According to a senior editor at Know Your Meme, the Karen stereotype is an insulting term for middle-aged white women that typically serves to demonstrate their entitlement.
Karen has become a high-profile target of overt racism online in recent months. She fabricates police complaints against black people and has also been observed harassing women of color in public spaces.
The Karen’s Entitlements
Karen is a woman who knows exactly what she wants and will do anything to achieve it.
Karen can often be recognized on social media for her outlandish or even threatening gestures. She may be shouting at her kids over a minor disagreement, or spitting at random passersby with no apparent rhyme or reason.
Karen is known for her tendency to put others’ needs before her own. She might take issue with a white baby’s diaper, or call the police on an African man for daring to cross a busy highway.
Researching the origins of Karen in pop culture can help us better comprehend her appeal. Though her exact origins remain uncertain, her meme is believed to have started as part of stand-up comedy and a 2005 Dane Cook sketch. Subsequently, it gained popularity on Reddit and Twitter as an irreverent parody of self-important women who will call managers for anything from banking information to private purchases.
Social media platforms are likely showing us Karen in all her glory – or at least her most ostentatious version. But it’s not just the most attractive Karen; she stands as a symbol for an institutional failure which has left many Americans feeling deflated and outraged.
It’s worth taking a closer look at the Karen in order to better comprehend her impact on our culture and its effect on collective mental health. To this end, we’ve brought together some experts who can shed light on her many unwise decisions, with the hope of ridding her from our culture before its reputation becomes too much to bear.
The Karen’s Spectacle of Entitlement
The Impact of the Karen Stereotype
Since at least 2020, white women have been labeled “Karens” on social media for their occasional outbursts of anger or other minor offenses in public spaces. These typically middle-aged and white individuals have been documented on Instagram accounts that showcase hundreds of videos showcasing their racist, entitled or inappropriate behavior.
Karen trope has become increasingly prominent on the internet during a time when twin crises of public health and racial social justice have created an atmosphere of increased vulnerability and tension in America. She epitomizes a tense, inarticulate sense of entitlement that many members of middle class who are feeling the strain of their position.
In 2020, Karens displayed a number of behaviors which quickly made them stand out in popular culture: They became impatient with employees who didn’t resolve their problems promptly or apologize for rudeness; they acted visibly angry and dramatic in public; they became frustrated when things didn’t go their way; yelled and pointed guns at others; and called the police to report false threats against them.
These women can be a source of concern for owners and operators of establishments where they shop or dine, who often wonder what causes them to act up and why. And for employees who must deal with them when trying to resolve their problems, these women can be an ongoing headache as well.
Experts note that Karens often display anger out of envy or feeling they deserve more than others, but it’s essential to recognize not all Karens act this way. Some, like Amy Cooper who was recently seen brandishing a gun at peaceful protesters in St. Louis in October, have a reputation for wielding power dynamics in an unhealthy manner.
These women often utter racist insults and feel entitled to certain rights simply due to being female or living in a white area. They believe they have rights that others don’t, which explains why they seek out places where they can exercise power over others.
The Karen’s Scapegoat
The Karen Stereotype
Recently, video footage from around the United States has seen an uptick in incidents involving people labeled “Karens” or “Kens.” Instagram pages like @karensgoingwilds have documented footage of women losing their temper in stores and airplanes; these videos are then shared online where it can draw global attention and condemnation for those involved.
Many commentators view the Karen moniker as a powerful tool for social justice activism, providing people with an outlet to call out inappropriate behavior and discuss it openly in public. It serves as an encouraging beacon that empowers those who feel disenfranchised by a system they perceive has failed them to voice their frustration and disappointment.
As a result of the Karen phenomenon, people are becoming more and more aware of racial tensions in America. Not only has it become an iconic hashtag, but videos featuring Karens may even catch the attention of national news outlets.
Karen video phenomenon has gained momentum, becoming a symbol of many problems. Some can be linked to race; others stem from poverty, mental health issues or lack of employment opportunities.
For instance, the Karen video trend can be linked to mental-health issues like anxiety and depression. But these symptoms could also be brought on by economic stress, family difficulties and political upheaval.
One possible explanation for why Karen videos have gone viral online is that people are still feeling deeply frustrated with the current state of affairs in America. These emotions have been fuelled by President Trump’s trade policies, the loss of manufacturing jobs, COVID-19 pandemic, and an uptick in Black Lives Matter protests.
Denise Dudley, a workplace consultant and author of The Anger Cure, notes that people get angry for many reasons; it’s not unusual for people to lash out at those they perceive as oppressing them. However, she cautions that some may try to mask their feelings by acting like they’re not angry at all.
The Karen’s Displacement
The Karen are a relatively minor ethnic group in Burma, yet they’ve made an impact on media and popular culture. Not only have they contributed to developing Burma’s rice economy, but they have also played an instrumental role in shaping democratic politics there as well.
But there are a few issues with the Karen stereotype. One, it can lead to an unhealthy sense of entitlement in those who possess it.
It can also be employed to dehumanize people of color and give white people an unjustified sense of entitlement.
Due to this, many people of color experience discrimination in society due to either being a minority or having darker skin tones. For instance, 66% of Black adults report having experienced racial harassment or discrimination due to their race.
Contrast this to only 25% of white adults. And it isn’t simply due to having more resources at their disposal to fight back against discrimination they experience.
Human Rights Watch conducted a recent study that revealed Karen women are forcibly displaced more than 100 times throughout their lives, being driven from their homes, communities and sometimes even countries in order to escape violence or persecution by other groups.
Unfortunately, Karen women are often forced into poverty. This is particularly true in rural areas where their ability to provide for their family is severely restricted due to a lack of food and water resources.
Around Burma, a massive humanitarian crisis is unfolding as the government and Burma Army escalate their military offensive against the Karen. This has forced tens of thousands of villagers into the jungle and left numerous schools, clinics, and mining operations in ruins.
In some areas, the Burma Army has invaded villages and taken over homes belonging to families who had lived there for generations. They’ve killed and wounded people, destroyed their livelihoods, destroyed infrastructure, and forced villagers into makeshift camps.
Papun District has seen the greatest displacement since last year, with over 450 new Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) fleeing into makeshift settlements within Karen State or IDP camps along the Thai border. While some remain hiding in the jungle, others have moved to makeshift settlements or IDP camps on either side of conflict lines.
