Counterintuitive Negative Stereotypes About Karens

Karma for Karens
By Karma for Karens
11 Min Read

Karens have some unjust stereotypes that you might not be aware of. These include being rude, entitled and racist.

These stereotypes have been around for years, but they’ve recently gained momentum on social media. There’s even a subreddit dedicated to them!

1. They’re Angry

Have you been following the news recently? You might have come across videos of Karens losing their cool. Often these videos are shot in clothing stores or supermarkets, places where women still tend to shop more than men.

Though there are many reasons why these scenes become viral, one of them is likely due to a toxic myth of female hysteria that persists in our culture. Other possible factors include an obsession with seeing women “misbehave” within contexts of “good girl” and “ladylike” patriarchal stereotypes.

However, in some cases the behavior of these so-called Karens can be less about race and more about anger and entitlement. For instance, during the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak in March this year, people began sharing videos showing Karens refusing to quarantine themselves or wear face masks.

Karens often post videos to Twitter, Facebook (US:FB), and Instagram with comments indicating they are often angry and sexist in nature.

Social commentators suggest these videos represent white people’s frustration with various factors, including the recent coronavirus epidemic; the resurgence of Black Lives Matter; furloughs and layoffs; as well as racial tensions across America.

At first, the name “Karen” was associated with a certain kind of white woman: anti-vaxxer moms with an inflated sense of entitlement and hairstyles that read “can I speak to the manager?” (Wikipedia), but over time it has come to symbolize far more than just angry moms.

Some see Karens as a symbol of the diminishing influence, security and power of many sectors of middle-class life in America – particularly among Baby Boomer generations.

Lillian Glass, a communications expert in Los Angeles, notes that many individuals are dealing with personal and financial struggles that have left them feeling vulnerable and fearful. They’ve been dislocated by the recent surge of Black Lives Matter activism and are now more aware of their own vulnerability, according to Glass.

Karens have experienced a lack of control in their own lives and feelings of insecurities which has caused them to act out in ways that are both sexist and racist. They’re frustrated that their world isn’t what they would wish it to be and enraged that they might be spreading a deadly virus through ignorance.

2. They’re Entitled

Karens are middle-aged white women with pixie haircuts and entitlement issues who have become synonymous with the anti-vaxxer movement and social justice activism. Recently, there has been a wave of viral videos showing them calling police on people of color, blocking parking lots and screaming in public.

The term “Karen” originated as a disparaging joke about certain anti-vaxxer moms, but has since evolved into an umbrella term for middle aged women who feel entitled enough to exploit their privilege in order to obtain what they desire. Unfortunately, it has now come to encompass anyone who uses their privilege for selfish ends or makes racist statements.

One such case was a woman in Central Park who mistakenly reported a Black man to police for threatening her. This incident led social media users to link this type of behavior with systemic racism and police brutality.

Karens were also prevalent in Las Vegas, such as Karen who wanted to reopen casino resorts despite warnings of economic harm. She became known as “Las Vegas Karen” due to her insistence on opening casinos without segregation.

Some criticised the term as an attempt to demonize middle-class white women for using their privilege against service workers or others who didn’t possess power over them. Conversely, some maintained that it served as a generalization for all middle aged white women without regard for any particular group.

Karens are typically middle-aged white women who are primarily mothers and aware of their privilege. Unfortunately, some use it to take advantage of racist power structures and discriminate against people of color.

Karens have a tendency to be entitled and sexist. They use their privilege for financial gain, using anger and frustration against those less powerful than them. This type of attitude was likely instilled in them during childhood; it has remained with them throughout life.

3. They’re Racist

Karens have become a widely-shared meme on social media due to their reaction to masks. They frequently have meltdowns in stores and coffee shops that can be recorded and shared online through Twitter or Facebook.

These videos have become increasingly popular, yet they also spark intense online outrage. Some speculate this is due to a certain type of female hysteria or an interest in how women misbehave within patriarchal stereotypes. Others contend it’s because these videos seek to make a statement about white privilege or gender inequality.

The trend started as a way to shame white women for engaging in behavior deemed selfish or racist during the coronavirus pandemic. Karens were shamed for things like calling the police on a Black man, asking nonwhite people to explain themselves on Nextdoor, or simply being at an inappropriate location at the right time and demanding they remove their masks.

But “Karen” has also come to be associated with a particular white woman, usually middle aged, who displays behavior indicative of her privilege. She may demand to speak directly to a manager, belittle service workers with whom she interacts, or even become anti-vaxxers.

This behavior is also indicative of class privilege, which has become more prominent in the US over the last several years. This includes class tensions around access to healthcare and housing as well as financial sustainability.

As Covid-19’s spread and other social policing tactics around the pandemic have further compounded these tensions, the term “Karen” has taken on new significance. This reflects an increasing sense of white privilege and an awareness among white Americans that they have a responsibility to hold other white Americans accountable for systemic racism.

For instance, the term was applied to a white woman who called the police on a Black man while birdwatching in Central Park. Although she insisted her encounter wasn’t racist, it exposed how she used her privilege to harass and threaten this man without cause.

4. They’re a Prey Animal

Predators are animals that hunt, stalk and kill other creatures. They typically possess keen senses of smell, sight, hearing and speed to identify their prey before attacking it. Furthermore, predators typically possess many different types of teeth such as incisors (the front teeth), canines (their side teeth) and molars (their back teeth).

Some predators, like coyotes and snakes, only hunt and consume other animals when necessary. Others, like spiders and crocodiles, feed on plants and other organisms they can easily consume.

Nature provides us with predators that feed on parasites and their hosts. Ticks are one such example; they feed on a host without killing it, such as deer ticks that transfer diseases to them. As these ticks die from eating the deer, their population of ticks decreases which in turn reduces other animals’ availability for prey and allows predators to flourish more freely.

Karen can mean many different things depending on who uses it. It could be a teenagers way of conveying an unsatisfactory text message, or it could refer to an adult having an emotional breakdown.

Karen slang terms can be used to denote women who insist on their way of doing things or men who act inappropriately. Some consider the Karen term to be sexist, while others disagree.

One of the more sexist aspects of Karen slang is its tendency to refer disproportionately to women. While women do experience racism, labeling them as Karens – particularly if they are complaining about it – is an unfair distinction to make.

Karen can also be used as a form of sexism to emphasize how someone’s gender gives them privilege, which in turn allows them to do sexist things.

Some people speculate that sexism is to blame for the rise of Karen slang terms, but it’s a slippery slope and who to hold accountable depends on one’s perspective. Furthermore, keep in mind that these expressions are used as an attempt to find humor within real-world racism and oppression they face.

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