According to Attiah, The Karen Meme is an online collective for black American women who dress, speak and think a certain way. This trend has its roots in black American internet culture.
The term has gained notoriety around the world, especially America. From ‘can I speak to the manager’ Karen to blonde bob Karen and racist Karen to soccer mum Karen and anti-vax Karen – there’s been no end to its evolution.
Origins
The Karen Meme is a popular trend that highlights white women who are perceived as entitled. These individuals frequently engage in behavior which has been labeled selfish or racist, such as demanding to speak to the manager at restaurants or being anti-vaccination.
The origins of the Karen Meme remain uncertain. Some speculate it originated with Amanda Seyfried’s character in Mean Girls or Dane Cook’s 2005 skit “The Friend Nobody Likes.”
Others claim the term was coined on social media after videos of entitled white women circulated online. According to some accounts, reddit subreddit r/F***YouKaren started the trend, with threads dedicated to criticizing Karens’ appearances.
Many on Twitter took offense at the term, saying it is a racial slur that only applies to white women. However, the internet quickly responded with humor and other memes.
Some actual Karens have expressed displeasure with the use of their names, telling CNN that it does not constitute a slur. While they don’t mind people using their surname in jest, it must not be done to denigrate them in any way.
No matter their stand, Karens still face occasional harassment by some members of the community. Recently, Domino’s Pizza had to issue an apology for a promotion in Australia and New Zealand which offered free pizza to kind-hearted Karens.
Although its origins remain uncertain, some experts believe that it began in 2014 as a joke on Reddit regarding a haircut called “speak to the manager.” These ladies were known for their side-swept bob in front and spiky hair in the back.
The meme quickly gained momentum on Twitter, with the hashtag #AndThenKarenSnapped trending rapidly. It’s become an effective way to critique middle-aged women who disproportionately live in wealth and power.
But the Karen Meme has also opened up the potential for lawsuits against employers who may have been negligent in their treatment of these women. Depending on the specifics, an employer could face discrimination or harassment claims in either state or federal court due to this trend.
Meaning
Karen is a white middle-aged woman who often sports a short blonde haircut. She frequently engages in heated arguments with service industry workers and demands to speak to the manager; showing signs of entitlement that can be both annoying and infuriating.
The “Karen” meme is an absurd representation of white privilege and entitlement that has gained widespread internet adoption over the past several years. It’s now so ubiquitous that some people even wear it as part of their Halloween costumes!
As the Karen Meme has gained momentum, many have asked what it actually means. In short, Karen serves as a derogatory term for middle-aged white women who act entitled and ignorant in public.
Dr Lauren Rosewarne, a gender, sexuality and pop culture expert at the University of Melbourne, explained that white women use “it” as an acronym to identify themselves. It stems from an entitlement culture where white people believe they have the right to treat others differently because of their class or status, she added.
Rosewarne notes that the name Karen dates back to the 1950s, when it was popular among royal families in Iran and traceable back to a Parthian dynasty. According to Rosewarne, Karen originated as a Danish form of Katherine which comes from a Greek root meaning “pure.” It is believed the name first belonged to an Iranian royal family but can also be linked back to ancient Parthian records.
In America, the Karen Meme gained notoriety when it was linked to a group of individuals who refused to wear masks in shops. Videos and photos from these protesters were shared on social media; some included San Diego Karens and “Trader Joe’s Karens.”
The Karen Meme has recently been linked to Central Park Karens, whose names have become notorious for getting into legal trouble. One woman was fired from her job after getting into an argument with an African-American man in a New York City park.
Karens have also been known for coughing on people at a bagel shop, hoarding toilet paper, and being anti-vax.
Though the exact origin of the Karen Meme remains uncertain, Fuck_You_Karen, a popular subreddit based on an account deleted from Reddit, has been blamed for starting it. There, one user posted multiple rants against his ex-wife Karen who he accused of taking both their children and house during divorce proceedings.
Etymology
Etymology is the study of words and their development over time. This field of research can reveal much about a word’s social context as well as providing insight into language trends as a whole.
The Karen Meme has been around for some time, with multiple origins. According to Know Your Meme, it was created on Reddit by someone writing “bitter” invectives about his former spouse. Later on the internet, users created subreddits dedicated solely to ridiculing Karen – including r/F—YouKaren.
Karen” refers to a certain type of middle-aged white woman who uses their privilege to demand what they want – whether that means getting an iced skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks with one too many ice cubes, or watching Central Park birdwatching on TV.
These individuals often reflect stereotypes, are out of touch with modern life, and make jokes that seem inappropriate or offensive to others.
Karen Meme has been widely condemned as misogyny. According to Andre Brock, associate professor at Georgia Tech, the term is not only racist but cynical in its attempt to label an issue Black people have been fighting against for decades: gender inequality.
Similar to how “Sharon” and “Tracy,” two names featured on the sitcom Birds of a Feather, were once seen as dismissing younger working class women. According to Andre Brock, however, “Karen” has now come to be used as an insulting term for middle-aged white women who use their privilege to act in ways offensive to Black people.
Employers face a dilemma here, as stereotypes about them could lead to discrimination claims in state and federal court. Therefore, it’s essential that your company’s policies regarding social media usage are transparent and employees informed of them.
Trends
The Karen Meme is a popular term used to identify middle-aged white women who display entitlement, privilege and racism. It has become an insidious label for those deemed guilty of engaging in behavior perceived as racial harassment – particularly when videotaped.
It’s also used to denote women who have taken issue with something a stranger is doing and are likely to call the police on those who challenge them. According to Know Your Meme, this trend has been growing in popularity recently.
In 2020, the Karen Meme gained popularity due to viral videos of white women engaging in racially-insensitive behavior — from calling 911 on a black family at a barbecue to unjustly calling the police on Black men birdwatching in Central Park. These videos often included “Karen” memes which labeled the woman involved as being “Karen,” even if she was simply having an off day.
Karen Meme started as an anti-vaxxer mom movement, but has since spread to include white women who are pandemic shameing their neighbors during 2020’s outbreak of coronavirus. This trend in social media culture is likely to continue throughout the duration of the pandemic.
The introduction of social policing around the coronavirus further intensified class tensions already inherent to the Karen Meme, making it even more polarized. This sexism was compounded by many white women labeled “Karens,” who held an exaggerated sense of entitlement due to their anti-vaxx activism.
At around this same time, anti-mask “Karens” began appearing online; these individuals would refuse to wear masks or threaten employees at stores and restaurants. For instance, one woman shared a video of an encounter she had with a manager at Gelson’s Market who denied her entry without wearing one.
These videos were often presented in an extreme manner, leading to doxxing and harassment against those featured. Some were posted onto social media platforms, while others were created by YouTubers for YouTube purposes.
When women of color are identified by viral names that are criticised for being selfish or racist, the implications can be profound. When associated with “Karen,” these terms lead to overrepresentation of these women in public spaces and foster an atmosphere of exclusion – especially during times such as the 2020 pandemic when many Americans are of color and social policing is becoming more widespread.
