Karen has become a widely used slang term to denote entitled white women who can appear haughty or arrogant.
The term has come under scrutiny as being misogynist and classist; British feminist Julie Bindel tweeted that using it equates to calling young working-class girls “Sharon” or “Tracy”, something common during 1980s Britain.
Keep It Lighthearted
Karen has become a widely used nickname for a certain type of white woman. These Karens tend to be middle-aged or older women who often act entitled. These Karens commonly sport “speak to the manager” haircuts that vary between blunt blonde bob and “speak to the manager”, as well as engaging in microaggressions against people different from themselves.
When someone calls you Karen, it’s important to remember they might just be making a lighthearted joke or trying to grab your attention. Stay calm and respond appropriately if they take it seriously – there are several steps you can take.
Prior to making Karen jokes a part of your business or management practices, keep the Illinois Human Rights Act in mind as protection against harassment based on race, color and national origin. Make sure your employees understand that Karen jokes are unacceptable behavior.
Whenever your employees complain of Karen jokes in the workplace, take it seriously and address the situation according to your anti-harassment policy. Remind employees they cannot discriminate on grounds of race or color against another individual and they are forbidden from making racist or discriminatory comments in the workplace.
Karens are often depicted as angry, entitled white women who engage in microaggressions against others and wear “Speak to the Manager” hairstyles. These women have become the subjects of viral videos and memes featuring white women calling the police on Black bird-watchers or shouting down children selling lemonade outside a store.
The term Karen has also been widely criticized as being a form of misogynistic sexism and some believe it to be used against women of color. According to feminist Julie Bindel who has written extensively on the term, it refers to a certain kind of white person who feels entitled and acts out against others – usually middle-aged middle class women in America but sometimes associated with working class individuals in Britain too.
Don’t Take It Personal
“Karen” can be taken personally; however, that may not always be the case; sometimes it could just be used as a pejorative term used to denote an archetypal character who’s been misrepresented.
“Karen” is an internet slang term that refers to a certain type of woman – usually middle-aged white women who live in the suburbs with children and act with arrogance or entitlement.
As people have become more aware of the biases held by some white women, the term has also become widely used as a placeholder to discuss casual racism and privilege.
Due to this, it has become an important topic in media discussions recently. In June, for example, this term was widely used when describing an affluent couple in St Louis who were seen brandishing guns against protesters outside their home.
Cleve Evans, an onomastics professor from Bellevue University in Nebraska, says this is an often-heard refrain among middle-class white people who act selfishly and self-serving. Names have long been used as forms of racism or classism slurs and serve to enforce certain social rules, he asserts.
But it is important to keep in mind that these names typically only last a short while before becoming irrelevant and replaced with more appropriate terms.
However, you should still be able to point out when someone has been misusing this term without fear of being accused of racism or sexism. Some even use it to refer to individuals who are insensitive and unpleasant – this usage is completely acceptable and necessary.
But sometimes it is necessary to question the sexism of terms when their application affects people more prominent than you realize. A recent Twitter conversation involving Karen Sun, an actress featured in Netflix movie “Blackkklansman,” demonstrated this fact and made clear how this term has been misused by media in an attempt to stigmatize Black actors.
Don’t Be Afraid to Say Your Name
The term Karen is often used as a derogatory reference, often associated with white women who seem overly entitled or demanding of themselves or society in general. Memes featuring Karens show white women using their privilege to insist upon getting what they want without consideration of others’ needs or values.
Activists have also used this label to criticise individuals deemed unjust or exploitative of race relations, for instance in 2018 it was applied to a video showing a white woman calling police on an African American man for birdwatching in Central Park; this incident triggered protests over racial justice and eventually led to new hate crime legislation being created across America.
As it has become so widespread, this phrase has even inspired an initiative in San Francisco to make it illegal to call the police based on race. Shamann Walton proposed the CAREN (Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies) Act with hopes of discouraging women from making such calls to police.
Although Karen may be used in jest or with tongue in cheek, its use has a deeper significance that cannot be ignored. By calling yourself Karen you could be subtly challenging white privilege and systemic racism and thus become an effective form of social activism.
One woman, Karen Sandler of software freedom advocacy group Fight for Freedom, recently used “Karen” in her social media posts as a reminder for everyone to be more considerate toward one another. She states that although she uses her privilege for herself she does not discriminate against anyone and feels it is crucial that we all become more self aware about how we treat friends, family members and strangers around us.
This year, a subreddit dedicated to “Karen” saw exponential growth – expanding from 4,000 users to over 435,000! Here you can find memes depicting all manner of “Karen-esque” behaviors like fighting Red Lobster staff or refusing to wear a mask during coronavirus pandemics.
Karen has quickly spread to the UK, where it is now used to describe women who refuse to wear face masks in stores and coffee shops when asked. With masks now mandatory in most shops throughout Britain, and trending on Twitter, this term Karen is becoming more widely used than ever.
Don’t Be Afraid to Leave
If you have been online for any length of time, chances are you have encountered people using the term “Karen.” It’s an informal slang term used to refer to certain individuals online – typically women who take advantage of their status to get what they want such as managers at malls or products from Anne Taylor.
This term may have originated in a Dane Cook comedy special in 2005, but has since gained wide circulation on social media and created subreddits and memes that can be found worldwide.
One of the earliest Karen memes depicted a woman sporting the short, angled and layered haircut typically associated with Karens, as well as having harsh blonde highlights and having lots of back hair. Kate Gosselin from Jon & Kate Plus 8 often serves as a model for this particular type of Karen.
However, this term poses an inherent flaw: It causes people to interpret white women’s racist behaviors as simply annoying rather than seeing it through a lens of racism and discrimination. Though we may feel frustrated or annoyed when viewing such actions as unsettling, we must also remain cognizant that such acts represent racism or discrimination and act upon accordingly.
Many Karens, for example, have called the police on Black people for doing something seemingly minor – an easy way for white women to cast themselves as victims and make themselves appear as such.
If you have been subjected to being called Karen, don’t tolerate it any longer if it makes you uncomfortable. If the treatment seems unfair to you, it might be best to leave.
No matter how difficult or abusive a relationship or marriage might be, there’s no reason to put up with toxic behavior and its results. There are plenty of things that you can do to make yourself happier and fulfiller in life; perhaps leaving behind what has caused so much turmoil may help bring about positive change in your life.
