ground floor at individual tables and then everyone else had to go upstairs and eat of long tresell type tables. The service was very quick you were in and out in 50 mins and it was very cheap I don’t recall anyone being deliberately rude but everything was exceedingly quick, I’m no connoisseur of Chinese but I don’t remember it being any worse than your average take away and it served its purpose but I did wonder if those on the ground floor got better food and service!

I have done & emailed them to tell them exactly why.

“i have written them a strongly worded email to explain why I’m cancelling.”

Sounds like you’d fit right in at a Karen’s diner haha

I have never got the appeal of paying someone to be rude to me, the whole experience sounds exhausting, when I go out I just want to eat not have distractions like that.