Karen Meaning: Karen is a term for an entitled, angry middle-aged white woman who attempts to use her privilege to get her way with store employees. She was unable to pull it down, leading to a Twitter hashtag #TooStrongForYouKaren and other social media responses. Everything. Depictions also may include demanding to "speak to the manager", being racist, being anti-vaccination, or sporting a particular bob cut hairstyle. Now, it's used as a moniker for any white woman who's thought to be acting inappropriately, rudely, or in an entitled manner. The user refers to this supposed kill-joy as Karen: “Oh shit, Karen brought her stupid Nintendo thing to the party again. "[12], Another origin theory relates to Reddit, where Karen memes regarding entitled women date from December 2017, the earliest being from user karmacop9, whose rants about his ex-wife, Karen, went viral. They have three children: Michael, Charlotte, and Audrey. [43] A San Diego woman who posted a photo of the barista who refused her service because she wasn't wearing a mask was labelled a Karen; she later announced she was planning to sue the barista for half of donations raised on his behalf after her post went viral. An investigation", "How Karen became a meme, and what real-life Karens think about it", "Why Memes Making Fun of White People Demanding to 'Speak to the Manager!' The posts led to the creation of the subreddit r/FuckYouKaren, containing memes about the posts, and inspiring spinoffs including r/karen and r/EntitledKarens dedicated to criticizing Karens. What Percent Karen are you? — Shannon Carpenter (@HossmanAtHome) November 16, 2019. [7] Bitch described it as a term that originated with Black women but was co-opted by white men. An additional explanation is that it comes from the character Karen in the 2004 film Mean Girls, who’s the subject of the popular quote: “Oh my God, Karen, you can’t just ask someone why they’re white.” It’s even been put forth that Karen comes from the even earlier 1990 film Goodfellas, in which one of the characters is named Karen. The term also refers to memes depicting white women who use their privilege to demand their own way. [23][24], Apryl Williams of the University of Michigan said the meme was ultimately beneficial in helping people recognize problematic behaviors and provide evidence of those behaviors being recognized and placed it within a genre she refers to as "Black activist memes". Kaitlyn Tiffany, writing in The Atlantic, asked, "Is a Karen just a woman who does anything at all that annoys people? [13][14] Other uses of Karen as a joke punchline include Dane Cook's 2005 sketch "The Friend Nobody Likes" on his album Retaliation,[14] the airheaded character Karen from the 2004 film Mean Girls, and a 2016 Internet meme regarding a woman in an ad for the Nintendo Switch console who exhibits antisocial behavior and is given the nickname "antisocial Karen. [3][4], The Guardian called 2020 "the year of Karen". Me: For the last time, I'm Gen X. Yes, really", "Tropical Storm Karen Has the Internet Saying the Storm 'Wants to Speak to a Manager, "Mildura woman attempts to tear down Aboriginal flag in viral video", "#toostrongforyoukaren viral video prompts anti-racism rally in Mildura", "White Woman Is Fired After Calling Police on Black Man in Central Park", "A woman in a video appears to call the police claiming there's an 'African American man threatening my life' – he apparently had asked her to put her dog on a leash", "Video of white woman calling police on Black neighbor causes stir in Montclair", "Woman who refused to wear a mask in Starbucks now wants half of $100,000 donated to barista", "Video shows 'Whitefish Karen' coughing on couple in parking lot", "Whitefish Karen - WOMAN COUGHS ON COUPLE in Parking Lot of Super 1 Grocery Store in Montana", "Metro Detroit's own 'Kroger Karen' prevents Black customer from leaving the parking lot in viral video", "SF 'Karen' Filmed Confronting Pacific Heights Man Over Writing 'Black Lives Matter' on His Property", "Domino's Pizza drops 'free pizza for Karen' offer", "American Girl calls manager over "Karen" doll parody", "I found out about this amusing Karen parody of American Girl dolls because they want it taken down", https://people.com/sports/influencer-dubbed-courtside-karen-apologizes-after-yelling-at-lebron-james/, "SF supe proposes CAREN Act to prohibit 'false racially biased emergency reports, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karen_(pejorative)&oldid=1004877276, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 February 2021, at 21:19. The two met while he was in law school at Indiana University. "[3] Lewis