The Karen meme first surfaced online as a means for people, particularly African Americans, to satirize class-based and racial oppression. It gained new significance during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 when white women who engaged in actions perceived as self-indulgent or racist were publicly shamed as “Karens”.
Bionic reports that Karen was most popularly given as a name during the 1960s and most Karens are over 40 years old. Here are a few behavioral changes you can implement to avoid being called Karen.
1. Avoid Entitlement
Throwing sneakers at retail workers or vandalizing store displays, Karens can often leave people scratching their heads in displeasure. “Karen” is a mocking slang term describing middle-aged white women who lose touch with reality and tend to call the manager over every little issue – making her easily identified during COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks and showing entitled behaviors like protesting social distancing measures or using coronavirus symptoms as an excuse for police action against non-whites.
As such, “Karen” has become an uncomfortable and sometimes harmful part of online culture. Its surge in adolescent popularity has resulted in numerous articles, blog posts, and Twitter rants criticizing the meme for misogyny and racism – yet many people used “Karen” as a harmless way of mocking those who behave obnoxiously or are overly entitled, and many also used the name to identify instances of sexist behavior around them. However, once upon its debut many saw it as harmless; then came criticism which made apparent its misogyny and racism. But its initial popularity resulted in articles, blog posts, articles about racism as well as criticism against its misogyny and racism – however.
Now, however, the meme has taken an unexpectedly dark turn as white people experience an awakening regarding their role in upholding oppressive systems. Following recent racial unrest, many white people are realizing that their privilege and power structures – represented by “Karen” meme – also uphold oppressive systems.
Thankfully, there are ways to avoid being called Karen and decrease your own entitlement. Engaging in practices of empathy, humility, constructive communication and accountability may help. Furthermore, mindfulness training, public shaming avoidance and taking control of emotions can all assist.
Avoiding being Karen is best done by remaining calm when faced with situations which are frustrating or inconvenient, says Dani Weller, customer service team leader of Bionic. In particular, staying composed, sticking to facts, and not becoming emotional are crucial steps towards keeping calm when responding. Furthermore, communicate respectfully while remaining open-minded enough to listen even when opposing other perspectives is key for keeping away from becoming “Karen.”
2. Communicate Constructively
Karen has become a derogatory term used to refer to middle-aged white women who act entitled and display rude and racist behaviors. The term is most often associated with women who complain excessively or demand special treatment from retail and restaurant workers; typically these individuals feature blonde bob hairstyles with extensions; demand to speak to managers directly and are known for demanding they be heard; these individuals often make national headlines due to their unacceptable and overbearing conduct – they’ve even made national news headlines due to calling the police on Black people for swimming in public pools or going into cinemas or collecting boxes of berries from them!
Stovall stresses the importance of acknowledging privilege that allows many white women, particularly Karens, to act a certain way. If people wish to avoid being called Karen, Stovall suggests practicing empathy, humility and constructive communication with those around you. She further encourages learning about American history so as to recognize and confront any racist beliefs when they arise.
When someone insults you, it’s important to take a step back and evaluate their words before responding. While it might be tempting to fire back with insults right away, doing so only escalates the situation further and makes reaching resolution more challenging. Instead, redirect the conversation by acknowledging their feelings, accepting responsibility for your own actions, and refusing to pass blame onto others.
Next time you feel the urge to blast away at someone for giving you full cream milk instead of skinny or forgetting to put chardonnay on sale at 5 percent, think carefully about what this will do to your relationships and communities. Before acting like Karen does, ask yourself “Is this worth making a scene over?” if the answer is no then perhaps causing trouble is unnecessary.
3. Take Accountability
By practicing empathy, humility and constructive communication skills you’ll help avoid becoming known as Karen. However, should you come across one, it is crucial that any comments made are done so in an approachable way and do not allow the Karen to play victim card or become defensive when called out on their behavior. Also avoid publicly shaming them or giving into any violent reactions they might present as these will only serve to empower and fuel further their anger or self-absorbed responses from them.
Karens can be notoriously challenging to deal with due to their lack of awareness and comprehension regarding the impact of their actions on others. Karens tend to be self-centered, selfish, and believe the world revolves around them despite best intentions; thus preventing them from comprehending how their actions impact other groups, particularly people of color.
Karen is a popularly mocked slang term and often depicted in memes as an aggressive middle-aged white woman with blonde bob hair who demands to see managers at retail and restaurant establishments when she has issues, calling the police on people of color who simply go about their business.
Have you been keeping up with news in recent months? Chances are, you have likely come across videos featuring Karens. From Central Park Karen to Victoria’s Secret Karen, these women have become famous for their entitled and disrespectful behaviors in public settings like Central Park and Victoria’s Secret. While these headlines make us uncomfortable, perhaps these videos can inspire change for better.
In order to break the cycle of racism and neo-Nazism that has permeated society, we must all work collaboratively towards equality and justice – this means acknowledging our privilege and taking accountability for our actions.
Be it by calling out racist statements online or engaging in conversations about race, you can make a difference. With these strategies in place, it will become less likely for Karens to be targeted as individuals while contributing towards ending racism and bigotry in our society.
Have you been accused of being a Karen? What steps have you taken to prevent it from recurring?
4. Maintain Humility
Although Karen is often used in relation to women, it can just as easily refer to men. Actors who act like Karens can be an immense pain for small business owners and other professionals in professional settings; but it is possible to avoid being labeled a Karen by being respectful, communicating constructively, accepting responsibility and upholding humility.
Karens have an uncanny ability for creating drama, often by inflaming issues without cause or seeking attention from others. Small business owners can avoid these scenarios by practicing humility when engaging with others and showing an openness to listening to other viewpoints. Furthermore, taking steps such as seeing a therapist or attending mindfulness workshops could help keep their ego in check and prevent their relationships from becoming overbearing.
Small business owners need to communicate clearly with their clients in order to avoid entitlement and ensure fair treatment of all their clients, which includes having clear cancellation policies in place. You should inform clients if they cancel within a set period or fail to show for an appointment without prior notification a cancellation fee will be imposed; this will deter “Karens” from taking advantage of you business and help maintain equality amongst all your clientele.
As with dealing with Karens, small business owners must remain calm when engaging them. Although it’s tempting to react angrily or frustratedly, this will only backfire on them. Instead, try understanding why their behavior occurs and show your understanding for them if necessary – this may include asking them to leave your personal space or seeking assistance from a manager if required.
One final thing to keep in mind when dealing with Karens is that they may take their complaints online after you have addressed them, so to prevent further attacks it’s advisable to ensure your online reviews are positive and current using tools such as PocketSuite’s smart campaigns which automatically send happy customers directly to Google to review your business – this helps drown out any random Karen reviews which might appear!
