An increasing number of real-life white women are being labeled Karens online, accused of being sexist, ageist and racist due to exhibiting rude entitlement.
From BBQ Becky to Central Park Karen, women characterized by “Can I speak to the manager?” haircuts and public acts of privilege are becoming a trend – even leading to the creation of subreddit r/F—YouKaren for this particular phenomenon.
What is a ‘Karen’?
Know Your Meme is an online meme encyclopedia that describes Karens, which are fictional white women that act in an annoying, rude, and often entitled manner. Although often associated with middle-aged suburban women, Karen is now used to represent people of all ages and races according to its records. First mentioned online in 2014, Karen quickly gained popularity – depicted as an angry middle-aged white woman acting like she owns whatever space she occupies – whether complaining about charcoal grills in parks or demanding to speak to management regarding issues at work – she acts like she owns every space she occupies; regardless if it be complaining about charcoal grills at her local park or demanding an investigation regarding an issue at work she occupies as though it belongs solely her.
According to Insider, Karens have become so ubiquitous that it is increasingly likely they’ll pop up in everyday conversations – particularly if the meme enters workplaces where employees who call in sick or complain about coworkers might use “Karen” against them as a weapon. Furthermore, anyone identifying themselves as Karen could easily be accused of making up reports in public situations where racism occurs; such accusations would carry more weight because their name would be so easily recognized.
The “Karen” meme may also be misogynistic, given that it often targets women and is usually associated with one generation. Although Beckys, Chads and Kyles can sometimes become targets of jokes related to this term — no male versions have become mainstream versions indicating there could be gender bias involved in how it’s used.
Noteworthy is also that using names as pejoratives has long been a trend in the US, where proper names often stand-in for archetypes or stereotypes; “Scrooge” being one such example. There are also various other racial and cultural slurs being used against certain groups.
No one knows for certain why the Karen stereotype exists, but it likely stems from seeing middle-aged white women acting in annoying or entitled ways. Additionally, many of these women have become widely-known due to their actions — such as Amy Cooper who called the police on Black birder Christian Cooper in Central Park last year before later being arrested herself for such actions.
Who is a ‘Karen’?
Karen is a term commonly used to refer to white women who act insensitively or rudely, often with an air of entitlement. It has become a meme on social media platforms where it often describes those who complain excessively, demand more than they deserve, or engage in acts seen as overtly racist.
The Karen meme has long been around, but recently has gained even greater traction following Amy Cooper’s call to police on a group of Black people barbecuing in Central Park. Cooper’s actions became part of a wider issue regarding police brutality and systemic racism within America; hence why so many created and shared her story by creating and spreading the ‘Karen’ meme.
Since its conception, the Karen meme has continued to gain ground online. Unfortunately, its widespread acceptance has led to real Karens feeling targeted; as their names are used as part of an attempt to mock them.
Though for most it can be unpleasant to be called a Karen, one person behind the subreddit ‘Karens’ (karmacop97) explained it was meant more as a joke two years ago than anything serious; and has only ever expected “a few thousand” redditors to subscribe; now there are 435,000 members posting various examples of ‘Karen-ish” behavior!
As this meme grows, it has become an insult against middle-aged white women perceived as acting entitled. Additionally, this topic has been tied to certain haircuts as well as phrases such as: Can I Speak with the Manager?”
Of course, using proper names to represent archetypes or stereotypes is nothing new, but viral monikers like Karen can be problematic. According to David Dennis Jr. a journalist who has studied the impact of viral monikers and named people by their actual names takes away some of their power and nuance; by assigning these women with anonymity it makes it harder for us to challenge bad behavior directly.
What is a ‘Karen’ for?
Facebook, Instagram or TikTok users likely know about “Karen meme.” The image depicts a middle-aged Caucasian woman sporting a short blonde bob. Karen often engages in arguments and belittles service industry workers; complaining about food orders or calling a manager over seemingly minor inconveniences like too many ice cubes in her drink are just examples of such conduct.
Karen has become a widely used term referencing a certain type of white woman whose behavior stems from privilege, as an archetype that represents entitlement, racism and an insistence upon getting what she wants. This persona was brought into prominence with the introduction of subreddit r/F—YouKaren in 2017 which now boasts over 435,000 subscribers according to Know Your Meme.
Internet-born Karens have garnered criticism as misogynistic and classist. According to British feminist commentator Julie Bindel in a recent opinion piece, their meme could be similar to how characters like Sharon and Tracy from Birds of a Feather were often used by older white women to dismiss working-class female characters during the 80s. Linguist Roly Sussex noted how using Karen as slang is both ageist and gendered and is part of an overall trend of using gendered slang to diminish female power.
As the meme gained in popularity, different characteristics were attached to Karen: soccer mom, divorcee or angry. She could even be depicted as anti-vaxxer or racist depending on context. A more modern form of this character surfaced during the coronavirus pandemic when people like the mayor of Las Vegas were called out for pushing to reopen casinos without first implementing distancing measures that protect vulnerable groups such as immigrants.
Attiah cautions that taking this meme too far may be dangerous, noting the difference between those who complain and those with malicious intentions who call themselves Karens.
Why is a ‘Karen’ so popular?
The Karen meme seems to have struck a nerve with those who perceive it as sexist and ageist. Unlike other internet memes like Kyle, Becky, or Chad – which all bear male names – its use by female users in mockery poses more scrutiny due to being female-based. Using such language about oneself for fun makes one particularly vulnerable when engaging in these actions themselves are being made fun of by peers who use this meme against them.
Karens are often depicted as middle-aged white women with an asymmetrical bob and an arrogance that comes across on social media, calling the police on black people for minor or, at times, even nonexistent infringements and complaining of discrimination at work or public spaces.
Many are questioning whether or not the Karen meme can be classified as racist, sexist or just mean-spirited. Furthermore, its peak popularity dates back to 1965; therefore most women who use their name against others likely belong to boomer or older age groups.
Although the “Karen” stereotype has grown increasingly popular over time, not everyone agrees that such generalized statements accurately portray an entire group of people – some have even accused this meme of fomenting race war.
Professor Sussex told BBC that while she enjoys memes, they tend to “insist on comparing some white people with an entire group based on ethnicity”. Furthermore, this meme fits within a larger trend of using internet memes to attack groups who do not belong to dominant cultures.
Other scholars have observed that while the ‘Karen’ meme may be an example of cultural shorthand, its impact could have been amplified via social media shorthand. Karen-speak can be found anywhere online – from tweets to Instagram bios; furthermore, internet users frequently shorten and abbreviate words in online content creation processes.
