Karen is an urban dictionary term that denotes a white woman who is seen as entitled or demanding more than what society perceives normal. It often appears in memes depicting empowered white women using their privilege to demand their way in life.
They tend to be anti-vaccination, have narrow-minded opinions, and take offense at even minor inconveniences. In some cases, they may even be racist in nature.
Definition
Karen is a derogatory term used to denote an arrogant middle-aged white woman perceived to be entitled or demanding beyond what is reasonable, according to Urban Dictionary. This person makes unreasonable demands, wants “to speak with the manager” or attempts to police others’ behaviors, according to Urban Dictionary.
This term was coined on Reddit in 2017 by a user venting about his ex-wife’s behavior, and it quickly spread like wildfire as both a subreddit and meme. Nowadays it’s often used online alongside videos depicting aggressive white women engaging in seemingly small acts such as blocking people from open parking spaces so your friend can park there or calling out retail workers for refusing to refund you money when you made an error.
Though this type of behavior can often be considered harmlessly upsetting, some experts believe that it can have harmful consequences in certain scenarios. For instance, when anti-vaxxers who refuse to comply with vaccination protocols go viral online, they are commonly labeled “Karen.”
False emergency calls made by people of color can often result in them being labeled “Karen,” leading to public demonization and dehumanization. Furthermore, this slur has been connected with an increase in racist hate crimes against Black people, such as attacks against them.
Some feminists contend that the slur is misogynistic, suggesting women of color are less capable than white women. However, many people don’t view it this way – pointing out that it only refers to specific individuals and not the general populace.
Many people don’t consider Karen a slur, and some even mistakenly think it’s just another name they’ve heard before. That has caused some women to be so indignant at its prevalence.
One Karen Shim, 23, from Philadelphia, told CNN she has noticed people calling her the name Karen quite frequently lately. Though she hadn’t realized it was a slur, being called out on it can still be upsetting.
The term has become particularly common on Twitter, where it serves as a response to offensive tweets. It’s also widely used on Instagram where it serves as an outlet for users to vent their frustrations with others. Furthermore, the word has been linked to an increase in racist hate crimes–particularly when individuals make false emergency reports–as people make racist remarks without realizing it.
Examples
Karen is a colloquial term used to refer to any white woman perceived as entitled or demanding beyond what is expected. Examples of such behavior include demanding to speak to the manager, being racist and wearing certain bob cut hairstyles.
Over the last few years, this term has gained widespread adoption on social media platforms like Reddit. One subreddit called r/f***youkaren is particularly notable, where users share stories about encounters with entitled middle-class white women.
Dr Lauren Rosewarne from the University of Melbourne described this term as a caricature of middle-class white women who display behaviors due to privilege. She noted that it has its roots in black American internet culture and first emerged as an expression in opposition to racism and classism by white women.
Some people argue that the term is an offensive slur against middle-class white women, but others suggest it has become accepted by proponents of humor to combat racial prejudice in real life. One such example is Domino’s Pizza’s 2020 promotional campaign in Australia and New Zealand offering free pizza to “nice Karens”.
Karens have made several incidents of racially motivated non-emergency police calls. This prompted one city supervisor to introduce the Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergency Act as a response.
Other examples of her behavior include refusing to vaccinate her children, living in the suburbs, drinking too much wine and posting trite motivational messages on Facebook. Furthermore, she has been known for calling the police on black people who were simply going about their business.
In the UK, coronavirus disinformation and conspiracy theories have been linked to “Karen”. These are often shared on social media by those who do not wear face coverings in an effort to stay protected from the virus.
In addition, “Karens” have become a form of discrimination against service industry workers and anyone who does not follow medical precautionary measures. This has resulted in an increasing number of incidents across the country, such as one woman calling the police on a young water-seller while she was out for a picnic.
Origin
Karen is a derogatory term often used as slang for white women who are perceived as entitled or demanding beyond what is expected. This can be shown through behaviors such as being aggressively petty and insisting someone speak to the manager.
The term was first coined online in 2017 when a user on Reddit complained about his ex-wife acting “Karen”-like. Since then, it’s been referenced in several contexts such as Mean Girls and Dane Cook’s 2005 skit.
Although the term is generally associated with white women, it can also be applied to anyone who demands special treatment, gets angry easily or acts overly dramatic or aggressively. It has been known as “the most hated friend in the group.”
On social media, Ken has become a popular slang term similar to Karen – the male equivalent. It’s said the term originated from comedian Dane Cook’s skit but linguists have yet to pinpoint exactly where it originated.
There has been some speculation that this term originated as a Black meme, though this cannot be definitively said. Regardless, it has been utilized on Twitter and Tik Tok to spread the impression that Karens are everywhere.
Accordingly, many have begun labeling the Karen trend “Karencore,” which includes everything from a “speak to the manager” haircut to minivans and rhinestones. This term has gained much notoriety with many feeling it’s time to confront both its manifestation and underlying issues of racism and inequality.
In 2020, “Central Park Karen” made headlines with her false claim that a black birder was threatening her dog. This incident, in which she falsely claimed the man was endangering her life, is one of the most racially charged and upsetting examples of casual racism ever witnessed in public.
Meaning
Karening” is a derogatory term for an entitled, angry middle-aged woman who often acts racist and uses her privilege to get her way or police others. This type of behavior, commonly referred to as “Karening,” has received widespread online attention.
Karen is a white middle-aged woman who often exhibits arrogance, conservatism and arrogance when dealing with other people. She can be quite reactionary and racist at times, especially towards service staff members.
Karens have become increasingly common in recent years, often described as white women who use their white privilege to get what they want. Examples of Karens can be seen in memes like “Central Park Karen,” a white woman who called the police on a black man while walking her dog in Central Park last summer or “Costco Karen,” who complained about the price of coffee at her local grocery store.
Some might consider the term sexist, yet it has also been said that Karens are no more or less similar than white women in general. They just tend to be louder about it and more likely to cause trouble for others.
According to Apryl Williams, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan who studies race and social media on the internet, this term has its origins in black American internet culture as a way of finding humor within real-world racism and oppression. She sees it as “karating,” she adds.
Recently, Williams shared with Fatherly the common practice of taking a snapshot of a conversation at one point and posting it online – something she described as “a pretty Karen thing to do.”
Karen has become increasingly popular among millennials and can be seen in online satire. Her rise has been attributed to her use as a figure of humor in numerous viral videos.
