This year, the Karen Meme has gained widespread adoption on social media platforms as a way of discussing classism, misogyny and racial tensions.
Karen, the overly concerned white woman who always wants to speak to the manager in a comedy sketch, has become something of an archetype for women who exhibit selfish or racist public behavior.
1. Twitter
Karen Memes have seen a meteoric rise in popularity on Social Media Platforms over the last few years. These jokes typically feature someone known as “Karen,” usually an older white woman. Unfortunately, these types of remarks may be perceived as racist or based on skin color because they make fun of someone perceived to be white.
This trend began on Twitter and has since spread to other platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, where it is becoming increasingly popular among millennials. According to Twitter, Karen is a nickname for women who demonstrate entitlement, ignorance and a lack of self-control in everyday situations.
Women who call the police on black people, cough on patrons at bagel shops and shout “Black Lives Matter” in a Manhattan park – as recently filmed by YouTuber Kidz Bop – are just some of the examples being highlighted in this ongoing conversation about race and racism in America.
While many are laughing at these jokes, others are questioning any potential sexism or gender discrimination associated with the name “Karen.” Here’s why.
In addition to being a sexist joke, the term can also be interpreted as age discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act protects against discrimination based on an individual’s actual or perceived age and offers workers numerous age-based rights under the law.
Employers cannot discriminate against employees based on age or retaliate against those who file complaints of age discrimination. Companies could still be sued for failing to accommodate an employee who exhibits age discrimination, as well as failing to hire or fire qualified personnel.
However, this term can be applied to anyone perceived to have a certain characteristic (like skin color). It’s not uncommon for women to be mistreated due to their hair style or whether they possess acrylic nails.
Some have argued that the term is sexist, especially in light of recent viral videos which shame white women for their actions during the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, those who oppose social distancing measures or believe the pandemic has given them license to unfairly police others have capitalized on it.
2. Instagram
Karen Memes have caused a stir on social media, leaving people divided. Some say they’re simply for fun while others believe they are racist and ageist in nature.
“Karen” has become a commonly-used term on social media in recent years to describe various white women – from those who ask to speak to the manager at Starbucks about an inconvenience, to those who call the police on Black people for asking them to put their dog on a lead. While some have found this label sexist, many others see it as simply another way of discussing casual racism and privilege.
Instagram users have taken to rebranding themselves as “Karen” to mock a certain type of suburban mom who exploits her white privilege. These fake “Karen” accounts are all about playing out role plays with offensive language on TikTok to gain attention and attention.
Teens who create these “Karen” accounts tend to be dedicated fans of Billie Eilish. They often engage in Instagram DM group chats to talk about their favorite songs and use the hashtags ‘#KarenCult’ and ‘#KarenSun.’
Recent months have seen an uptick in popularity of these memes, especially amid the coovirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests. According to Brandwatch data, social media mentions have seen a dramatic spike during these times.
Karensgoingwild” posts often depict a woman shouting at a police officer as she approaches with arms outstretched, until he tases her and she falls to the ground outside a gas station. Or she might be in a restaurant complaining that meat sent back for cooking was already done by someone else in her party.
In the COVID pandemic, the term ‘Karen’ has gained new relevance and is becoming a common descriptor to describe those who use the disease as an excuse to oppress their community. Videos featuring “Karens,” who brawl with Red Lobster staff members over food delays and then claim they were robbed, are just two examples of many viral “Karen” videos.
3. Facebook
Karen Memes have become highly popular on Social Media Platforms and have come to symbolize middle-aged white women who feel entitled to a lot. Whether they are seen wearing an outrageous hairstyle, demanding to speak to the manager, or acting racistally, they are quickly labeled a “Karen”.
The term has been criticized for being sexist, ageist and classist. A subreddit called r/F-YouKaren, dedicated to shameing “Karens,” has amassed more than 600,000 members according to Know Your Meme.
At first, this term was applied to white women who were seen as possessing entitlement in public. These individuals were labeled “Karens” for things such as demanding to speak to the manager, being racist, or wearing a certain bob cut hairstyle.
In 2020, the term “Karen” became a trending online topic, particularly during protests for racial justice. This term was associated with white women engaging in behaviors perceived as selfish or racist – such as the “Central Park Karen,” who called police on a Black man for birdwatching in a park.
Some have condemned the term for its sexist and misogynistic nature, while others have defended it. According to Niamh Attiah – a writer and associate professor of cultural studies at the University of California, Los Angeles – “this slang often serves as an attempt to find humor within real-world racism and oppression.”
She noted that the term was born out of black American internet culture and represents an attempt to find humor within real-world, complex issues of race and racism. Attiah did not consider the name to be offensive but she wanted to address how white women were being labeled “Karens” for behaviors which might be seen as sexist or racist.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, people sharing misinformation on social media were labeled as “Karens.” As this crisis has disproportionately affected people of color, refusal to wear face coverings as protection from exposure is seen as “Karen” behavior.
4. Tumblr
The Karen Meme has been around for some time, but its popularity on social media platforms is growing exponentially. It has proven to be a fantastic trend in online marketing and one of the best ways to reach a wide audience.
The exact origins of the Karen Meme are uncertain, but it seems to have been connected with an uptick in Black Lives Matter protests and racial tensions across America. During these times many people have displayed unreasonable behavior towards others which has been labeled as a Karen-like incident.
Some of these incidents have been documented on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Reddit. This has given rise to a Karen Meme phenomenon where women post humorous images and videos depicting typically middle-aged white women behaving badly in public.
These pictures and videos have become widely shared on various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Estimates suggest that over 1.6 million users have seen these images and videos on Instagram alone – making them increasingly popular with the general public.
In the midst of this trend, meme curators Riley Beek and Blake Bell launched an Instagram page called Karens Going Wild that has seen rapid growth in followers.
Their page features screenshots and video clips of middle-aged white women who act up in public, often being rude to police officers and customer service workers. The couple claims they don’t actually scout the streets for misbehaving Karens; rather, they pull content from different sources while blurring out their names when possible.
Though this can be a great way to increase the visibility of your brand, it could also be seen as a violation of workplace policies and laws designed to prevent discrimination and harassment. Employers who haven’t updated their social media policies with current trends face particular risks in this regard.
Furthermore, offensive or discriminatory content on social media could expose an employer to lawsuits in state or federal court. Therefore, employers should have a comprehensive social media policy in place that adheres to employee rights under the law and which they have shared with employees so they understand it.
