Kelly Clarkson only spent four minutes and 50 seconds inside Art of Play.
asserted
Clarkson → spend → Play
But those moments in the Brooklyn toy shop would lead to a rapid unraveling, as the star traded in her decades-long reputation as America's sweetheart for a new title as Hollywood's latest Karen.
asserted
star → lead → Karen
Over the weekend, Clarkson fired off a petulant tweet, accusing the shop keepers at Art of Play of treating her like Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman and refusing to sell her a $15,000 mechanical songbird named Molly.
asserted
Clarkson → fire → songbird
What followed was a biting back-and-forth of he said, she said.
asserted
she → follow → ?
Neither Clarkson nor the store have shown any willingness to let up their end of the feud.
asserted
Clarkson → show → feud
Instead, both sides have doubled down on their version of events.
asserted
sides → double → events
The Grammy-winning singer and former talk show host insists staffers treated her like she 'couldn't afford' to buy Molly, while the Art of Play owners assert that Molly had never been for sale in the first place.
asserted
Molly → win → place
The 'war' between Clarkson and the wonder emporium sparked an internet firestorm so fierce that online observers lost their minds when sports journalist Pablo Torre announced he had obtained the surveillance footage of Clarkson's shopping encounter.
asserted
he → spark → encounter
Now, the Daily Mail has put together a minute-by-minute timeline, including details – like a subtle lip curl – that even Clarkson and Art of Play missed in their retelling of the story.
asserted
Clarkson → put → story
Kelly Clarkson traded in her decades-long reputation as America's sweetheart for a new title as Hollywood's latest Karen
She only spent four minutes and 50 seconds inside Art of Play, but those 290 seconds in the Brooklyn toy shop would lead to a rapid unraveling
asserted
seconds → trade → unraveling
The singer insists staffers treated her like she 'couldn't afford' to buy Molly, while the Art of Play owners assert that Molly had never been for sale in the first place
In the video, Clarkson is seen walking into the Brooklyn Heights novelty store with her daughter River, 12, and son, Remy, 10, at 2.49pm on Saturday afternoon.
asserted
Clarkson → insist → afternoon
The shop – which is fairly small, only able to accommodate two rectangular tables, one circular table, the checkout desk and several bookcases – appears busy as Clarkson, sporting a grey baseball cap, messy bun, sunglasses and a navy Fjällräven Kånken backpack, walks in with a pair of baggy jeans and a yellow long-sleeved shirt pushed up to the elbows.
asserted
Clarkson → accommodate → elbows
Roughly six other customers are perusing the store wearing their weekend hoodies and tote bags when Clarkson arrives.
asserted
Clarkson → peruse → hoodies
The American Idol winner turns left to begin shopping, pointing out items with her children, glancing up at a framed poster and picking up a kaleidoscope that looks to be the $198 Super Giant Flower Wheels Kaleidoscope that is sold out on Art of Play's website.
asserted
that → turn → website
Clarkson picks up the kaleidoscope at 2.50pm and looks through the lens at varying angles for about 45 seconds.
asserted
Clarkson → pick → seconds
While she's playing with the toy, another three customers walk into the store.
asserted
customers → play → store
She places the prism down before picking it back up, alongside another item on the shelf and continues making her way clockwise around the store.
asserted
She → place → store
At 2.52pm, Clarkson finds herself in front of Molly the bird, which is mounted to the wall.
asserted
which → find → wall
The singer is then seen getting the attention of a staff member dressed in a beige baseball cap, glasses, a navy T-shirt, brown pants and sneakers.
asserted
singer → see → cap
At 2.53pm, he walks a few steps over to Clarkson while holding a mug.
asserted
he → walk → mug
The two of them stand roughly 18 inches apart, which Janine Driver, a world-renowned body language expert, told the Daily Mail signaled 'ordinary customer conversation, not evidence of a hostile invasion.'
Clarkson is seen walking into the Brooklyn Heights novelty store with her daughter River, 12, and son, Remy, 10, at 2.49pm on Saturday afternoon
At 2.52pm Clarkson finds herself in front of Molly the bird, which is mounted to the wall
The singer is then seen getting the attention of a staff member
Once he makes his way over, he's seen crossing his ankles and leaning onto a table as Clarkson points to the bird.
In response, the staffer is seen gesturing and speaking to her for approximately 40 seconds before they part ways – Clarkson walking past him to continue through the store and the staff member turning left, making his way to the other side of the shop.
asserted
member → stand → shop
Halfway to the other side of the store, the shopkeeper turns back to Clarkson, pointing to something on the opposite wall.
asserted
shopkeeper → turn → wall
Clarkson, whose back is turned to the keeper, does not seem to hear him.
asserted
back → turn → him
When she eventually turns around, the shopkeeper is busy talking to another customer.
asserted
shopkeeper → turn → customer
At 2.53pm, Clarkson then returns to the first shelf she was looking at and places down the two items she had been holding.
asserted
she → return → items
'She doesn't slam them down.
asserted
She → slam → them
She doesn't toss them.
asserted
She → toss → them
She doesn't send anything skidding across a shelf,' the body language expert observed.
asserted
expert → send → shelf
'She puts them back incredibly gently.
asserted
She → put → them
'Kelly put those items back so gently, I've seen less tenderness at a christening.
asserted
I → put → christening
Could she have [been] hurt?
uncertain
she → hurt → ?
Both fit.
asserted
Both → fit → ?
What I can say is that this does not look like the uncontrolled merchandise-flinging performance some commentators seem to have imagined.
asserted
commentators → say → performance
As Clarkson heads to the exit, she stops just in front of the doorway, clasps her hands together and says something to the man at the cash register.
But even more subtle was the slight upper lip curl on Clarkson's face – a facial expression that Driver said exhibits disgust.
asserted
Driver → head → disgust
'Think about how your face might respond to something you experience as offensive.
uncertain
you → think → something
We're not necessarily talking about a bad smell.
asserted
We → talk → smell
We may be talking about a social interaction that feels degrading,' Driver told the Daily Mail.
uncertain
Driver → talk → Mail
It appears that the cashier does not hear Clarkson, but the couple standing between Clarkson and the cash register do.
asserted
couple → appear → register
The male customer looks up from his conversation, glancing slightly awkwardly in Clarkson's direction.
asserted
customer → look → direction
Clarkson continues into the doorway, but stops just as she leaves, turning around and gesturing at the cashier, who now acknowledges Clarkson.
asserted
who → continue → Clarkson
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
