- Published
On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, a novelty toy and games store in the quiet Brooklyn neighbourhood of Cobble Hill was seeing much busier foot traffic than usual.
asserted
store → publish → traffic
Inside, the shop was packed with cameramen and customers, while passersby looked inside, asking: "Where's the bird?"
Art of Play has found itself at the centre of a social media storm since the weekend when Grammy-winning musician Kelly Clarkson complained online that the boutique store would not let her buy a singing and dancing mechanical bird that was perched on the wall.
asserted
that → pack → wall
The Since U Been Gone singer claimed she was "looked at as if I couldn't afford" the bird - which she said had a price tag of $15,000 (£11,000).
asserted
she → go → 15,000
"Y'all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman," she said, referring to a scene from the 1990 romantic comedy film where Roberts' character is treated poorly by staff at a shop, who imply she cannot afford various items.
asserted
she → go → items
In a follow-up post on social media, Clarkson said the store had told her the bird cost $15,000 and that they could find her something else "comparable".
uncertain
they → say → something
Art of Play has defended how it treated the star on social media, saying the wooden bird - which is called Molly - is permanently attached to the wall and is not for sale.
asserted
which → defend → sale
It said that during Clarkson's five-minute visit on Saturday, an employee suggested to her that she could buy an identical bird for $15,000.
uncertain
she → say → 15,000
They also said they had offered her a different singing bird for $2,000 from a clockmaking shop in Germany, which she could have purchased that day.
uncertain
she → say → which
"Imagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by eight million people who have never visited our store," Art of Play said.
asserted
Art → imagine → Play
"It's been a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity."
Clarkson defended her decision to criticise the store on social media, saying: "I never blast people but you my friend were an exception."
asserted
you → defend → people
When the BBC visited the store on Wednesday, there were more reporters than customers.
asserted
BBC → visit → customers
A shopkeeper said they would not comment on the story anymore and just wanted to get back to business as usual.
asserted
they → say → business
Molly still hung on the wall at the shop, this time next to a price tag of $15m.
The sign jokes that the sculpture is the "world's most famous singing bird automata!"
asserted
sculpture → hang → m.
The store's owner has said he and his staff have faced threats and harassment after Clarkson's complaint, telling the BBC's US partner CBS News that the singer had endangered them.
asserted
singer → say → them
This week, a man filmed himself yelling expletives outside the store, before accusing its employees of "racially profiling" Clarkson.
asserted
himself → film → Clarkson
The kerfuffle lingered in headlines on Wednesday as a news outlet released surveillance video from Art of Play purporting to show Clarkson's visit.
asserted
outlet → linger → visit
The grainy footage, which has no audio, is said to show her wearing a yellow shirt, a baseball cap and a backpack while browsing items, including Molly the bird.
asserted
her → have → Molly
She can be seen talking with an employee - apparently about the bird as she points at it - and later moving to leave the store.
asserted
she → see → store
She comes back in to say something animatedly to the cashier.
asserted
She → come → cashier
But while the argument over the bird has gone viral online, some of Art of Play's customers had not heard about it before being greeted by news cameras on the premises.
asserted
some → go → premises
One customer who was in town visiting his daughter said he was not familiar with the controversy.
asserted
he → visit → controversy
For others, Clarkson's claims that those at the store had treated her rudely came as a surprise.
uncertain
those → treat → surprise
Kiran Ramineni, who lives next door, described Art of Play as a "very nice small mom and pop store" and said he had seen flocks of journalists there in recent days.
asserted
he → live → days
Shopgoer Emily Trantanella, 27, said: "I feel like a pretty woman and I've always been treated very well here.
"
asserted
I → say → woman
I really like it here."
asserted
I → like → it
The Aporia
