Karen has become synonymous with entitlement and rude behavior, from calling the police on people of color to protesting public restrooms – she uses her privilege for personal gain!
Boston’s new ordinance to penalize and discourage Karens who behave badly is an excellent step toward penalizing and discouraging such conduct, yet what exactly constitutes “Karen behavior”?
1. Angry
Karen is a popular name given to middle-aged white women who exhibit entitled and rude behaviors, such as bullying retail employees at stores or restaurants and having closed-minded viewpoints. Karen can often be found throwing public tantrums, such as criticizing children’s lemonade stands or demanding to speak with the manager directly.
She wears an uninspiring haircut and harbors strong opinions against science – specifically vaccines – while writing contentious Facebook posts that create division among its followers. At times she might even slurp on her drink or use foul language in order to demand respect from you as an audience member.
Karens often display angry or emotionally unstable behaviors due to an absence of perspective, yet not all Karens are alike. According to a study conducted by Bionic, one effective approach for handling Karens is by remaining calm and approaching their issues rationally. Here’s how:
2. Unreasonable
Karens frequently exhibit behaviors that would be seen as rude and even sexist in men, especially when directed toward other women. If a man called the police on someone in Central Park who was leaning against a tree without prior notification of its karen equivalent – that wouldn’t count.
Some consider Karen sexist; others see it as a way to draw attention to privilege and racism among some white women. Whatever your opinion of it, many people have been “Karened.” In 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and an increase in incidents where privileged white women called the police on nonwhite people; laws in Pennsylvania and California classifying discriminatory 911 calls as hate crimes could help curb Karen behavior in future.
3. Disrespectful
Karens can often be found troll stores and restaurants, seeking opportunities to attack workers or demand to speak to the manager. They’re also notoriously anti-science with strong anti-vaxxer sentiments – whether snitching on children’s lemonade stands or calling police on a man in Central Park they can be highly rude and disruptive.
Karens have become an influential force throughout society, especially since the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Many white women who engaged in selfish or racist behaviors such as Amy Cooper calling the police on an African American man in Central Park to falsely accuse him of threatening her were labeled Karens online and publicly shamed online as Karens.
Some may view using “Karen” to refer to problematic behaviors as offensive and sexist; while others believe it’s an effective way to call out specific white women who exploit their privilege and victimhood to fight injustice in unjust situations.
4. Unnecessary
Karen meme first made its rounds online as a lighthearted jab at middle-aged white women and their entitlement issues, but the internet can be harsh; her actions have since taken on an sinister hue during the coronavirus pandemic.
Know Your Meme has released a video where Chen argues that people who act like Karens are using their power and privilege to harass marginalized communities. He specifically references “Central Park Karen,” a white woman who called police on an innocent Black man walking through Manhattan’s Central Park.
While it would be unfair to generalize about Karens in general, their name has become an unintentional catchphrase for women who use their status in society to attack others – making us all look bad in doing so.
5. Entitled
The Karen meme has been around for some time, often used to refer to white women who behave arrogantly in public. Though its original source may have been Reddit posts or comedy routines by Dane Cook, its use has since spread beyond these platforms and become used against middle-aged white women as an insult.
Karen can often be seen complaining or making demands that are socially inconsiderate. Additionally, she has become known to sport an unusual haircut and request to speak to the manager at every establishment she visits.
Recently, however, Karen stereotypes have taken on more sinister overtones during the coronavirus pandemic. A viral video shows one such Karen-like woman harassing an individual for writing “Black Lives Matter” in chalk on his private property; when this caused some to call police accusing him of endangering her life when all he wanted to do was ask her to leash his dog!
6. Bullying
Karens often demonstrate their ignorance and close-mindedness through bullying behavior – and not just at work. They stalk city streets and parks looking for an opportunity to call the police on people of color (think Central Park Karen). Furthermore, Karens may make divisive Facebook posts or be anti-vaxxers.
Karen may seem like an offensive name, but it should not be seen as gendered slurs; rather it can be used to draw attention to certain behaviors rather than as an all-out condemnation of one. Karen began as an internet meme directed against privileged white women’s entitlement and bad manners; recent analysis conducted by Bionic revealed Louise to be the top complainer, with Karen coming second – this result is no surprise given Louise is also frequently blamed.
7. Intimidating
Karens can be intimidating and their behavior can have an enormously detrimental effect on others. Their goal is often to bully others into submission in order to make a point – from arguing with Burger King staff members over attire choices or calling 911 on people without masks; their primary goal is controlling situations to get their way.
Remembering the dangers associated with Karens’ misconduct is paramount; local governments should encourage this behavior by passing ordinances to punish and discourage such activity, in hopes that deterring Karens will do just that. This is especially crucial when working in retail and service industries where Karens could cause extensive damage while posting negative reviews online in an attempt to shame businesses.
8. Harassing
The term ‘Karen’ is an insulting meme created to mock entitled, ruthless white women with questionable haircuts who hold unreasonable grudges against scientists. These individuals tend to oppose vaccination and consumer trends like vaping; yell “Can I speak to the manager?” in public spaces when confronting others over trivial matters such as failing to receive refunds from Red Lobster restaurants.
Unfortunately, some Karens use their privilege to harass people of color and perpetuate real-world racism and oppression. This was evident during the coronavirus pandemic when women such as “Central Park Karen” and “Costco Karen” called police on those expressing their views or asking questions that resulted in incidents of police violence and were shared online for everyone to see and judge – these actions cannot be dismissed as harmless jokes; nor can we accept their presence online as normalization tools. Such actions do not pass muster either; nor are these actions funny or acceptable;
9. Ignorant
Karen quickly gained prominence during the coronavirus pandemic. It soon became a derogatory term used by white women who misused their privilege in potentially risky ways – for instance calling police on Black men walking their dog through Manhattan’s Central Park as they purportedly threatened her, leading one woman known as Central Park Karen to make false police reports regarding his presence there.
This meme has also been applied to instances of rude or entitled behavior by white people, such as an anti-vaxxer who posted divisive Facebook posts and used her privilege against others. Its aim is to raise awareness about privilege and its misuse to harm others – it’s time we put an end to such harmful actions; hopefully new laws such as California will assist.
10. Close-Minded
In 2020, white women who became known as Karens quickly made viral videos targeting them for their self-centered, intolerant or racist actions. From reporting children’s lemonade stands to making unjustified calls to law enforcement about Black people – Karens display a lack of consideration towards others.
Karens can sometimes use their privilege to endanger others’ lives, such as the woman who called the police on a man she saw leashing his dog in Central Park. These types of Karens pose serious threats to society; it would be inaccurate to generalize all women named Karen.
To avoid becoming Karen, be respectful and calm when dealing with customers or coworkers. Explain the situation objectively without letting emotions get out of control – it will save time and headaches in the long run! Furthermore, don’t be intimidated into changing your hairstyle by anyone’s perception.