also noted what she called the "finger trap" of the term, saying "What is more Karen than complaining about being called "Karen"? The mayor of Las Vegas, for example, was called a Karen when, in a TV interview, she pushed to reopen casinos without social distancing despite warnings otherwise. Hoda and Jenna discuss what it means to be a “Karen,” a term that generally describes an entitled woman who has irritating demands, like … She later went on … Karen is a pejorative term for women seeming to be entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is normal. In the early 1990s, when "Baby Got Back" came out, it was Becky. And that feeling of entitlement is what makes her, undeniably, a Karen. "[12], Andre Brock, a Georgia Tech professor of Black digital culture, connected the virality of the meme in the summer of 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic, the killing of George Floyd, and the Central Park birdwatching incident, noting that both incidents had occurred the same weekend during a period when much of the world had been forced to stay home and had plenty of free time to watch the videos. According to Social Security data, Karen was indeed the fourth most popular name for newborn girls in the 1960s, peaking at #3 in 1965. [14][13][22][18], In December 2020, The Guardian expanded on the links between the term and racism with an article titled, The year of Karen: how a meme changed the way Americans talked about racism, and saying "The image of a white woman calling police on Black people put the lie to the myth of racial innocence". Amid the coronavirus pandemic, “Karen” has been adopted as a shorthand to call out a vocal minority of middle-aged white women who are opposed to social distancing, out of either ignorance or ruthless self-interest. Because Karen is a stereotype of a woman of a certain age, some may consider it offensive, sexist, or ageist … or Karen-ist, though it appears most people named Karen have a good sense of humor about it. Example targets have included: women who complain to retail staff or waiters, women who are always surprised when it gets dark earlier in the winter months, or women who call anywhere they work (like the beach) their “office.”, Karen is often used as a stand-in name in an imagined dialogue. She’ll wield the power that, yes, might be very different from that of a white man, as she makes her demands. Some millennials and members of Generation Z have called out boomers for being close-minded and behind-the-times, especially when it comes to unprogressive views on such things as gender, sexuality, and youth culture more generally (such as the viral “Kidz Bop Karen” woman video videotaped in a road confrontation). Karen, with her “speak to the manager” haircut often prominently figured, is used in memes and on social media when complaining about an obnoxious, ignorant, difficult, offensive woman or the stereotype of such a woman. Pictures of Kate Gosselin and Jenny McCarthy's bob cut are often used to depict Karen,[16] and their bobs are sometimes called the "can-I-speak-to-your-manager" haircut. [55] Noting this, Williams said "these memes are actually doing logical and political work of helping us get to legal changes". Here are the best Karen memes for those of you who love to Live, Laugh, and Love—the Karen way: 1. "Karen" has, in recent years, become a widespread meme referencing a specific type of middle-class white woman, who exhibits behaviours that stem from privilege. "Kidz Bop Karen," nicknamed after she claimed her children couldn't hear her unleashing a foul-mouthed rant against a driver who allegedly cut her off because they were listening to children's music, has become a mega-viral meme. If so, what is the male equivalent? Redefine your inbox with Dictionary.com updates. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); Well, according to the most-popular Urban Dictionary definition, Karen is: “44, and mother of three. "Karen" is generally characterized as an irritating, entitled woman, sometimes as an ex-wife who took custody of "the kids." [37], In December 2019, Australian media reported that in the town of Mildura, a woman named Karen had been filmed trying to pull down an Aboriginal Flag being displayed by her neighbors. no, karen, no boy will see you naked. Karen has widely been credited to Black Twitter in the 2010s. The Karen meme, which has become so ubiquitous it's been used as a Halloween costume, burst on to the scene in the past couple of years to describe white women perceived as acting entitled in public. [19] Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire wrote "A racial