The Karen archetype originated as a disparaging term for white women who were self-absorbed, but with the current racial tension surrounding Covid-19 and an uptick in police brutality following George Floyd’s death, calling someone a “Karen” has become something more meaningful.
In one particularly horrific instance, Amy Cooper, a white woman, pulled her dog by the collar and called the cops on a Black man who was simply trying to pet it. It was an outrageous racist attack and served as a stark reminder of the perils inherent in white privilege.
Body language
As a body language expert, I often observe women concealing their true emotions through facial expressions. Losing eye contact, looking away from the camera and covering one’s mouth are just some of the ways women may attempt to conceal discomfort or insecurity.
I often witness women using their body to attack others – this is what I refer to as “Karen behavior.”
Karens can be highly irrational and unprofessional in public settings, often displaying a lack of judgment or common sense. They tend to be rude, snobbish, and demanding their way. Karens often stalk streets and storefronts looking for opportunities to attack people while using their white privilege.
Karen” has become a derogatory term for an entitled white woman who uses her power to target and police others. She follows in the footsteps of other names like BBQ Becky, Permit Patti and Golf Cart Gail — all used to denote someone who is actively engaging in police-like behavior towards another individual.
Recently, the word has gained prominence on social media with an Instagram account called “Karensgoingwild” posting screenshots and videos of typically middle-aged white women behaving badly in public – including being rude to police officers and customer service employees. The account has amassed more than 1.6 million followers in just 6 days!
Many of these “Karens” don’t pose any real danger to anyone, yet they certainly aren’t humorous either. Instead, they serve to remind us that our society remains plagued with racism, bigotry and misogyny.
It’s especially prevalent on Twitter, where a 2018 Amnesty International study showed that every 30 seconds, women receive an insult or harassing message from men. These remarks often degrade and stereotype them, making it difficult for them to feel safe in their own skin.
Many of these tweets contain racially-charged slurs that stereotype and degrade women based on their gender. While these insults may be meant to be humorous, they pose a grave danger for our freedom and safety.
We all need to be prepared for an encounter with Karen, and if one does happen to happen to us, there are ways we can help avoid a confrontation. Look out for any red flags on their body which indicate fear or anxiety, and use our own body language to let them know they’re not welcome in our community.
Emotions
Emotion is a complex reaction pattern involving experiential, behavioral and physiological elements. It can be triggered by any number of stimuli and result in various behaviors such as smiling, frowning or laughing.
Writing from the heart is essential to character development. Emotions play a major role in how readers view characters, how they behave and what kind of feelings they possess about them.
The American Psychological Association defines emotion as “a complex reaction pattern involving experiential, behavioral and physiological elements.” Emotions can be triggered by any number of stimuli and result in various behaviors such as smiling, frowning or heaving sighs of emotion.
Psycholog Paul Ekman identified six basic emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust. In 1999 he extended the list to include embarrassment, excitement, contempt, shame, pride and satisfaction.
Psychotherapist Robert Plutchik has identified a more intricate set of emotions. He divided eight basic emotions into pairs of opposites: anger and fear; joy and sadness; trust and disgust; surprise and anticipation.
Karen public freakouts often manifest these emotions through body language, making them harder to ignore. Furthermore, these events have the potential for providing audiences with plenty of entertainment value.
Writing from the heart requires familiarity with human emotions, expressed through facial expressions, body language and behavioral responses. Acquiring this knowledge will enable you to better comprehend your character and give readers a true reflection of their inner thoughts and feelings.
For instance, anger may prompt a facial expression of irritation while happiness may bring on tears. Our reactions to different emotions are an expression of who we are as individuals and social norms.
Research into emotions is still being done, but some evidence points towards certain universal feelings that people experience. These can range from the most basic to the most complex, with varying degrees of intensity.
Symbolism
Symbolism can be an artistic device used to convey a message. It connects themes and characters in the story, helping readers comprehend what the author intends. While symbolism can be effective at getting across ideas, its application could potentially present risks that should be taken.
Symbolizing can be done in several ways, but one of the most powerful is by juxtaposing something with another based on shared attributes. For instance, a symbol may symbolize a character who exhibits traits like guiltlessness and excellence – helping readers better comprehend what that character is going through.
Another approach is to use a symbol as an allegory for another character or event, such as Voldemort from Harry Potter. This technique can be effective but also dangerous since the symbol may symbolize something dark and sinister.
For example, a police officer accused of sexual assault could serve as a symbol for men with power over women. This can be an effective way to demonstrate his corruption and authority over them.
Characters can serve as symbols, especially if they possess a strong personality or are essential to the story. This is an effective way to draw attention to certain individuals and make them stand out from others.
In this instance, the police officer can serve as a symbol for corruption and power over women. This is essential, as it helps the reader comprehend what the author intends and makes the character seem more real and pertinent.
Similarly, the Karen Public Freakouts in this film can be seen as symbolic representations of racism, class inequality and power dynamics. These are all major topics addressed throughout the movie.
Context
Karen” is a popular hashtag used to refer to white women who act out in public. Karens often demand service industry workers speak to them, are anti-vaccination, and engage in racist microaggressions.
Some may argue the term is sexist, while others maintain it’s simply a way of calling attention to these behaviors. Unfortunately, these actions often become emboldened by privilege and driven by an unchecked sense of superiority.
No matter your opinion on context, it’s essential to comprehend its impact on how we interpret a video. Context can be defined as historical, cultural or social and it shapes how we interpret events and situations.
In June, Stacy Talbert’s “Karen” videos went viral online when she filmed herself on the verge of tears due to fear her McDonald’s food might have been tampered with since she is a police officer. These video snippets were met with derision and ridicule on social media platforms.
But there’s an increasing number of “Karen” videos taking place in real life – being filmed at parks, during school board meetings, on airplanes and even parking garages.
Karen public freakouts can be extremely dangerous and should never be tolerated by anyone. Some incidents have turned into violence, with some even reporting deaths due to these Karens.
According to a 2018 study by Amnesty International, every 30 seconds a woman experiences sexual harassment or abuse on social media platforms.
Sexism usually takes the form of misogynistic remarks that degrade women based on their gender. It’s very common for women to experience these messages on social media, with sexist comments easily found on Twitter.
If you witness someone acting inappropriately on video, take a screenshot and send it to the individual involved. Doing this can help defuse the situation and protect you from further abuse or harassment.
