Sometimes you just can’t help feeling annoyed after watching a video of someone behaving rudely or entitled. These videos often get shared online and may lead to social media shaming.
Karen is a derogatory term used to describe middle-class white women who demand special privileges or services. They have also been known to call the police on those who don’t comply with their demands.
1. A woman who screamed at a Burger King employee while the restaurant was on fire.
Recently, fast food company Burger King faced a social media backlash after video emerged of former employee Troy Smith filming an unexpected rodent-related inspection at his Hallandale Beach location. This video, which Local 10 News sent to the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation for investigation, included droppings, roaches and other violations – plus no proof that workers had received necessary training.
According to the video, Smith took his issue to the media because he felt his bosses weren’t handling it correctly. He claimed they told him to stop posting about the rodent problem or risk getting fired.
Over the past year, several Burger King locations across America have been forced to close due to health code violations. Companies are being pressured to clean up their act and retrain employees accused of mishandling customer food, according to The Washington Post.
On Tuesday afternoon, a Burger King in Madison Township was declared a total loss after fire broke out inside the building. Fire officials from Madison Fire District reported that it started in a roof vent stack and quickly spread to kitchen hood ductwork. They alerted other fire departments; crews from Perry, Geneva, Leroy, Thompson and Concord all responded to North Ridge Road for assistance.
Officials report that all three people who were inside the restaurant at the time of the fire managed to escape safely and were unharmed. Despite extensive damage done to its roof, it remains uncertain when Burger King will reopen.
Recent events also include a woman working at Burger King in Morro Bay, California being called on the phone by someone claiming there was a gas leak and instructing her to break all of the store’s windows. According to reports from San Luis Obispo Tribune and police reports, this call originated due to an unknown issue.
On Thursday morning in Gulfport, Mississippi, a man named Smith was arrested for shooting a customer at Burger King’s drive-thru window and charged with aggravated assault. As officers assisted a driver when they heard two gunshots and saw Smith lying atop his victim, Smith was immediately taken into custody and charged with both aggravated assault and possession of a weapon after having previously received a felony conviction.
2. A woman who screamed at an Uber driver.
Karens may be a humorous Internet meme, but they’re also real people. And it turns out that some of these women are dealing with intense stress and anger which makes them more prone to meltdowns than other individuals.
When a woman who’s been labeled “Karen” begins to sob or shout at someone on social media, it can quickly lead to online harassment and the need for concealment. They may need to change their name, quit their job, or even contact the police in an effort to explain their behavior.
What causes these women such distress? Although they may not realize it, they are actually suffering from an uncommon form of psychosis which is difficult to diagnose and highly dangerous for both themselves and those around them.
One sociologist who has studied this phenomenon notes that many Karens become triggered by a sense of being attacked. She’s not the only person to notice Karens tend to go into fits of hysterics when scared or upset.
A study published in the Journal of Social Psychology by a team of researchers examined 256 videos featuring people known as Karens and found that most were visibly distressed or shocked when filmed.
Researchers noted that Karens often feel entitled to special treatment or services that others do not receive. When denied these rights, Karens can become extremely upset and often threaten law enforcement or 911 services in an effort to gain their way.
According to researchers, these women may be acting out in order to express their emotions. But they are not necessarily being aggressive or hysterical in nature.
YouTube videos often feature white women, but they also showcase people of color because these are the people most likely to be viewed on social media platforms.
In the 21st century, America has become more polarized than ever before. From Black Lives Matter to furloughs and layoffs, many White Americans feel as if they have been forgotten in a society which increasingly prioritizes wealth and privilege for white men. They feel left behind by this shift in power dynamics.
3. A woman who screamed at a gas station attendant.
A woman who shouted at a gas station attendant during an ordinary trip has been labeled as a Karen, an Internet slang term for an entitled white woman. The altercation was captured on TikTok video and shared by hundreds of users – including the girl who recorded it!
As it turns out, this incident is not the first time someone has been labeled a “Karen” due to their public behavior. According to the Rambam, tochecha (shaming), an act of retribution, is required when someone acts against halacha – Jewish law.
But “Karen” has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way of labeling those who use their white privilege or entitlement to demand their own way in public. As such, social media posts featuring Karens have become commonplace.
The phrase has become so ubiquitous that it’s hard to pinpoint its origins; however, internet attribution has ranged from Dane Cook and Mean Girls to Dane Cook himself. Originating during the Baby Boom, this expression now symbolizes US exceptionalism when White people are granted unearned privileges which many Black people cannot claim.
Experts speculate that the Karen phenomenon is more about entitlement than sexual desire, but that doesn’t mean all white women who express their discontent on social media are misogynists. Instead, these women may be using their frustration and rage as a means to draw attention to something greater than themselves.
Another theory as to why some people become angry is that they feel disconnected from their society, leading them to act differently toward others. For instance, someone who screamed at unsavory characters at a gas station might get more attention on social media than another who was called out for spitting or cursing because the former person may be perceived as more hysterical.
Denise Dudley, a San Luis Obispo author and workplace consultant, noted the tendency for people to suppress their emotions can also contribute to these outbursts. According to research, men who get angry are typically perceived as strong and determined while women who get upset are usually labeled hysterical.
4. A woman who screamed at a bus driver.
One of the most infamous tropes on the Internet is that of “Karen,” an insulting term meaning “entitled middle-class white woman.” If a middle-aged white woman is seen rudely asking to speak to the manager or calling the police on someone for seemingly inane behavior, she’s quickly labeled a Karen.
Some feminists feel this pejorative has gone too far, smacking of misogyny and aggressively shameing women who may be having a bad day or experiencing emotional problems. Others contend that the Karen narrative trivializes anger and economic disenfranchisement which propelled President Donald Trump to the White House in 2016.
Recently, the word “Ken” has received much attention as a verb meaning to express emotion. It can also refer to men caught on camera behaving inappropriately or dangerously according to society.
In many cases, videos go viral and capture the public’s attention, often prompting offenders to change their behavior or face some form of social media shaming. Such criticism from Instagram, Facebook or Reddit has the power to alter behavior, shape people’s perspectives about themselves and even save lives.
Recently, several examples have gone viral online and made headlines. These include a woman shouting at a bus driver in front of her children on Sunshine Boulevard in Lehigh Acres, video footage showing an older woman flipping off someone who pulled into her driveway, and footage depicting a young girl kicking another while walking down a street in New York City.
These incidents are just a handful of the many documented online by Karens, documented on Instagram pages such as @karensgoingwilds.
