Karen culture was popularized on Black Twitter as a meme to denigrate white women who “tattle on black kids’ lemonade stands” or who expose the “violent history of white womanhood”.
But it’s more complicated than that. While allowing entitled tantrums may feel good at first glance, they only address the symptom and not the underlying issue.
Entitled Karen Culture was popularized on Black Twitter
Karen culture has been a staple of Black Twitter for years, referring to White women who facilitate violence against people of color. They can be called Karens for a variety of reasons, but they usually have two things in common: a lack of empathy and a tendency to call the police on Black people.
In recent months, however, the term has become more popular in the media. In particular, it has spread across the internet on TikTok and Instagram, where countless videos have been posted starring entitled Karens. These video clips have garnered millions of views and have been praised by users as a fun and hilarious take on everyday life.
Despite these praises, the term has also been criticized by some for its use of racial stereotypes and stereotyping. One Twitter user even accused the hashtag of being racist.
The hashtag became a trending topic on Twitter in February, and the name blew up when it was used to refer to an incident in Central Park in which a White woman falsely reported that a Black man was threatening her and her dog. The incident sparked a wave of condemnation from the internet, including from advocacy groups and Black Twitter users who claimed that the hashtag was being used as a form of “social policing” to shame Black people into following the law.
This has led to the term being rebranded as a “race-specific” social slur. It has been compared to the term “Sharon,” which was used to refer to working-class women in British television shows such as Birds of a Feather.
But what makes the Karen phenomenon unique is that it has been reinterpreted to mean something different in this age of racialized media. In particular, it has become a satirical and mocking term that targets white middle-class women who are perceived as being too self-absorbed and oblivious to other people’s needs.
While the terms have always been a way of highlighting the hypocrisy of White women, the recent rise in popularity has given them a new meaning. They are a way of calling attention to the power dynamics between white women and their Black counterparts.
Entitled Karen Culture is a caricature of a white woman
Entitled Karen Culture is a socially constructed online caricature of an entitled white woman who demands her own way. This term has become popularized on Black Twitter and can be seen in viral videos featuring women yelling, cursing, or even brandishing guns at people.
Though not a new trend, it has become more frequent on social media in recent years. Often accompanied by photos or videos of white women having an emotional breakdown over something minor that wasn’t their fault, these posts indicate how quickly things can spiral out of control when people become distressed.
This alarming trend, which has been observed across many places, including the United States, has sparked numerous socially relevant conversations. These exchanges have served to raise awareness about the underlying issues driving this phenomenon and how women are being stereotyped in the media.
The term “Karen” has been used to denote a variety of people, but it’s most often associated with white women. This label was first popularized in 2005 by comedian Dane Cook as an insult for someone who constantly talks down to others – an often stereotype for middle class white women.
These videos often garner tens of millions of views on social media and have led to accusations that they are sexist. These accusations are especially prominent when white women are involved in behaviors deemed racist or selfish.
Given this context, it can be difficult to tell if these sexism claims are actually true or just being made up for clicks and viral views. Regardless, the Karens depicted in these videos do not represent the majority of women around the world; which explains why this term has been so easily misrepresented and abused.
These sexism claims have been used to justify violence against those perceived as having different genders or sexual orientations, because they allow perpetrators to demonstrate that they are not entitled to fair treatment.
Entitled Karen Culture is a racialized satire
At first, calling someone a Karen was simply an amusing joke at self-absorption that took on a more serious tone during the spring and Black Lives Matter protests over police killing of George Floyd. However, as racial tensions in America began to escalate, this term quickly gained currency as symbol for white supremacy.
Karen” has become a widely used term in the media to describe white women who appear entitled in public, frequently lashing out against social distancing measures and demanding to speak with managers. This has prompted social commentators to point to Karen as an example of racialized satire.
This type of satire is nothing new – there’s a long tradition of black-led online humor referencing white women’s bad behavior, often featuring alliterative nicknames such as Barbecue Becky or Golfcart Gail. But this recent trend of naming white women for their problematic behaviors is particularly striking.
Over the past few years, YouTube has become saturated with videos of people losing their temper in stores and restaurants – mostly women – with various names attached. Recently, Karen has become increasingly popular.
These videos offer a glimpse into the lives of people feeling anger and frustration over social inequality and their perceived threat. While some may be crude, others have amassed millions of views on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
These videos can be humorous, but they also carry an undercurrent of deep cynicism and danger. They often feature white people belittling or questioning service staff at restaurants and retail stores – sometimes even demanding to meet the manager.
The Karen videos serve as a glaring representation of the more subtle form of racism that is permeating American society. White people use racialized harassment against people of color to maintain their social power.
These incidents can be motivated by either the need to protect their personal space and the privilege that comes with it, or frustration at not being granted equality or access. It’s a form of self-defeating racism that permeates neighborhoods, workplaces and colleges across America.
Entitled Karen Culture is a social commentary
Karen has become a cultural term that has taken on an entirely new significance online, where it’s used to refer to women who are seen as entitled. A “Karen” is someone determined to get what they want at the expense of others – often leading to sexism and violence towards others. This type of attitude displays racism and entitlement at its worst.
Recently, Instagram pages like @karensgoingwilds have been collecting footage of white women engaging in aggressive and racist behaviors in public. These ‘Karens’ videos have become a trend and garnered millions of views on social media platforms.
These videos have gained momentum, becoming a form of satire. They also serve to call attention to some of the more frequent acts of white woman aggression, such as falsely claiming an attack is taking place against them in Central Park, calling the police on an innocent person, or threatening to stop someone from leaving a parking lot.
These videos are both distressing and captivating, garnering millions of views. Critics contend that these viral videos fail to acknowledge that many of the white women referred to as “Karens” are people of color who face discrimination and policing on a daily basis.
Some however, argue that these videos are necessary and revealing. They bring to light an issue which has been overlooked for too long: that women of color face racism from both men and white women in everyday life.
Professor Aram Sinnreich of American University in Washington D.C. observes that videos and memes like these serve as a reminder of the “disgusting reality” that white women and men can be racist, and sexist perspectives can be applied to any type of public shaming.
Over the last year, “Karen” has garnered much attention; however, its culture has since evolved into a racialized satire. While initially intended as an insult against entitled white women, its caricature has since been extended to encompass all types of white women who are criticized for their anti-black and racially polarizing remarks.