One of the hottest trends on social media right now is calling out “Karens,” or middle-class white women who behave badly in public and often demand that their demands be heard.
Meme curators Riley Beek and Blake Bell have taken advantage of the moment with their new Instagram page, “karensgoingwild,” which has already amassed over 1.6 million followers in just six days.
1. A Man Caught on Camera Calling the Police on a Woman
When you think of Karens, images likely come to mind of disgruntled middle-aged white women who cause public scenes when they don’t get their way. There have been numerous stories of rude Karens caught on camera in public places such as airports, restaurants and hotels.
Many have been arrested for harassing or intimidating their neighbors, including an off-duty Chicago police officer who was caught on camera fatally shooting a man she claimed tried to grab her gun. Another woman from Miami was allegedly abducted while walking down the street.
However, there’s another side to the Rude Karen story that can be captured on camera. In one viral video, a woman named “Dog Park Karen” sought out law enforcement after she appeared to strangle her dog when a Black man approached her at a dog park.
Police captured the incident on video, sparking global protests against racial injustice. While we’ve come a long way since Dane Cook’s 2005 comedy about a white girl named Karen, some still struggle to see themselves as good people.
Recently, Larissa Cogan of Australia visited “Karen’s” in a shopping centre and was shocked by the waiters’ rude behavior – they even stole an onion ring off her plate! Larissa posted video footage to her TikTok account which has gone viral with over 15 million views.
After the video went viral, she tweeted that staff at the restaurant had gone too far by taking food off customers’ plates. As part of their international tour with 14 permanent locations, there are strict rules about not making racist or sexist comments, throwing food or body shaming guests.
The UK branch of the restaurant follows similar policies as their other locations around the world, and anyone using any sexist, racist or homophobic slur will be immediately removed from the venue.
2. A Woman Caught on Camera Calling the Police on a Man
One of the most shocking incidents involved police beating a man to a pulp during an otherwise routine traffic stop. Footage of the incident went viral online, inspiring support from activists and law enforcement officials across America. Tamir Nichols, 22, had been stopped for driving his dream car when police pulled up alongside him in Memphis, Tennessee. Video captured Nichols lying on the ground with two officers holding handcuffs and several riot police en route – leaving him bleeding on the ground with police handcuffed.
The video depicts the man mentioned above and several other unidentified men ranging in height from 5 feet to 8 feet tall. One man is seen wearing shiny silver aviators while driving a red sports coupe; moreover, the footage was captured with two high-definition body worn cameras. Furthermore, some reports have suggested that some of the suspects were drunk as skunks at the time of the scuffle. Despite repeated public appeals for information, police have yet to release names of those involved.
3. A Woman Caught on Camera Calling the Police on a Man
Karen’s Diner has long been known for their unfriendly service and disregard of orders, but this restaurant chain has now been accused of going too far when a staff member was caught on camera taking an onion ring off a customer’s plate.
Larissa Cogan, a social media influencer from Australia, captured the waiter on TikTok video. The post depicted the staff member taking an onion ring before devouring it. With over 15 million views and criticism from Twitter users alike, Larissa’s post has been labeled as an ‘outrageous step’.
On Thursday night in Maryland, a similar incident occurred. The Montgomery County Police Department is investigating a white officer who used the n-word while speaking with four black men outside of McDonald’s restaurant in Silver Spring.
Police department body camera video and an Instagram Live video recorded by one of the men being questioned both show a female officer using the n-word in an apparent playful tone while speaking to them. She appears to be snickering at them while using sexual innuendo, according to reports.
It comes after a video has gone viral showing two sheriff’s deputies beating a man to death during a traffic stop. While the footage is shocking, it’s evident that this act of heroism occurred. In response, the sheriff has declared two additional deputies to be relieved of duty and has launched an investigation into their actions.
4. A Woman Caught on Camera Calling the Police on a Man
Stories abound of rude Karens caught on camera in public places. Sometimes these women yell at police officers or are filmed eating or gassing up at restaurants or gas stations. But one particularly noteworthy case involves Abigail Elphick who was captured on video attacking a Black woman inside Victoria’s Secret store in New Jersey.
Ijeoma Ukenta, who posts videos on her YouTube channel regularly, captured the incident. In the videos which have been viewed more than one million times, we see Abigail Elphick (identified in police reports as White woman) charging at her and becoming hysterical when she realized she was being recorded.
According to the Daily Mail, Ukenta encountered Elphick at Victoria’s Secret in Short Hills Mall on Sunday. She began recording the woman as she charged towards her with her hand open as if to strike her; however, once Elphick realized she was being recorded, she went into full hysterics and suffered a complete meltdown.
She became furious and even went on a rampage through the store, demanding not to be professionally or socially shunned. She threatened to file a lawsuit against Ukenta but ultimately decided not to.
Though this video may seem extreme, it’s an iconic example of what the internet refers to as a “Karen.” This term has been used in an effort to denigrate white middle class women who feel entitled to their own behavior. These entitled individuals often request advice or contact law enforcement over seemingly inane incidents.
Karen has been caught on camera before, and it won’t be the last. But this serves as a reminder that you should never trust anyone or anything that appears suspicious; their actions could be indicative of something more serious.
Karens can usually be identified by her bob haircut and request to speak to a manager. But being Karen requires more than that: being one requires certain characteristics.
