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??

I know.
However. I am responding to other points, viz, freedom of speech.

Calm down, and get off the soap box, KH isn’t being cancelled and will continue making more money than you from being a professional troll.

However, OP does have the right to not have to pay to have said troll yelling at her about the ‘final solution’ whilst she’s eating an overpriced bad burger and oily chips.

..in a diner based on a vile misogynist trope..

Cancel! Hideous Hopkins is the scum of the earth.

Tbh the whole day sounds awful.

No, they are attacked for what they actually say, with every justification. Pretending otherwise is just lazy, and indicates that, if anything, you haven't listened to or read what those in disagreement with these two are actually saying. It's all on record, and we can all see and hear for ourselves how repellent what they actually say is is. You are living in fantasyland if you believe anything else.

It is still there. We went once in the 80's as it was a novelty. I wasn't a fan as I didn't like being made to sit with others on their very large round tables.

Who on this thread is saying Hopkins shouldn't have freedom of speech? It's a perfectly simple point - she can say what she wants, this restaurant chain can employ her, customers don't have to listen to her and have the right to withdraw their custom from that restaurant chain as a result of their decision.

If you like fascists, yes she is great. Otherwise, no.

It's been there for years and is still there
it was just grumpy service - they weren't being ironic or clamouring for social media likes (there were no like to clamour for)

Katie Hopkins is appalling. And if anyone supports her, they’re clearly supporting racism which makes them a …… We all know the answer.

I agree. That's what I said.

@imnotgoodenoughtobehere FWIW all in our family love the name Karen. From the little girl in Outnumbered. She was great and will always be the first association I make for this name.

Don't get your knickers in a twist, lovey.

Not really sure what about my post set you off but rest assured, I'm sure many many many people (yes, even YOU) are far more financially successful than I am.

Feel better?

@RosaMoline Never hears of Karen's but googled just now and it's ghastly...so utterly chavvy and unfunny.

YABU for wanting to go there and pay to have idiots swear at you and act like a cretin with zero manners.

’The woke brigade’ please grow up

I bet working in that environment takes a toll, actually.
We all can bellow names at someone that has pissed us off, but for it to be customers in a cafe and you're being asked to ca them names all shift, that would be weird. I wonder how many staff have taken a taxi home and called the driver "ya cunt" out of habit?

I wonder what the world is coming to when I read stuff like this OP. Utter waste of money. Who goes to a restaurant where their speciality is insulting and being rude to guests and thinks it's some sort of treat? Why are you surprised they work with scum like Katie Hopkins- of course they do, that's her speciality too; she makes a living from stuff like this. Can't you see how tacky and vulgar and horrible this is as an entertainment. Or is it 'just banta', 'a bit of fun'? I think it's scummy and shows how much our cultural mores have shifted in recent years.
You really must not understand any of this at all if you are prepared to pay to experience people being insulted and then say you have an objection if Katie Hopkins is involved- it's all part of the same thing!
The next thing will be papers full of articles from people hurt by the insults, restaurants accused of 'insensitivity' 'going to far' 'isms - sexism, racism, ageism in their 'humour'.

I wouldn't bank on it. KH's popularity has grown significantly in recent years - she currently has over 600,000 followers on Instagram and her tours regularly sell out - because she's not afraid to say what many people are thinking.
Karen's wouldn't have hired her if there wasn't demand. But it's OK if it's not your thing. I'm sure if you cancel someone else will snap the table up.

I definitely wouldn't go.
I hate the whole " Karen " thing.
Imagine if you were called Karen or your friends were.. one of my friends now uses her middle name since the Karen bashing came out.

Quite. Sorry but your faux progressive morality outrage is rather undone by going to that diner in the first place.

But then, I suspect you know that which is why you made up this post in the first place.

What makes her a facist?
Are you able to provide examples of something she's done/said in the last six months that supports that claim? Genuinely interested.

Great thread, with an OP that listens, accepts other POVs and learns. Wholesome Mumsnet content. Can we help plan you a better trip in London? I always find if you scratch beneath the surface there are so many amazing places that aren't so insta-hyped x

Unless KH believes the individual must be subsumed to the demands of the state, which I very much doubt she does, she’s not a fascist.

OP, I'm a plummy-voiced middle aged white woman who lives in London. Let me know where you end up going and I'll gladly pop in and insult you for free.