No matter where you are in the world, there’s always the chance of bumping into a Karen. With so many roaming the wild — from dog-walkers to ubers to dollar stores — there’s always the distinct possibility of one showing up just when you least suspect it. In Harrow, a borough in north-west London, a Karen was spotted harassing a busker on the street earlier this year, and the footage is currently doing the rounds on social media platforms. While I discovered the video on a Reddit thread today, it’s since been deleted, so I’ve added the busker’s Instagram post down below as well.
The clip takes place on a London street in the UK, and centers on a busker known as Robyn Hearts Harp who is a professional harpist. In the camera’s frame sits Robyn as she plays her stringed instrument with skill, covering George Michael’s 1984 classic hit Careless Whisper. Meanwhile, from off camera, the Karen can be heard speaking to the harpist. “Who asked you to? Have you got permission?” asks the Karen.
“Yeah,” responds the musician as she plays her instrument without skipping a beat. “I’ve never seen a beggar or anybody begging asking people to put it on their card.” the Karen fires back. “I’m not begging,” the busker calmly replies.
“What are you doing then?” Karen demands. “Playing music,” answers the harpist. “Yeah, but who asked you to? Do you get permission?” inquires the Karen. “Yes,” the busker replies. “If you weren’t begging, you would be playing music for free.” insists the Karen. To this, the harpist responds: “I am playing it for free, technically.”
The Karen then takes issue with the busker’s polite notice for a contactless card payment option of a £2 tip, saying: “No, you don’t ask for that. You don’t put that then.” The musician replies, “I’m not asking for it.”
“You are! You have to give gift tip for £2. That is begging. Don’t you know the difference? I’ll ask Harrow council if you get permission.” fires back the old lady. In an amusing mistranslation, however, the subtitles in the video read: “I’ll ask Karen council if you get permission.”
With the footage circulating around various social media platforms right now, commenters were quick to make their voice heard and give their reactions to the clip. Of course, the majority sided with the cool-as-a-cucumber harpist.
Specifically, a few commenters were amused by the “Karen council” mistranslation, and one quipped:
She’s just angry because she’s on the Karen Council but they didn’t give her the rank of Karen Master.
Primordial_Cumquat
Elsewhere, others were impressed by how calm the musician kept under such needless pressure, with one Instagram user declaring, “Imagine being able to handle this so well and not missing a note.” earning 4,700 likes.
Over on Reddit, meanwhile, one netizen added: “I’d give her $5 just to spite the Karen.” with another chiming in with, “What a miserable old trout, beautiful music“.
It’s important to note that busking is not against the law for licensed musicians in Harrow, and potential buskers can apply for two-hour slots to perform in designated areas. Clearly, this cantankerous Karen just wanted to poke her nose in where it was not wanted. But it’s safe to say that watching the harpist brush off the silly “begging” accusations from the grumpy Karen makes for a super satisfying watch.
