Anti-vaxxers and “Karens,” who refuse to wear masks when in public spaces, have become an integral component of viral video culture. Their behavior when caught on film often results in public humiliation for which these “Karens” must answer.
Video recordings show an angry woman demanding to speak with a manager in order to insult essential workers. But why are these women so hostile?
Why Do They Always Confront People Wearing Masks?
Since its introduction, the “Karen” meme has rapidly evolved from an inside joke into an effective way of criticizing those who refuse to wear masks. People caught calling the police or blocking others from leaving parking lots are quickly identified as Karens; as this trend becomes viral, more incidents of this nature arise, eventually including every white female (and some males). Anyone caught acting out-of-character will quickly be added to this list of Karens.
Throughout this pandemic, viral videos have shown people refusing to put on face masks, often making a dramatic scene. People working in public sector jobs such as school administrators or retail workers can find it particularly challenging to avoid exposure while doing their jobs; such people have been called “Karens”, and mocked on social media posts using hashtags such as #PublicFreakout, #MaskRefusal or #Karen.
“Karen” has often been used to refer to women accused of being sexists, prompting some observers to note echoes of misogyny in its use. Perhaps because “Karen” carries connotations of loud, demanding and entitled behavior- similar to how Black women are often depicted on television shows like “Cops” or “Live PD.”
At Trader Joe’s in North Hollywood, a video was shared that showed an angry woman refusing to wear a mask due to medical breathing conditions that prohibited her from doing so. Employees attempted to reason with her but instead of agreeing with their suggestions she started screaming and throwing her cart around before eventually storming out the store with police escorting her and storming out herself; her video went viral and many online labeled her “Karen.”
Men who refuse to wear masks have also become part of the meme, with those known as “Kens” frequently being mocked and compared with their female counterpart. Some individuals have taken to creating Instagram pages dedicated to documenting examples of “Kens” and “Karens,” to make their behavior known publicly; though it remains unclear why such people feel compelled to act this way publicly. It is essential that we all remember we do not have the right to violate other people’s rights because they disagree with opinions or lifestyle choices of individuals they disagree with them or disagree with them!
They’re Trying to Make a Point
As public awareness of the coronavirus pandemic rose, videos showing angry “Karens” went viral. Some of their meltdowns, such as one by a New York City woman dragging her dog through Central Park while calling police over falsely accusing an African-American man of threatening her, provoked outrage for racism and false accusation. Furthermore, social policing highlighted class tensions inherent to white privilege; middle-class Karens felt entitled to demand service from workers with lower incomes who worked retail or service industries just so they could make ends meet.
Although Karen had long existed online, its popularity spiked during the Covid-19 pandemic. Karen depicted an irritating, pushy white woman who took advantage of her privilege to belittle retail or service industry workers whom she interacted with. When coupled with virus-related rants from politicians, this archetype took on more meaning; becoming “Ur-Karen”, who used her status as an upper middle class citizen to justify policing and harassing those unable to afford social distancing mandates.
Karen serves an invaluable function: it establishes an archetype that represents white people who feel marginalized by anti-mask policies and an increasingly divided society, yet remain complacent about their position. However, conflating Karen with those who legitimately disagree is problematic as well as inaccurate.
Keep in mind that those whose meltdowns are caught on film often feel frustrated and helpless. Confrontation rarely works to alleviate such emotions; more productive approaches exist for expressing these sentiments than resorting to violence. Therefore, the responsible approach would be finding a peaceful way of solving the problem via open discussions in person.
While viral rants may be entertaining to watch, their messages can be damaging and harmful. It is essential to examine why such confrontations arise and their uses in our political landscape.
They’re Trying to Make a Difference
Karens can be described as individuals who are self-indulgent, self-righteous and wholly consumed with themselves. According to one meme, Karens seem to dislike just about everything – their dog, friends, strangers and that tree over there being just some examples – except one thing above all others: wearing masks.
Over the last several weeks, it seems as if anyone who’s spent any time online has encountered or witnessed Karen or videos depicting her venting her anger online. Karen has become shorthand for any middle-aged white woman who publicly broadcasts her tantrums online or social media platforms like Twitter.
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, videos featuring white women yelling at store clerks and calling police on innocent people has gone viral. Karen and Ken from St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer have even threatened to shoot Black Lives Matter protestors from their neighborhood!
Kati Morton, a therapist, sees the rise of Karen meme as part of an emerging trend toward publicizing white privilege and violence, particularly during pandemics. People may act out more aggressively than normal during such stressful times, she states.
No surprise then that some of these actions have racial undertones, particularly in the US where covid-19 pandemic has had the most detrimental impact. Some who refuse to wear masks because they believe they won’t get sick are known as Karens; their refusal to accept risks associated with covid-19 virus has been seen as racist behaviour.
The Karen meme takes aim at certain forms of white privilege and may have been inspired by Becky meme, which surfaced in spring 2020. But according to Neo, their similarities end there; both target consumer economies that turn customer service into an antagonistic experience while the Karen meme criticises an unfair racial power dynamic that allows middle-class white women to demonstrate entitlement through performances which are seen as ridiculed.
They’re Trying to Make a Statement
Angry Karens are more than just annoying nuisances; they’re a way for some to gain validation for their sense of in-group superiority. Such displays of disrespect toward those who don’t share their viewpoints have become quite popular on social media platforms; Hank Stuever writes that these videos satisfy an itch that’s long been instilled into certain white spaces due to privilege, where many believe it’s okay for individuals to lash out against those they disagree with – whether online or otherwise.
Shaming people into changing their behaviors doesn’t work very effectively when those individuals hold positions of power. Epidemiologists such as Jared Baeten find it hard to believe that individuals who behave rudely during customer service interactions will change simply because they were publicly shamed for it.
The Karen meme started as a humorous jab at entitled white women, but has taken on greater meaning due to the rise of racial tensions during Covid-19 and 2020’s national conversation on human rights. Now it is an allegory for white supremacy as well as social policing practices by many individuals surrounding Covid-19.
While it can be easy to dismiss Karen as being unreasonable and entitled, we should recognize her power geometries are being exploited in ways which could have tragic repercussions. Karen serves as an alarming symbol of white supremacy that must be recognized.
No matter the cause of an irrational outburst, an honest discussion can help resolve it for all involved. Employing neutral language and remaining calm provides for honest exchange of ideas which may ultimately resolve the problem. According to Dani Weller from customer service software provider Bionic, anyone engaging with someone like Karen should focus on remaining factual while remaining detached emotionally from any interactions with Karen.
