James has great affection for Karen. She’s a genuine, thoughtful individual who always puts family first; not the type to yell at service employees or call police for no logical reason.
Karens have become iconic on the internet during coronavirus pandemic outbreaks and protests demanding racial justice.
1. Say It Out Loud
Karens are middle-aged white women who act entitled, thinking the world owes them something. These Karens tend to be petty and snarky with an inner core of anger that manifests when challenged or provocation comes along; Amy Cooper used this method in Central Park by calling 911 on a black bird-watcher before uploading the footage onto social media as proof.
Road Rage Karens are an extreme version of Karen, unleashing their hostility upon anyone who dares drive over one of her speed bumps or cut in front of her in traffic. Sometimes these women call the police after going on an emotional tirade against a Lyft driver due to damage done to their own car.
Karen often has an inflated ego that exceeds her abilities, using status and privilege to influence people and control situations while remaining unmoved by criticism or challenges to her beliefs.
Good news – it is possible to move past being a Karen! Below are some tips to help you break out.
As soon as someone refers to you as Karen, make sure that you immediately correct them so as to prevent further offense. Or you could use it in a playful manner as well; such as “You’re such a Karen!” If this doesn’t work out for you, try using your own name instead – showing that they know it’s not actually who they think it is while giving yourself some dignity as well.
2. Don’t Take It Personal
Avoid taking any remark about you as personally when someone refers to you as “Karen.” Whether they use this term against you in conversation, at work or even their spouse – when someone refers to you this way it could indicate they’re angry for some reason which might not even have any bearing on who or what you are as an individual – try remaining calm and remind yourself it’s not about you personally!
People commonly use “Karen” to refer to women who believe they deserve more than other people do, often through memes or viral videos. Recently, however, this term was also used in real life instances like when Amy Cooper called 911 on black bird watchers in Central Park last year.
Chances are, if you are a middle-aged white woman, chances are good that at some point during your life, you have been labeled Karen. This term often used to ridicule privileged and entitled baby boomers who believe the world owes them something; especially popular during times of crisis like when coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020.
Lip, in Daddyz Girl, attempts to convince Karen she’s an old-fashioned when she tells him she doesn’t understand him as they come from different cultures. Karen admits to being Petty but refuses to change. Lip convinces Karen to become his liaison between himself and everyone else which gives her a sense of power but also leads her down a path of becoming even more Petty as she begins yelling at fellow passengers or calling the police on them.
3. Say You’re Not a Karen
If someone calls you Karen, it likely doesn’t refer to any physical traits (although some Karens might fit the classic girl-next-door image), but more to how you act. It has become common practice to use this term to mock middle-aged white women perceived as acting entitled or annoying in public situations – in such frequency that some feminist commentators even compare its use with an offensive slur against all women.
Karen Sun told CNN that hearing people refer to her as Karen can be disconcerting; although people tend to do so only in jest, the insult still can hurt. Sun doesn’t believe this term should be seen as derogatory but finds it insulting as it casts her as someone portrayed with the stereotypical “speak to the manager” characteristics such as having a blunt blonde bob and blunt cheekbones.
There have been many individuals known as Karens, but not all are bad people. Some act in ways which might be obnoxious but not racist – like St. Louis moms whose “Karen-like” actions during BLM protests led them into trouble with local authorities for blocking balcony defense. Others might take more aggressive approaches like calling police on black neighbors over an alleyway drug deal in Chicago – though even these Karens can have their faults; they’re just trying to cope with life themselves in their own ways.
While Karens in general are generally welcoming and inclusive of others, there are plenty of Karens who engage in racist or bigoted behaviors – and this trending hashtag, #andthenKarensnapped encourages people to identify and expose such Karens who use this pandemic as an opportunity to advance their own sense of power and privilege.
4. Don’t Let It Ruin Your Day
When someone calls you Karen, it’s important not to let it ruin your day. Especially if they weren’t intending any harm by their remarks – perhaps they weren’t aware that their words could be perceived negatively?
Karen has long been used as a term of ridicule against middle-aged white women who are perceived as entitled and demanding. It’s been employed in jokes, memes and viral videos like Amy Cooper calling the police on a black birder in Central Park. Furthermore, during the coronavirus pandemic it was frequently employed against those who refused to comply with health guidelines, particularly women.
Whenever your husband refers to you as Karen, it’s important not to take it personally. They likely have this stereotype in their mind about you that’s nothing personal, and it isn’t up to you to change their perception of who you are.
Focus on doing positive things instead to redirect your energy and keep your mood from sinking too low. Try going for a nice walk or doing something physical to replenish your reserves. Additionally, this opportunity might give you an opportunity to correct their mispronunciation of your name; they might not realize they’ve mispronounced it or may just not know the way your name sounds; so next time they call you “Karen”, politely correct them by saying: “This is my actual legal birth first name.” This will stop them calling you Karen while giving yourself power over the situation.
5. Take Action
If your husband calls you Karen, it’s important to stand up for yourself and publicly disprove his comments. Use this opportunity to explain why this term doesn’t belong in pop culture and why you dislike using it yourself.
The term Karen has become increasingly common as a derogatory label against women who insist their way is the only right way, refuse to compromise, and refuse to listen or compromise with others. It became especially widespread during the coronavirus pandemic when misinformation about it spread online by women called Karens. Karen can also refer to middle-aged white women with bob haircuts who can often be perceived as petty or racist; for instance a video featuring one such Karen being called out by police on black birdwatcher in Central Park caused protests which called for legislation providing for racial justice legislation and was later labeled by others as such an insulting name as her viral video went viral and caused racial justice legislation to be put forward by protestors demanding action be taken by lawmakers against her action taken during protests calling upon her.
Reducing real-life stereotypes to humor online is nothing new; Kyle, Becky and Chad have all experienced ridicule online; however, Karen stands out as being particularly criticized. Therefore, many have dubbed her the Queen of Karens on social media.
Frank becomes suspicious that Karen may be having romantic feelings for or secretly sleeping with Ryan Clark due to his behavior around her. After confronting him, Karen launched a social media campaign against him as racist; one TikTok user by the username @mvalentinoent captured Karen confronting her husband over his use of N-word with Black men at an event; this video quickly amassed millions of views before viewers corrected this TikToker by calling her Kimberly instead of Karen.
