Is the Male Version of Karen a Thing?

Karma for Karens
By Karma for Karens
11 Min Read

Karen has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way of denoting an entitled, arrogant middle-aged white woman.

What’s the Male Version of Karen?

Female Karens often sport bob-cut haircuts, making them stand out in social circles. Male Karens typically possess white skin, a tall frame, an American passport (maybe), and are likely involved with alt-right groups.

Karen is the internet term for a middle-aged white woman who displays herself as entitled, privileged and obnoxious. It has gained widespread adoption over the last few years as an Internet phenomenon.

Karen jokes started as an attempt to convey the anger of an ex-husband, but have become ubiquitous symbols for all sorts of irritations. From mothers giving their kids Halloween rations to taking snapagram photos while working out to stressed-out parents driving their kid to soccer practice – you can find examples of the Karen effect everywhere.

Though Karen has achieved great popularity, there remains one aspect that people still debate: what should we call the male version?

The issue arises from the fact that Karens are women – white, middle aged mothers from America who wear a specific bob cut style and are seen as dominating figures within their social circles.

However, the rise of male versions of Karen memes on Reddit has been particularly surprising. While naming men has long been a hot topic on the Internet, its popularity has taken an unexpected turn with the spread of the Karen meme.

According to Know Your Meme, the term “Karen” originated with parodies about an ex-husband’s racist rants and has since evolved to encompass all manner of irritations and vitriol. Nowadays, it’s used to refer to middle aged white suburban women who utilize their privilege and power for harassment or intimidation against others.

Karens have often been associated with racism, as the term is typically used to target minorities. The coronavirus outbreak of 2020 served as an example of this, with people identifying themselves as Karens harassing waiters and clerks for refusing to get vaccinated.

Karen memes began as jokes in 2017, but have become a serious cultural phenomenon by 2020 and beyond. Their popularity surged during the coronavirus outbreak and continue to be an uproariously controversial source of humor for people across America. Despite its growing appeal, there’s still no agreement on what to call the male version of Karen – even Reddit is divided on this matter!

Why is the Male Version of Karen a Thing?

Karen is a term commonly used to describe an upper middle aged white woman. She typically sports a bob cut haircut and is perceived as high maintenance.

Since its emergence in the mid-2010s, the Karen meme has grown beyond a passing trend. It has become a derogatory term for entitled, sagging middle aged white women who tend to act entitled and complacent when confronted with difficult behavior. People may use phrases like “don’t be a Karen” or “all right, Karen” when feeling frustrated by someone else’s conduct.

Recently, the term has gained significant traction due to its association with several contentious social media incidents. For instance, two white men called the cops on an Asian-American doctor visiting his parents in a housing development, or Mark and Patricia McCloskey – St. Louis lawyer couple pictured brandishing guns at protesters they feared might target their home – were both linked to this term.

However, some have also attributed the name to people who refused to wear masks during the United States coronavirus pandemic. Those accused of doing so are seen as aggressively harassing service workers and abusing their white privilege by failing to recognize the risks associated with exposure to this virus.

Are these really “Karens”? If so, why do we refer to them that way?

Male Karens are becoming more common online. There are countless stories online about men labeled “Karens,” some even worse than their female counterparts.

It’s difficult to tell whether male Karens are simply more rude than their female counterparts, or if they possess greater self-control. Whatever the case may be, Karens exist nonetheless.

Internet stories often have a humorous tone and make us appreciate our baristas and waiters even more. But there’s another side to Karen – one that many men would rather ignore.

They are particularly guilty of spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories on social media about the coronavirus, which has become a source of outrage in the US where multiple cases have made headlines.

Where is the Male Version of Karen?

Karen is an internet meme depicting an entitled, arrogant woman who lacks social skills. She gives her children reasons to wear costumes on Halloween, drives an SUV to soccer practice, loves Snapchat and, at the end of a long day, gathers with friends to drink copious amounts of wine.

This term has become widely popularized in popular culture and even associated with racist stereotypes, such as when a female Karen harassed a white woman in San Francisco. However, it remains unclear where this term originated or who popularized it.

Many people assume Karen was inspired by the Mean Girls character, but it could have originated elsewhere. One popular theory suggests it originates from 1989 gangster film Goodfellas. In this movie, a stay-at-home mother who faithfully obeys her husband Henry Hill through trials of infidelity and domestic violence is referred to as “Karen.”

My observations and experience may not apply to everyone, but this has been my own perception. The earliest example of a male Karen was an employee refusing to wear his mask at a restaurant; since then, more stories have come out about this phenomenon.

Other male Karens include Donald Trump (Karen in chief), Elon Musk (space Karen), and Tucker Carlson, who was accused of harassment at one point. These individuals typically sport a blonde bob cut and an American passport; however it remains uncertain whether or not they belong to alt-right groups.

Since 2020, the male version of Karen has been growing in popularity on the Internet. It has a much smaller subreddit than female Karens, with an average monthly post count of just a few hundred – an astounding figure for a meme trend that began as an innocent joke and has since become highly controversial.

No official name has been chosen for the male Karen yet, though several people have tried to suggest one. Ken is currently the most popular option, though other names such as Kyle, Kevin and Donald Trump have also been suggested. While all are valid options, none quite fit the bill when it comes to what we would like the masculine version of Karen to be called.

What’s the Difference Between a Male Karen and a Female Karen?

If you’re a fan of internet comedy, chances are you’ve encountered the term “Karen” at some point. This term refers to an upper class white woman who exhibits behaviors rooted in privilege; these women have been known to call the police on black people, degrade service industry workers and commit racist micro-aggressions against others.

As such, the term has become widely used as an insult against Karens. While not intended as a sexist slur, many Karens have reported feeling uncomfortable and ashamed when their name is used this way.

In 2017, this term began as a joke on Reddit and has since spread across other social media platforms as an insult directed at middle-class white women. It’s often associated with those who are anti-vaccination, make racist micro-aggressions and demand to speak to the manager when they want to demean a service worker.

It can also be used to refer to someone who takes advantage of their privilege and uses it for sexism, racism and classism. This individual may sport a short-haired bob cut, appear overly confident and use sexist or racist language.

Some of these people are white, but many are Asian or Latino. Typically middle aged or older, with children in tow, and perhaps with a family history of racism or sexism to their name.

Media often refers to these people as “Karens,” and they’re frequently featured in viral videos. Other names for them might include “Becky” or “Chad.”

Karen is a stereotypical middle-class white woman who opposes vaccination, engages in racist microaggressions, and holds racist views. When she wants to denigrate someone or demand to speak with someone from management, Karen often calls the police or demands an audience with them.

Male Karens may or may not be anti-vaccine or anti-immigrant, but they do tend to share certain characteristics with female Karens and are sometimes referred to as “Ken.” A male Ken typically has white skin, an athletic build, an American passport (maybe), and involvement with alt-right groups.

Share This Article