Karen has become an iconic character in popular culture. She can be found in literature, film and television as well as being used as a verbal insult on social media platforms.
She is often depicted as an embodiment of customer entitlement, symbolizing the absence of consumer agency and recourse in contemporary retail culture.
Characters
Karens appear frequently in literature and media. Often depicted as archetypal characters, especially for children and young adults, these characters possess a range of traits and personalities.
They may experience intense feelings and emotions they want to express with others. Additionally, they may have issues that they need help resolving or working through, as well as issues related to health or relationships.
Karens in literature are typically depicted as determined and intelligent individuals with an intensely romantic side. Books featuring Karens often feature them as protagonists or main characters, making them popular with readers and often bestsellers.
Literature features many types of Karens, each with their own distinct traits. Some may be gifted at solving puzzles or diagnosing medical issues while others possess extreme shyness or difficulty expressing their emotions.
Karen is a frequent character in film. For instance, Karen’s Witch, which is based on a book published as part of the Babysitters Club series, stars as its heroine.
She is often the heroine of historical novels. These tales often focus on women in history and feature captivating characterizations and plotlines that keep readers intrigued.
Karens often feature a mother who is typically angry and judgmental. She may have an attitude problem or be too focused on meeting her own needs to notice those of others.
She may exhibit overly possessive or protective behavior. They may also harbor strong opinions or convictions which they do not feel comfortable sharing with others.
Karens can also be quite irritating and obnoxious. For instance, they might be a middle-aged white woman with an attitude that says “speak to the manager”, who acts with entitlement and ignorance.
Karen stereotypes are widely popular on the internet. These characters tend to be overrepresented on social media and in news reports.
Poems
Karen Head is a writer and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, as well as the inaugural Poet Laureate for Fulton County. Her two collections of poetry, Lost on Purpose and Sassing, have been widely published in various publications; additionally, Karen edits award-winning digital journal AfterWords.
Her doctoral work in Human Sciences examined how people construct meaning from texts and images, exploring both textual and visual practices. Currently, she’s working on a project that examines how children’s literature and culture create meaning at both conscious and unconscious levels, exploring how stories, books, and art intersect with cultural critical theory and aesthetic theory.
Her research is interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary, drawing from disciplines such as philosophy, literary studies, critical theory, media and cultural studies. She is particularly intrigued by how text and image convey social, political, and economic values.
She has published articles in a range of academic journals. Additionally, her book The Incongruous Sense of Place (University of California Press, 2006) won the American Literary Translators Association’s Award for Translation in 2007.
Her forthcoming publications include The Other Side: An Anthology of Writings on Social Justice and the Environment (University of California Press) and Unspoken: A Collection of Contemporary Poems About Place (University of Alabama Press). She has had work featured in publications such as The New Yorker, Oxford Review, Paris Review and The Best American Poetry Series.
As an academic, she has received numerous fellowships and research grants from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, German Ministry of Education and Science, American Historical Research Commission (AHRC), Institute of Advanced Study Berlin award among others.
She has an interest in letters, print culture and literary translation. She recently translated Jacek Dehnel’s Aperture (Zephyr, 2018), which was shortlisted for the PEN Award; and Agnieszka Kuciak’s Distant Lands: An Anthology of Polish Women Poets (White Pine, 2013), which was a finalist in 2014 at National Translation Awards.
Films
Karens appear frequently in literature and film, sometimes being depicted as villains but more often being sympathetic figures. Despite their sometimes difficult personalities, Karens are usually strong-willed women with great power.
In The Help (2009), Miss Hilly Holbrook is a character with racist prejudice and aggression who plays an integral role in the Civil Rights Movement. Her prejudicial behavior stems from her class privilege as an over-privileged white woman; similarly, Bryce Dallas Howard portrays this same character as both racist and misogynistic in The Help (2011) film version.
Similar themes are explored in The Pact (2019). This film follows Karen, an orphan named Karen as she seeks her fortune in New York City and meets a mysterious old man with a shamanistic heritage. As a young girl she falls in love with him but their relationship is threatened by his daughter.
Karens in films tend to have a distinct tone and aesthetic, yet they often convey an intense sense of anger and frustration. These scenes can be interpreted as caricatures of how white female rage is often exploited for social gain.
One such racialized form of Karen is the “Central Park Karen,” whose viral video standoff with a black man in Manhattan’s Central Park has been widely covered by the media. In that video, a white woman called the police on him after he offered his dog for treats; many condemned this incident as an offense against public decorum.
Karens appear in various media. For instance, in the television show The Baby-Sitters Club, Karen is determined to write her own book despite her mother’s protestations that it won’t happen. Karen eventually finds a way to make it happen anyway.
Karen from the American television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a character who often expresses her emotions through comedy. Unfortunately, Karen uses humor as an escape from dealing with real issues such as anorexia and abuse at the hands of her parents.
Television
Karen has become a ubiquitous slang term for white women who are perceived as intolerant and aggressive towards others, especially minorities. Its use has grown in prevalence due to the growth of social media platforms and racial social justice movements.
The internet is full of jokes about these women, who are usually labeled “Karens” after calling the police on black people. For instance, “Central Park Karen” was given to a white woman who called police on a black birder in Manhattan’s Central Park when she believed he was threatening her. Other examples include “BBQ Becky,” who called cops on black families having barbecues, and “Dog Park Debbie,” who called cops when her dog humped in a park.
These slang terms can be entertaining to use, but they also serve a social function in that they highlight the inherent entitlement of white middle class members. Karens often spend considerable amounts of time complaining – an act which often comes at the cost of time and resources.
Karens often use complaints as a way to assert their white middle class privilege and enhance their own lives. Unfortunately, these accusations can also create an atmosphere in which Karens are seen as ‘irrational, crazy, out of touch, entitled’.
Black women often use this trope to express their anger and frustration in the face of racism. Amy Cooper’s essay “Angry Black Woman” illustrates this point; Black women are typically seen as ‘irrational, irrational,” which she believes is one reason they are often dismissed.
In 2020, ‘Karen’ has acquired new significance amid increased awareness of coronaviruses and protests for racial justice. She has become the target of what some are now terming ‘pandemic shaming’ – the typologizing of social figures (such as anti-vaxxers) who engage in potentially lethal selfishness and aggression.
Over the past year, this word has spread rapidly as a common slang expression that draws upon both the coronavirus pandemic and growing racial social justice movements. It also underscores an increased focus on what some are calling ‘anti-black state violence’ which has become an urgent public concern. Furthermore, its more violent and aggressive tone underscores its larger racial social justice role in 2020.