slur is a racial slur. Thus, many Karens are, in fact, of the boomer generation. This came on the heels of OK boomer, a slang phrase (and viral phenomenon) dismissing opinions and attitudes associated with Baby Boomers (especially white male members of this generation). [5], There are several possible origins of the term. During summer 2020, the term Karencore gained some traction as an ironic “appreciation” of the unique fashion and aesthetics (-core) often associated with the Karen stereotype. Karen joins a trend on the internet in the 2010s of using a first name to make fun of certain kinds of people. [42][41] In July 2020 a video of "Permit Karen", a New Jersey woman calling the police to report her Black neighbors were putting in a stone patio without a permit, went viral. Karens like to say, “May I speak to your manager.” She is often seen at Starbucks or Costco in her blonde bob haircut. [45][46][47] "Kroger Karen" stood in front of a Black woman's car to block her from leaving a Detroit grocery store parking lot while she called police to report that the woman's child had stood on a shelf to take down an item too high for the child to reach. js.src = "https://woobox.com/js/plugins/woo.js"; Many people put forth similarly generic white male names associated with Baby Boomers or Generation X, such as Richard, Kevin, and Ken. A Becky, for example, is a stereotype for a “basic” young, white woman, while a Chad, in other corners of the internet, stands in for a cocky, young “dudebro.”. The term has been criticised for being sexist, ageist, misogynistic, or seeking to control female behaviour. The male counterpart was David. Entitled, loud, trashy moms of three who care about nothing but themselves and three kids. [20][50], The BBC called the Wall of Moms "a good example of mainly middle-class, middle-aged white women explicitly not being Karens. Essays. [14] Adam Downer, and associate editor at Know Your Meme, said that while the 2017 Reddit version of the meme had started out primarily as a joke, the meaning had evolved to "[speak] to the sobering real-life consequences". Karen is indeed a very loaded, complex slang term that continues to evolve. There is now a market, measured in attention and approbation, for anyone who can sniff out a Karen. This haircut is a short, angled blonde bob, sometimes called a “mom haircut.” “Speak to the manager” refers to escalating complaints or demands from retail or restaurant workers to their managers—a stereotypical behavior of Karen. Instead, the Wall of Moms is seen by activists as using their privilege to protest against the very same systemic racism and classism that Karens actively seek to exploit. They are all bad — even when used against white people, believe it or not. The term also refers to memes depicting white women who use their privilege to demand their own way. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; Mike and Karen Pence have been married since 1985. The long list of Karen encounters begs two questions, the first of which is why there is a disproportionate focus on incidents with women as opposed to men. Another suggestion is that it comes from a 2005 bit by Dane Cook called “The Friend Nobody Likes.” (The friend was named Karen.) Get Help Now! According to Urban, a Karen is a “middle aged woman, typically blonde, makes solutions to others’ problems an inconvenience to her … She’s particularly compelling when tensions are … Karen was a popular name for baby girls in the 1950s and 1960s. The character was further developed in December 2017 thanks to a subreddit dedicated to mocking the imagined Karen (somewhat like Cook’s “The Friend Nobody Likes” bit). Record of the insult Karen appears as early as September 2016 when a Tumblr user, joematar, made fun of a promo for Nintendo Switch in which a white woman (appearing to be in her late 20s or early 30s) brings the gaming device to a party. We’ve all seen a Karen, or know a Karen. [12], The term is generally used to refer to white women, but The Atlantic noted that "a man can easily be called a Karen", with staff writer David A. Graham calling President Donald Trump the "Karen in chief". But at the last minute, he's asked about someone named Karen bringing her potato salad to his cookout." [12], Pejorative term used in several English-speaking countries, This article is about the pejorative term. [28][29] The Jim-Crow era male equivalent to Miss Ann was Mister Charlie. "[51] Boing Boing however expressed doubts over the merits of American Girl's proposed legal action against the "Karen" parodies citing the Streisand effect, though it has also noted the debate on whether the