Comedian criticises Brooklyn toy store amid Kelly Clarkson dispute

Comedian Josh Johnson criticised Art of Play’s response to Kelly Clarkson following their dispute over mechanical bird

Comedian and The Daily Show host Josh Johnson has criticised Brooklyn toy shop Art of Play over its handling of a dispute with singer Kelly Clarkson concerning a mechanical singing bird named Molly.

The controversy began after Clarkson visited the store and expressed interest in purchasing the animatronic bird, which had a $15,000 price tag displayed beside it.

Art of Play said Molly was not for sale but claimed the Seattle-based artist who created it could make an identical version for that price.

The store also said an employee offered Clarkson a cheaper alternative that she could take home immediately. Clarkson subsequently accused the shop of giving her the "Pretty Woman" treatment and claimed it had lost a significant sale.

On October 20, Johnson shared a stand-up performance recorded at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theatre, in which he discussed the dispute and criticised the store’s response.

"Just because she's in plain clothes, just cause she's chilling, people look her up and down like she can't afford it and say I'mma show you something cheaper. That's wild. You know?" Johnson said.

The comedian, who lives in Brooklyn, added that he had encountered shops where customers were judged by their appearance.

He also questioned the store’s decision to respond to Clarkson’s initial criticism with a reference to her song Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You).

"This is just me. I'm not telling you how to feel. This is just me. When I read that, I was like, no, y'all were rude," Johnson said.

He also argued that the shop’s subsequent explanation differed from its initial response.

"You made it sound like Kelly Clarkson walked in and was trying to buy the cash register," he joked.

Johnson further described the store’s response as "purposely misleading" and said Clarkson could reasonably have assumed the bird was available for purchase because of the displayed price.