There have been multiple news articles detailing the offensive, racist or entitled behaviors of male Karens known as Kens. Sometimes their actions end up leading to serious repercussions for themselves and those around them.
While it can be tempting to refer to such behavior in terms of “white entitlement and privilege” or racism and arrogance, instead let us call it what it truly is: white entitlement and privilege or racism and white arrogance.
1. Amy Cooper’s Video of a Black Man in Central Park
One of the year’s viral videos sparked national and international outrage over racism, when Amy Cooper called police to report an African American birdwatching in New York’s Central Park. Amy told them she felt threatened by this individual.
Christian Cooper, who had gone birding in Central Park’s Ramble section that is home to over 230 species of birds. While out birding, Christian asked her to leash up her dog as required by law in this section of Central Park.
When she refused, he pulled out treats and threatened to kill her unless she left immediately; when she refused again, he pulled out a gun to threaten killing her; at which point, she began screaming at him not to come near her dog and eventually posted the video online, where it quickly went viral.
This incident served as a wake-up call for many around the world in response to protests over Minneapolis police officer Jerome Lockett’s killing of George Floyd by racism; yet it also served as a stark reminder of how many believe racism exists only within certain elements of police force and that any time Black people encounter trouble with law enforcement, it will likely be because they are black.
That assumption led to widespread media coverage; even the Washington Post published an in-depth piece about it based on that premise, framing it as a dispute over dog leash laws but leaving out crucial details: Ms. Cooper’s belief that police would respond more aggressively towards Black men than against white woman birdwatchers like her, like herself.
Such thinking has caused Karens like Amy Cooper to be labeled by mainstream press outlets and other defenders of the status quo as some of “America’s Most Dangerous Women.” These women tend to be middle-aged women with some level of privilege who use this position to use their privilege as leverage against others to push for changes they deem appropriate or necessary – creating an entire generation of women who serve as public representatives for racism in America.
2. A Video of a White Man Refusing to Wear a Face Mask
On Monday evening, three younger men in Tucson yanked an angry man out of a Sprouts Farmers Market by shouting profanities at him and forcing him towards the door before eventually pulling him outside and pushing him away from it. These three individuals weren’t wearing masks or any kind of face covering when they pulled him away, yelling profanities at him before pulling him outside before pushing back on him to push towards exit door before eventually pulling out this individual from within the store.
Over the past several months, public backlash against wearing face masks in public has reached fever pitch. While many Americans follow public health recommendations to wear masks in public to reduce Covid-19 infection risk, others strongly oppose them and view it as an intrusion on freedom and believe people should have control of when and why they cover up their faces.
Face masks present a complex issue, one requiring careful balance between individual rights and social responsibility. Unfortunately, this negotiation has become even more tenuous because there is no vaccine against Covid-19 available; thus many are skeptical of their efficacy and effectiveness.
Problematically, anti-mask protests have been spearheaded by an isolated subset of individuals; most anti-mask protesters are white; those involved with this controversy typically lack experience with either pandemic influenza or flu vaccine administration.
Anti-mask protesters have been empowered by President Donald Trump, who has consistently downgraded and misrepresented the significance of masks in public. He has stated that they don’t think masks are necessary or effective and even hinted they may be harmful – though he has not been seen wearing one publicly since the pandemic started.
Rejecting calls for a national mask mandate and criticizing other countries that have adopted policies to combat Ebola virus disease, the president has also come out against policies being taken by other nations to combat this scourge.
Our society has become increasingly divided on how best to protect health and safety, with government being seen as both necessary and sufficient. At the same time, this demonstrates just how difficult change in communities is made and why so much relies on working together in order to get there.
3. A Video of a White Man Refusing to Curb His Dog
In 2020, video emerged of a white man refusing to curb his dog after being ordered to do so to prevent contracting the coronavirus and was widely known as the “Ken.” Similar instances took place throughout the country and women became known as “Central Park Karen,” after calling police on Black birdwatchers birding in New York’s Central Park; another woman became known as Costco Karen after becoming highly hostile when being asked to wear face masks inside Costco store; yet another was known as Zombie Karen after running into glass doors while screaming racist slurs while screaming racist slurs against passerby; thus becoming known by their respective names as well as “Ken.”
4. A Video of a White Man Refusing to Pick Up His Kids
This video of an unknown white man refusing to pick up his children was shared widely on social media, shining a spotlight on an under-reported pattern of racism in America. America must hold people accountable for any rude, racist, or entitled behaviors if we hope to end this epidemic.
