Karens can be seen everywhere and it can be quite amusing to witness them being put in their places. Therefore, there are numerous internet groups dedicated to documenting these entitled a-holes’ ridiculous tantrums for all of us to gawk at.
Redditors have proven their mettle when it comes to taking down those who believe the world revolves around them, including some great entitled-karen stories. Here are a few.
1. A woman with a heart attack
As women named Karen, it seems to be part of their DNA to act entitled and self-satisfied. From smugly sporting “Speak to the Manager” haircuts to crying over lattes at Starbucks, there is one type of Karen that exists all throughout our society, which thanks to social media is now well known.
Know Your Meme reports that Karen became an online target after women who act entitled and arrogant were widely condemned online. People even shared stories on r/F—YouKaren that depict these instances of behavior online; one woman became known for coughing on people at Starbucks while another person blocked someone from parking spots at Victoria’s Secret store; both instances are often called Karens.
While some have criticized this term as being offensively sexist and stereotyping middle-aged white women, others use it as an effective means to expose casual racism and privilege. People have observed how Karens can often act self-centered and make life hard for service workers trying to help.
One Karen doesn’t mind being called Karen despite any negative associations attached to it; in fact, she uses her Karen persona as part of her activism efforts. After initially feeling embarrassed or shocked at being labeled one, she now uses it online fame to promote women’s rights and show people how to stand up for themselves; additionally she hopes people may use this Karen meme to become more mindful of other’s feelings and needs.
2. A woman with a dog
Recently, the Karen meme has gained either fame or infamy (depending on your perspective), thanks to viral videos depicting her public freakouts and meltdowns. A typical Karen is usually an entitled white female who believes everything revolves around them; additionally she can often be very outspoken about matters pertaining to politics or social media that she feels strongly about.
Karen has earned the reputation for being a notorious tattletale, calling the police on people of color for seemingly inconsequential offenses such as asking them to leash their dog in Central Park. Such behavior earned her the monicker “Karen” on social media; her overbearing, snotty demeanor and blonde choppy bob haircut earned her this name on social media platforms such as Reddit.
These days, there are so many Karens out there that it isn’t uncommon to run into one in any location – from grocery stores and malls to restaurants and even cafes. These individuals believe the world will end if their way isn’t followed and will do whatever is necessary to achieve this end goal.
From screaming over mislabeled prices to calling the police on an African American woman for walking her dog, here are a selection of stories about entitled Karens that show that sometimes, those who speak loudest may not always be the smartest.
In recent years, the Karen stereotype has gained considerable traction online; an entire subreddit dedicated to it amasses over 600,000 members and has inspired memes aimed at ridiculing her. Some argue this stereotype is sexist while others point out its ability to highlight issues of racism and privilege that often remain ignored within mainstream society.
3. A woman with a baby
Karen with children can display all the same entitlement as any other Karen. When this Karen comes with children in tow, they often demand they be served first and get angry when they don’t get what they want (be it food or seat). Once this person starts throwing tantrums or making inappropriate remarks, people around her feel uncomfortable and will want to distance themselves as much as possible from them.
Karen has become the go-to term for white women who display characteristics of spoiled, immature or entitled behavior in public settings. The “Karen” meme first gained momentum back in 2014 on Reddit when it posted an image depicting a woman with a “Speak to the Manager” haircut gaining steam – Know Your Meme notes this is now widely recognized across multiple forums and Reddit threads. Her popularity increased exponentially with celebrity mom Kate Gosselin’s divorce in 2009 which eventually lead to an 11 year long custody battle between herself and her former husband over their children with ex-husband ex-husband, according to Know Your Meme.
Karen has come to symbolize white women who are easily offended and lack empathy towards people of color, leading many critics and progressives to accuse their internet obsession with viral Karens of racism and other offenses. Critics also argue that calling these women by name gives them power of anonymity that gives rise to accusations against sexism and racism.
On the other hand, some contend that generalizing all Karens to act in one manner is unfair and detrimental to their wellbeing. Furthermore, it should be noted that women referred to by media as Karens often engage in racist behaviors with support from privileged people online.
4. A woman with a meltdown
The Karen meme has become especially relevant during the coronavirus pandemic, often used to mock people who disregard social distancing measures and use the pandemic as an excuse to police others. While “Karen” can refer to any white woman calling the police on people of color (also referred to as Permit Patty”, BBQ Becky” and Dog Park Karen). Advocate Alicia Sanchez Gill describes this archetype as being representative of racist privilege.
So it is no wonder that social media has been filled with clips of Karens venting their outrage and calling the police on Black neighbors, particularly with President Trump normalizing bigotry and Fox News personalities painting diversity as the enemy resurfacing, only emboldening Karens to act like this.
While some Karens, like Amy Cooper in the viral video of her COVID-19-induced tantrum, may simply use their privilege to ease life for themselves, others are actually endangering both themselves and those around them – and that poses serious consequences.
So it is crucial to recognize when someone is being an “Karen,” not simply through her annoying outbursts but what they are actually used for. Once that occurs, action should be taken against their illicit gains – and one San Francisco politician has taken steps in order to do just that: Shamann Walton proposed legislation making it illegal for any person – including “Karens” – who falsely report a non-emergency situation, such as someone of color committing a crime right in front of them without valid reason or justification.
5. A woman with a parking ticket
Karen, the name of a former reality TV star, has become synonymous with entitled white women who demand to speak with managers whenever they have issues. Viral videos showing Karens making inappropriate and rude public outbursts have gone viral online; some have even been identified as racist; one “Karen” coughed on a couple at a New York City bagel shop while another called police on an Filipino man spray-painting Black Lives Matter on their property.
These Karens have gained prominence due to their outrageous demands that treat life as though the end will come any second now. You can often spot them at restaurants, supermarkets, parking lots or work. Their actions leave most of us wanting to hide under our blankets in horror before praying for an end of days event to come soon enough.
Some Facebook and Twitter posts, comments and accounts promote hatred towards immigrants and people of color; anti-vaxxers have an oppositional stance toward immmigrs and are anti-vacxx. Such people cannot be reasoned with even when wearing pink sweaters with cashmere-filled purses.
Karens may be far less common than they appear online, and the internet is having some fun at their expense. A subreddit known as r/F—YouKaren was established in 2017 to “dedicate itself to hatred of Karen,” according to Know Your Meme (which tracks memes). Victims can share their stories of abuse by Karens on this platform while others use her meme as a way of showing support for marginalized groups.