Chances are if you’ve spent any time online, you have encountered Karens. This term has come to represent white women who act entitled and rude towards retail and restaurant employees, thus bullying them into submission.
Bionic Team Leader Dani Weller offers some tips for recognizing and dealing with such women.
1. Entitled Karen
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, “Karen” has become more than just a given name; it has evolved into a meme and descriptor of certain white women. She could be described as the middle-aged busybody with a choppy bob who demands to speak with management but lacks any sense of entitlement; or as her liberal white girlfriend who disses cops when pulled over for a minor traffic infraction and relies on her privilege for protection from consequences.
The Entitled Karen is often someone who reports their neighbors to Nextdoor for quarantining or wearing masks in public as though this were some kind of violation to their human rights. Whether she be racist or just annoyingly rule following, The Entitled Karen can be an extremely dangerous figure during an outbreak and her rise has created fascinating debate over how we should call her out; some argue against being too quick in calling out these types of people directly due to misogynist backlash they can receive similar to what Hecate, Goddess of the netherworld in Greek mythology endured when she faced misogynistic backlash against herself in Greek mythology.
2. White Privilege Karen
Though Karens have become synonymous with white women who feel entitled, modern Karens are far more complex. She represents those who feel their privilege entitles them to police people of color outside their circle, using racism against those she encounters outside. For instance, this person could erupt at employees at restaurants or stores, demanding special treatment from them; or wait outside parks and city streets until an opportunity presents itself for starting an argument between people she considers right and those she thinks wrong – leading them down paths towards violence against all sides.
These women can be found everywhere from schools and restaurants where they may bully workers or act disrespectfully toward managers to your community as friends, neighbors and family. A business comparison company called Bionic conducted a study on which names most often associated with Karen-like behaviors were most often John or David.
That should come as no surprise, given all of the viral videos featuring Amy Cooper (a New York City woman who reported Black birdwatcher to police over leash enforcement in Central Park) and Alison Ettel (the white woman who defaced an #BlackLivesMatter street symbol). These individuals became not only Karens; they became symbols of how much damage can be done by such acts of hateful rhetoric.
4. Anti-Black Karen
Karens have become synonymous with white women who engage in racist behaviors caught on video, such as Barbecue Becky and Golfcart Gail from Golfcart Gail to Permit Patty and Talkback Tammy who feel entitled to socially police their communities for minor inconveniences such as being asked to wear masks during coronavirus pandemic or eating outside during public dining periods.
TikTok and viral content platforms have helped Generation Z make popular the Karen meme by depicting her in their stories and videos. Pop culture depictions such as Little Fires Everywhere and Mrs. America also offer depictions of Karen-esque women, often portraying them as domineering and demanding figures.
In 2020, Karen became particularly infamous for her racism after videos went viral showing her calling the police on Black people and refusing to follow government guidelines on social distancing during a pandemic. Such actions are indicative of racist Karens; its increased prevalence among privileged white women is alarming; such individuals may not even recognize that their racist policing may be detrimental.
5. White Supremacist Karen
Karens are white women who patrol and surveil Black people in public spaces, calling the police on them for non-illegal violations such as littering. Due to incidents like those surrounding Central Park Karen and numerous Covid-19 cases, scholars have closely studied her predecessors (BBQ Becky, Golfcart Gail, Permit Patty and Pool Patrol Paula among them).
Williams finds that White women engage in extralegal policing and surveillance to uphold White supremacy in public spaces by upholding White notions of civility via social media, neighborhood watch forums and similar platforms. Furthermore, these women fear violence from Black communities which leads them to depend on police as a disciplinary body for protection.
Karen serves as a useful figure in exploring power and identity in today’s hyper-politicized environment, with her association to racism providing us with an ideal way of exploring these subjects. Through memes such as Karen we can criticize a certain type of officious white woman while simultaneously creating a utopian fantasy in which racism can be punished with one swipe of our screen.
6. Anti-Sex Karen
These Karens are notoriously known for putting their own needs ahead of those around them, often demanding refunds while being rude to staff members and generally acting in an inconsiderate manner. A perfect example of such behavior would be San Fran Karen, who demanded her money back from Burger King while trying to evacuate due to an imminent fire threat.
Karen has become a meme, yet some find it offensive that its use as an insult. It’s important to keep this in mind and remember that the internet should not be seen as an outlet for such attitudes.
One way to avoid Karen encounters is by having clear policies for your clients that deter them from taking advantage of you. For instance, creating a policy where clients who cancel within a specific timeframe or no-call/no-show will incur a cancellation fee will help stop these types of Karens from taking advantage of you. Also make sure your calendar is always updated so there are no questions as to when you are available and not.
7. Anti-Racist Karen
The Anti-Racist Karen, often a woman of color, strives to combat racism by identifying and calling out white people who use it. Known variously as Aunt Karen, BBQ Becky, Permit Patty or Pool Patrol Paula she can often be found online calling out those engaging in racism by using racist language or engaging in discriminatory behaviour such as COVID-19 restrictions bypass.
Modern Karen is often depicted as a vigilant protector, patrolling and restricting an evolving society while condemning disruptions and violations of norms. Amy Cooper’s call to police on a Black man demonstrated how white women can use their privilege against people of color.
Denise Bradley hosts Deconstructing Karen with other white women as the main course, an intimate gathering in which they candidly discuss their part in perpetuating white supremacy. All guests find this experience both painful and eye-opening; never again will their lives appear the same again.
8. Anti-Sexy Karen
Karens can often be seen as self-righteous and overly-aggressive. The term is typically applied to middle-aged white women who drive minivans, share corny inspirational quotes on Facebook and wear merchandise bearing “Love Life Laugh.” Karens tend to complain about everything while demanding service according to their own set of rules – they are the type of people who would yell at someone for wearing face masks in public or speaking to Black people in any capacity.
As opposed to other memes that use names as general insults against broad demographics, the Karen meme originated on Black Twitter before spreading onto other social media sites like TikTok. Instead of just criticizing racism directly, this particular one highlights specific Karens who engage in reckless public behavior and highlight this problematic aspect of their personalities.
The internet has long used sexist stereotypes against women, and the anti-Karen meme is no different. Subreddit /r/CarolNotKaren encourages people to celebrate Carols instead of Karens in their lives – in keeping with sexist ideology that suggests women should keep quiet and never cause trouble.