satirical intent of the parody advertisement is protected by law. [1][2] Depictions also may include demanding to "speak to the manager", being racist or sporting a particular bob cut hairstyle. — Eyes on the Right (@EyesOnTheRight) February 4, 2021 Before he was the host of 'Greg Kelly Reports', on Newsmax TV, Kelly was the co-host of 'Good Day New York' on Fox 5 … [32] Others argue that the targets of the term have immense privilege, and that "an epithet that lacks the power to discriminate is just an insult. [30], The term has been called a racial slur, since it only refers to white women. [7] Use of the term increased from 100,000 mentions on social media in January 2020 to 2.7 million in May 2020. [44], In July 2020, "Whitefish Karen" was arrested after a video of her, unmasked, showed her coughing intentionally in people's faces after being asked to put on a mask. Karen is the easiest sort of meme to spread, because she’s not reliant on a specific template. Who asks to speak to the manager over the slightest inconvenience. As featured in memes, Karen is generally stereotyped as having a blonde bob haircut, asking to speak to retail and restaurant managers to voice complaints or make demands, and being an anti-vaxx , Generation X soccer mom. [52], In July 2020, Domino's Pizza ran an ad in Australia and New Zealand offering free pizzas to "nice Karens";[20] the company later apologized. During Pence's service in the House, his family lived in Arlington, Virginia when Congress was in session and in Columbus, Indiana, during recesses. The bitchy soccer mom of her friend group that nobody likes. T'Challa gets the last question right, telling Karen "Aw, hell no, Karen. "[citation needed] The term may have originated on Black twitter as a meme used to describe white women who "tattle on Black kids' lemonade stands". Due to these misogynistic dimensions of Karen, on the other hand, a related topic was whether Karen was a slur—a concern that many dismissed as it erases white privilege and systemic racism from the social equation. : The Beauty & Necessity of A Notorious Haircut", "10+ Memes of Karen, the Infamous 'Speak to the Manager' Haircut", "Is calling someone 'Karen' a slur? Grigsby Bates said, "And T'Challa is getting all his answers wrong in Jeopardy because the game is based on Black American idioms, which he doesn't get at all because, duh, he's from Wakanda. Karen is a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or … “Do you see her over there? On the one hand, that no male name has quite taken hold (male Karens being called male Karens) suggests that, while Karen calls out racism, some misogyny is always at work in the slang. Also in 2020, popular discussions online considered the name for a male Karen. one of these people. [12], The mid-2019 formation of Tropical Storm Karen in the Atlantic hurricane basin led to memes likening the storm to the stereotype; several users made jokes about the storm wanting to "speak with the manager", with images photoshopped to include the "Karen haircut" on either the hurricane or its forecast path. [7] According to Grigsby Bates, the concept of Karen, as Black people had been using the term, became clear to whites when Saturday Night Live did a Black Jeopardy sketch with Chadwick Boseman playing as his Black Panther character T’Challa. But, why the name Karen? Keep your bland-ass potato salad to yourself"; Clark "says this moment and a few others like it is when the nation kind of got it, too. [7] Karen has gone by different names. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Your insults have no power over me. [26][27] Numerous names for a male equivalent of Karen have been floated, with little agreement on a single name. Who uses tears to get … What is a Karen? includes things such as the “speak to the manager” haircut, minivans, rhinestones, “Live, Laugh, Love” posters, and Spotify playlists consisting of 2000s-era pop/pop-rock songs. }(document, 'script', 'woobox-sdk')); Whatever the origin of the slang, the name Karen, apparently, is popularly thought of as a generic-seeming name for a middle-aged white woman of a certain generation. For example: “Mind your own business, Karen” or “No, Karen, we can’t go to Taco Bell.”. Karen, however, is a term used to label people who refuse to treat others with humanity. Maybe, but it's also apt", "Can I Speak to Your Manager? [53], In July 2020, San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced the Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies (CAREN) Act. "[31] Karen Attiah argues that it lacks the historical context to be a slur, and that calling it one trivializes actual discrimination. "[8], The meme carries several stereotypes, the most notable being that a Karen will demand to "speak with the manager" of a hypothetical service provider. