Experienced office employees may know how annoying an entitled Karen can be; sometimes their behavior even goes too far.
Karens have demonstrated an insensitivity towards women and marginalized people by prioritizing only their needs, rather than caring about others’. Here are a few times they’ve been called out on this behavior.
2. The Milkshake Girl
Karens are notoriously entitled, making them an easy target for people online who wish to vent their ire at them by posting humorous images depicting Karens as revenge. People have also posted humorous memes featuring Karens just so they can have some fun and get revenge against them!
One of the most viral memes features Karen, an individual demanding to know what’s in her milkshake before acting smug and condescending, suggesting she doesn’t trust its producer. Luckily, others on social media were quick to point out that milkshake is not harmful and people of all ages can enjoy one.
Karen can often be identified in public by her anti-vaccine views. On Twitter, this woman refers to herself as a “womb fruit,” often attacking those who vaccinate their kids with her offensively hostile comments that make you queasy.
Karens can be found everywhere and at any age; children can even demonstrate signs of being Karen, like this girl who insisted upon getting her haircut at an adults-only salon.
Some have argued that the Karen meme is misogynistic because its focus is mainly on calling out women’s behavior; however, this claim can be seen as somewhat tenuous given it is fairly common for female offenders to be disciplined more severely in professional environments and schools than their male counterparts; therefore calling these women Karens is simply an accurate description of their irritating characteristics.
3. The Receptionist
If you are an American, chances are that you have heard of “Karen” being used to refer to certain white women who exhibit entitled and arrogant behaviors. Karens are notoriously known for having high expectations of themselves and needing to speak directly to managers. A whole meme has even been created around them! While some may take offense at this term being used against such women, others find relief that these Karens are finally being challenged for their rude and self-absorbed behaviors.
An average Karen often feels as if she knows it all about life and no one should question her beliefs. One such Karen took to TripAdvisor in order to express her displeasure with a particular coffee shop and claim it was the worst she had ever encountered; insisting they give her a complimentary drink in return.
Karens stand out by rejecting science. For instance, she will often disregard scientific findings that contradict her opinions, even when these results come from credible sources. One Karen even calls those who vaccinate their children “crotch goblins”, because she refuses to vaccinate her own.
The internet loves making fun of Karens for being so uptight, yet some Karens appear offended at being made the center of jokes about them. One particular Karen was offended that her nameake had become a meme but seemed unaware that her entitled attitude makes her such an easy target for jokes and mockery.
Karens can often be quite endearing despite their overblown egos. While loud and boisterous, they also possess an endearing sense of humor – this Karen is a prime example of their ability to turn any difficult situation into a humorous story.
4. The Manager
Since the early 2000s, the term ‘Karen’ has come to represent a particular type of middle-aged woman who thinks she deserves more than she actually gets. These entitled white women love to complain and act rude, always demanding to speak with the manager whenever something doesn’t meet their standards. Karens can be found everywhere but are especially frequent at fast food restaurants; social media users have even reported several such rude and entitled Karens making life miserable for others.
Karens can often be identified by their affinity for couponing, questionable hairdos and frequent complaints to management about everything they’re unhappy about. Furthermore, Karens often express their displeasure with “righteous indignation” through pushing other people aside or refusing to compromise on their views.
One time, a woman suspected to be Karen demanded to speak with the manager when she wasn’t allowed into McDonald’s wearing a mask. When told that there is a store policy and she would need to wear her mask regardless if going inside for dinner or shopping, she became extremely angry and threatened legal action against the manager, similar to any entitled Karen would. She began shouting and swearing at them, followed by screaming that they might sue them- something any self-respecting Karen would likely do anyway.
Karens often take an anti-vaccine stance. They believe vaccines will lead to serious health issues in their future. When this poster saw a Karen on the bus wearing floral sneaker that read “live, laugh, love”, she made sure everyone recognized what an entitled Karen she was.
5. The Reviewer
The Karen meme may be out of hand, but that doesn’t mean we have reached “peak Karen.” It’s important to keep in mind that these mostly white and middle-aged women – most are white — who portray themselves as entitled and take full advantage of America’s culture of racism and privilege; their actions mirror this larger cultural phenomenon of privilege in America as whole; these women represent violent, racist, entitled white womanhood that has had devastating repercussions for black people and others who have suffered under this sense of superiority.
These Karens tend to be unaware of how offensive their actions are; often being influenced by click-bait articles and media that reinforces their worldview, they quickly criticize others without stopping to question whether their claims have any merit or validity.
Karens can often be seen in action when people demand something while it is burning – for example, demanding to speak with the manager at Burger King when it caught fire and neglecting to consider others’ safety in doing so.
There are other notable examples, like Karen who threatened to make an emergency landing when she believed the man sitting next to her was a terrorist. Even without evidence to back up her claims, this Karen put herself first over those of other passengers on her flight and put herself first over all others – something common among Karens as they attempt to make everyone uncomfortable so they feel powerful and in control; especially regarding vaccinations where Karens often argue they know more than doctors about which vaccines are safe for pregnant women and children.
