Karen has become a widely used disparaging term to refer to any white woman perceived as entitled or demanding beyond what is expected.
Last month British feminist commentator Julie Bindel tweeted that using the label “Karen” is misogynistic and class prejudiced. She added: “The ‘Karen’ slur is woman hating and born out of class prejudice.”
Pejorative
Karen has become an increasingly common derogatory term used to label white women who are seen as entitled or demanding beyond what is expected of them. It is especially used as a slur against middle-aged white women and has been linked to several recent incidents where those bearing the name have been accused of racist behaviour.
The term has been around for some time, but has gained in prominence over the past few months. It’s especially been attached to a group of women accused of refusing to wear face masks in shops and disobeying quarantine regulations following a coronavirus outbreak.
Karen has seen a precipitous decrease in popularity since 1965, reaching its highest point of 2020.
There are various reasons why this might be happening, and one possible factor is social media trends. “Shortenings could also be contributing factors,” Dr. I.M. Nick, a name expert and former president of the American Name Society told CNN.
Another explanation for the Karen trend is that it’s part of an ancient tradition of eponyms – names representing certain archetypes or stereotypes, like Scrooge in Dickens’ classic novel. Eponyms have often served to reinforce existing social rules and power imbalances.
For instance, “Sharon” and “Tracy” from the 1980s British sitcom Birds of a Feather were seen as dismissive towards younger working-class women. Conversely, the Karen meme is generally seen as an attack on middle-aged white women who act entitled and demanding in public rather than a reference to wealth-hoarding characters from fiction.
Some have noted that the term isn’t necessarily offensive, as it can serve to draw attention to unjust situations and those who get away with being racist, entitled and ignorant. On the other hand, some have criticized it for being sexist and ageist in nature – an attempt to discount those who aren’t as young and modern as us all.
Slang
Karen is a slang term commonly used to denote white women who are seen as entitled or demanding beyond what is expected of them. While some believe the term evolved from being simply an insulting term to become something negative, its exact origins remain uncertain.
Slang words have become increasingly prevalent on social media in recent years. Most often, you can see them depicted through memes featuring white women asserting their rights by demanding what they want – whether that means fighting Starbucks employees for a cup of coffee or calling the police on black people who ask them to leash their dog in Central Park.
Although some women have employed the slang word in a positive light, such as with the Wall of Moms bloc in Portland’s current protest movement, others have expressed concern that it is misogynistic and sexist. Bindel suggests that this might be due to class prejudice a la “Sharon” and “Tracy,” which were once popular terms used to dismiss working-class women in 1980s Britain.
According to Social Security data, Karen was once the fourth most popular name for newborn girls. But by 2020, its prevalence has decreased drastically due to slang terms that have effectively eliminated some of these once common names.
Linguists believe the slang term Karen originated from a shortened version of the name “Kara.” It’s also associated with a character from a Nintendo video game; in that game, a white woman named Karen was seen as an annoying and petty individual with an aggressively blond bob haircut.
Slang can be entertaining to observe, but it’s essential to remember there are specific meanings behind each word and its usage. For instance, the popular slang term Karen has taken on a life of its own; many people interpret its original meaning differently than intended.
Some people hold a very negative opinion of the term Karen, including feminist activists and comedians such as Amy Poehler who claim it to be an example of sexism. Furthermore, many women have taken issue with how this slang term has been used to objectify and privilege white women.
Memes
Karen has become a widely used pejorative term to denigrate white women perceived as entitled or demanding beyond what is expected. Its spread through memes, social media platforms and Twitter, where it is frequently retweeted or shared.
The exact origins of this meme, which has been around for some time, remain uncertain. Though linguists have identified it in old Reddit posts about a man complaining about his ex-wife Karen receiving custody of their children, it is believed that this may not have been its sole inspiration.
Karens have become increasingly popular on social media, appearing in videos which demonstrate their arrogant and self-important attitude. These individuals tattle on customers, harass others for reasons which often revolve around race, and complain about anti-masker measures despite them being completely made up.
When the coronavirus pandemic started, a new wave of Karens emerged who refused to wear masks, believing it all to be an elaborate misunderstanding and overblown. These women often experience meltdowns in shops and coffee shops as they try to escape mandatory face covering.
Karens have been accused of being nuisances by some internet users, yet legal action hasn’t been taken against them. However, some Karens have been called out online by individuals who perceive them to be racist or misogynist.
Particularly, Central Park Karen, who falsely called the police on an innocent Black man in Central Park and claimed he was threatening her life, should be taken seriously and penalized. No matter her opinion about what occurred, this act of racism and sex should be taken seriously and severely punished.
Given this context, it’s no surprise that Karens have begun to draw the attention of local governments. On October 20, for instance, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance criminalizing racially-based 911 calls.
The CAREN Act would make it a hate crime to call the police on someone based solely on race or ethnicity. Hopefully, this legislation will put an end to the actions of so-called “Karen” and protect victims.
Expletive
During the 1950s and 1960s, Karen was one of the most popular names for girls. But it fell out of the top 1000 baby names in 2020, making it the 831st most common.
In its current incarnation, Karen has become an expletive term used as slang for a white woman perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is expected. The word is particularly relevant to women who are viewed as exercising power dynamics in a harmful or even potentially dangerous way. It’s a term that’s gaining popularity on social media and is also being used to describe the behavior of many of the people who protest the coronavirus and other racial justice issues online, said Jeremy Schimkowitz, a social psychologist at University of California, Los Angeles.
It’s a term that’s been used to criticize and shame women who engage in what is seen as selfish or racist behavior. A recent viral video featuring Amy Cooper, the wife of former president Barack Obama, calling the police on a Black man in Central Park is one of the most infamous cases of this new iteration of Karen.
While some argue that the slang has taken on an offensive and misogynistic tone, others say it’s an honest way to call out unjust situations. This slang is rooted in black American culture, says Ayo Attiah, an associate professor of sociology at University of Maryland, College Park.
The slang’s current iteration is most often used by white women who feel they are entitled to certain things or have been subjected to injustice in the past. It’s a way for women to express their anger and frustration when they see that others aren’t getting the respect or treatment they deserve, says Attiah.
In 2020, the word “Karen” began to appear more and more frequently on social media, in reaction to a variety of events. It spread most notably during the time when the coronavirus pandemic was in full force, when protests against social distancing measures and those who treated the outbreak as permission to unfairly police were at the forefront of social media conversations.
