Entitled Karens are an increasingly popular and viral trend of white women caught on camera displaying racist or entitled behavior. Instagram pages like @karensgoingwilds have collected hundreds of videos.
One of the most notable cases of an entitled Karen this year was “Central Park Karen.” An unidentified woman threatened a Black man by calling police on him for asking her to leash his dog in Central Park.
Are Entitled and Racist Karens Being Arrested Faster or Slower Than in the Past?
Karen is a derogatory term used to refer to an arrogant, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her “white privilege” to gain power or police other people’s behavior. Though not exclusively applied to white women, the meme has increasingly come to describe such behaviors rooted in anger and entitlement that have resulted in social media video clips depicting these same middle aged white women losing their cool in public places.
Many of these videos feature Karens who are frustrated with store rules that don’t conform to their will, or refusing to quarantine themselves or wear face coverings for others’ safety during Covid-19. The pandemic has caused a great deal of stress and fear in the US, so it’s understandable why people would become frustrated with how their lives have been impacted.
Some of these videos have been shared on Twitter, Facebook US:FB and Instagram, with potentially tens of millions of views online. While some may find them disturbing or compelling to watch, others offer captivating entertainment.
These videos can provide important insights about how Karen culture has evolved over time and reflected broader social trends, such as class tensions. They offer a window into everyday racial prejudices which are often invisible to outsiders yet part of everyday life in America.
According to Daniel Schimkowitz, an associate professor at New York University’s School of Law, the recent spread of Covid-19 in March has caused a spike in incidents where white women have racially profiled or called the police on Black neighbors out of fear and rage. One such incident involved a California woman who earned herself the moniker “Barbecue Becky” after she called the cops on a Black man for using charcoal grills at a park for his barbecue.
Karens have also been seen on social media in the UK, where the pandemic has affected a disproportionate number of people from black and other minority backgrounds. These include people sharing coronavirus disinformation and conspiracy theories online which some have viewed as anti-science harassment.
Karens often focus on issues of race, but the vast majority are deeply frustrated with other aspects of their lives – from an inadequate economy to not being able to afford medical care. These cases tend to make the news more than Kens and are usually documented through social-media sites rather than public places.
In addition to racially charged encounters, there may be other instances where these behaviors have deeper causes that should be investigated further. These could involve mental health or substance abuse issues, and the stress of the pandemic could play a role as well.
Are Entitled and Racist Karens Being Arrested More Often?
Karens are white women who demand things of others that go beyond what is expected. Typically, these demands are directed at service industry workers or people of color and often involve harassment towards the victims.
In 2020, a wave of Karens hit social media as white women in viral videos were shamed for engaging in behaviors perceived as self-serving or racist. One notable example was “Central Park Karen,” a woman who falsely accused a black bird-watcher in New York City of threatening her.
These incidents are not only racially charged but also reflect the current resentments of many Americans, particularly White Americans. Furloughs, layoffs, lockdowns and the return of Black Lives Matter have created anxiety, frustration and anger among people across America. These emotions may also lead to aggressive behavior such as calling the police on people of color who are acting in self-preservation.
Though these situations are not always racially motivated, they still reflect underlying racial biases that have been blamed for the rise of entitled Karens in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic-induced fear and stress, combined with protests for racial justice, have forced many Americans to confront their prejudices more directly and confrontationally.
As these racially-charged incidents were documented and shared on social media, their names became instantly recognizable. For instance, when Trader Joe’s customer refused to wear a face covering because she feared exposure of her family to the coronavirus, people quickly labeled her a “Karen.”
One such case occurred in Los Angeles when a woman shouted at store employees for refusing to adhere to store policy and require facial mask use. She claimed she had a doctor’s note as an excuse not to wear the mask.
These violent, racist encounters have been cited as evidence of the growing problem of racial profiling by police and other authorities. The Karen phenomenon, which has spread throughout America, serves as a reminder of its pervasiveness and potential for turning into violence against people of color.
Karen trend has been around for some time, but it appears to have reached its zenith in 2020 as a response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and racial justice protests. Additionally, some believe this movement is an expression of entitlement towards those who refuse to wear face masks.
But the rise of “Karens” in 2020 suggests there may be some sexism at play here as well. Women have made up most of those involved with Karens recently; however, men have experienced similar incidents as well. Regardless of its causes, however, the recent increase of Karens is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Are Entitled and Racist Karens Being Arrested More Often Than in the Past?
Over the past several years, social media has been filled with viral videos of what have become known as “Karens” or “Kens.” Many Karens are middle-aged women who seem to think they deserve their own space and time in public. Unfortunately, these incidents often include anti-Black and anti-Muslim inflammatory statements which have led to numerous calls to authorities as well as arrests of these women.
One of the reasons people are so outraged by these videos is because they portray what can only be described as privileged white women. These individuals believe they have a certain level of access to public space and often disregard any store rules that may apply.
This is an issue, as these individuals are taking advantage of the fact that they possess significantly more money than their counterparts who don’t. They use their wealth to circumvent store regulations and get away with it because they are white.
These people are taking advantage of their racial power to circumvent the rules in their communities. The Covid-19 pandemic serves as a prime example, affecting disproportionately people from black and other minority backgrounds.
Recently, there have been multiple incidents where Black people have been harassed by police for simply being outside or having a barbecue. Many times these cases are linked to mental health problems or substance abuse issues.
Other cases, such as the woman who coughed on people at a bagel shop or calling the police on her neighbor for writing “Black Lives Matter” on his driveway, have more of a racial context. These incidents may stem from stress and frustrations caused by living in an America where people of color often lack rights but where rules still don’t bend according to their will.
Some have attempted to downplay these Karens and Kens by asserting they are just harmless jokes, but it is essential for people to recognize that these actions are not amusing; rather, they are inherently racist and discriminatory.
These are not jokes; these are offensive slurs and it should never be acceptable to call someone a name just because they have the surname Karen or Ken. These acts of racism and discrimination must stop, and those responsible should be held accountable.
Karens or Kens are especially vulnerable, as they feel that their privilege has given them the right to resent other groups and take action against them. It is important for these individuals to realize that being called Karens or Kens is offensive based on race, and needs to cease doing so.
