Karen is a derogatory term used to describe an arrogant, angry, entitled, and often the racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to gain control over others and police their behaviors.
This term gained notoriety after a woman called the police on a black birdwatcher in Central Park earlier this year. It’s one of many slang terms society has employed to label and criticize certain women.
Origin
If you’re familiar with internet culture, Karen is likely a term you’ve encountered. This slang term has become popular to label those acting rudely and with an air of entitlement. Typically, those labeled as Karens are middle-aged white women.
Did you know the origin of Karen memes is uncertain? Although they first surfaced a few years ago, we still don’t know who created them.
Karen is one of many slang terms whose origins remain uncertain. Some speculate it derives from society’s disdain for women who don’t put their foot down, while others suggest its racial connotations.
Some people have even argued that the name is sexist, conjuring up an image of a white woman demanding respect and recognition. However, some have countered this assertion by noting how society resents obnoxious women who use their privilege to gain advantage or police others’ behavior.
Recent videos showing a woman screaming at kids in a park and another white woman destroying a face mask display at Target exemplify how Karens are being portrayed online. These videos sparked debate on how best to handle Karens, creating “F***YouKaren,” where users could share their rants about Karens.
Karen typically refers to an angry, entitled, and often the racist middle-aged white woman who expects much from others. These individuals usually demand answers to their problems from managers or supervisors, complain loudly when things don’t go their way, and become extremely upset if they don’t get what they want.
Karen has acquired a bad reputation due to these racially charged incidents, but it’s not the first time a slang term has been given an unfavorable connotation. Names such as Becky or Susan have become default labels for people who lack understanding of social issues; similarly, Chad became associated with young, bro-like boys.
Meaning
Karen is a derogatory term used to denote an older white woman who often uses her privilege and entitlement to make demands of others. This stereotype has gained notoriety through internet memes and social media users alike.
The origins of the phrase “The Friend Nobody Likes” remain obscure, but it appears to have originated with comedian Dane Cook’s 2005 comedy routine entitled “The Friend Nobody Likes.” In it, a white woman calls the police on a black man who she claims is birdwatching in Central Park and makes threats against her.
Professor Queen notes how this name could have come about from the 2020 incident, as it combines three strands: racial connotations, perceived entitlement, and pushiness. She emphasizes how perfectly these ideas converged in this instance.
Karens can also refer to people who make unreasonable demands of minimum wage employees. They might ask for a refund or an order of cold coffee, but they rarely have any legitimate reason other than just wanting what is theirs.
Vox reported an increasing trend of this issue over the last several years. Stories abound of women complaining to restaurant managers about their cold coffees and mothers instructing other bikini-clad girls how to cover up.
Karen has also been associated with several incidents that were not directly attributed to her, yet all share the same theme of self-entitlement, aggressive pettiness, and middle-class arrogance. For example, one woman who argued with a young water vendor at an airport was nicknamed “Permit Patty.” At the same time, another who dialed 911 while sitting in her golf cart on top of a black family during a barbecue was known only as “BBQ Becky.”
Though not a racial slur, the phrase has been condemned for using race to label women’s behavior. Some have labeled the term “racist,” while others have claimed it is sexist.
Karen gained notoriety on Twitter in December 2017 due to a subreddit dedicated to mocking the fictional character. Over time, however, it spread across other social platforms during the coronavirus pandemic and racial justice demonstrations in 2020.
Etymology
Karen is a derogatory term often used online to refer to middle-aged white women perceived as entitled or demanding beyond what is expected. It usually appears in memes depicting these empowered white women demanding their way.
The term has gained notoriety in the United States, though some find it offensive due to its sexist connotations. Furthermore, it has become associated with racial justice protests and the coronavirus pandemic.
Karen was first used as a verbal attack but has now become widely recognized as shorthand for an “obnoxious, angry, entitled and often racist middle-aged white woman,” as reported by BuzzFeed News.
No definitive origin can be determined for the term, though some suggest it derives from a Danish form of Katherine, which derives from the Greek Aikaterine. Others speculate that its inspiration comes from Hecate – although no references to her appear in the Bible.
Although its exact origin remains uncertain, it’s believed to have originated from Dane Cook’s comedy routine in which he referred to his girlfriend as a “Karen.” The term quickly gained notoriety on the show and has since gained acceptance into popular culture.
A pejorative term for an arrogant, entitled, and racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get what they want or police other people’s behaviors. They’re usually stereotyped as having a blonde bob haircut, asking to speak with retail and restaurant managers to voice complaints or demands, and being anti-vax, Generation X soccer moms.
In 2020, a slang term became popular to label white women captured in viral videos engaging in what is widely perceived as racist acts. Examples included a Central Park woman calling the police on a Black man when asked to curb her dog and a San Francisco-based skincare CEO confronting someone for writing “Black Lives Matter” in chalk outside her apartment.
Usage
Karen has become a popular internet insult to describe women who are rude, aroused, and entitled. Its meaning has become widely debated online.
The origin of the term Karen remains unknown. Yet, it has gained popularity in recent years due to its connotations of short haircuts and incongruent behavior that often makes solving other people’s problems impossible.
Urban Dictionary describes a Karen as a middle-aged White woman who believes they are entitled to certain privileges at the expense of others. As a result, she exhibits traits like being allowed, arrogance, and pettiness while becoming easily frustrated.
Some may consider Karen’s behavior racist, particularly when she can access resources unavailable to others. This can occur in various scenarios, such as when a woman complains about service she received due to it being “inconvenient” or calls the police on a black man for being a birdwatcher.
Karen may exhibit irrationality when she feels ignored or treated poorly by another individual or believes she has earned something, such as a job promotion or a gift card from her boyfriend. This behavior could also indicate an underlying entitlement to something, like a job promotion or gift card from her boyfriend.
These behavior patterns may annoy others, but they don’t have to be wrong. On the contrary, when used appropriately, these behaviors can be beneficial.
Karen has been around for some time, but it came into its own in 2020. When racial tensions and political events were at their height, Karen became an effective tool to call out White women participating in actions that decried racial discrimination.
One of the most infamous examples was when a White woman called the police on a black man for being in Central Park, even though he wasn’t threatening anyone or anything. This became known as “Central Park Karen,” making numerous headlines and newspaper articles.