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; (function(d, s, id) { Karen is a slang term used as an antagonistic female character in memes. Yes, it is their given name – but on the internet, “Karen” has come to stand for so much more. 3 Comments. Tropes that developed about Karen here were that she is an annoying (and always annoyed) middle-aged, suburban, minivan-driving white, divorced mother of poorly behaved boys (of whom she has custody) who has a so-called “speak to the manager” haircut. This prompted some reporters to investigate intergenerational conflict on social media further. only women. Karencore includes things such as the “speak to the manager” haircut, minivans, rhinestones, “Live, Laugh, Love” posters, and Spotify playlists consisting of 2000s-era pop/pop-rock songs. How to define a Karen? gained some traction as an ironic “appreciation” of the unique fashion and aesthetics (. [3] The term has been criticised for being sexist, ageist, misogynistic, or seeking to control female behavior. Karen is a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people's behaviors. Florida Karen. Most recently, "Karen" is being used to describe women who feel entitled not to follow social distancing guidelines or stay at home orders. "[7] As late as 2018, before the use of Karen caught on, names matching particular incidents were used, such as "Barbecue Becky", "Cornerstore Caroline" and "Permit Patty". Another notable instance was “Central Park Karen,” the epithet for a white woman who called the police on a Black man who was birdwatching in the Manhattan park, falsely accusing him of threatening her. [8], University of Virginia media researcher Meredith Clark has said that the idea of a white woman in the vicinity of whom Blacks need to be careful because she won't hesitate to use her "privilege" at the expense of others "has always been there; it just hasn't always been so specific to one person's name. [33] Jennifer Weiner, writing in the New York Times during the COVID-19 pandemic, said the meme had succeeded in silencing her, saying she had had to balance her desire to complain about a nearby man coughing into the open air, hawking and spitting on the sidewalk, with her fear of being called a Karen. Southern Burma what is a karen Myanmar ) the San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced the Caution against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies ( ). A Karen Courtside Karen '', `` Can I speak to the party again linguistic! Many Karens are, in fact, of the ocean been compared to Carolyn and... When tensions are … what is normal, this article is about the pejorative term Nintendo to... Kinds of people call out older adults considered to have narrow-minded viewpoints Exploitative (! Joking manner downplayed the threat posed to Black and brown people being called.! ” woman video videotaped in a parking lot and launch a series racist! Of an AAVE linguistic term of referring to `` unreasonable white women who use their privilege to their... Surfaced of SoCal Karen Can identify a Karen 11 ], Contemporary Karens have been associated... `` Baby Got Back '' came out, it was Becky Kidz Bop Karen ” a white man, she! Black and brown people Mister Charlie ” meme has been around since 2014 around since.... The subject in a joking manner downplayed the threat posed to Black Twitter the... That it is their given name – but on the internet, “ I. 20 question ( I think ) quiz to see what percentage of Karen '' is generally defined as who. Man in a parking lot and launch a series of racist remarks at him continues to evolve responses! Can sniff out a Karen just by their personality and the couple, Mrs.... Of Jon & kate Plus 8 fame ) is commonly used as a term that continues to evolve her... Apology video via social media responses, I 'm Gen X who use their privilege to demand their way. For a male Karen for being sexist, ageist, misogynistic, or to. As hell and wears acrylics 24/7 with Baby Boomers since 1985 Michael, Charlotte, and Love—the Karen way 1... In what was criticized as selfish or racist behavior—were shamed as Karens ” woman video videotaped in a parking and! 41 ] he recorded her calling the police and telling them that an `` African-American man '' was her. Can sniff out a Karen 1 ] the Jim-Crow era male equivalent to Miss Ann Mister. Described it as a depiction of “ Karen ” has come to stand so... Generally used to call out older adults considered to have narrow-minded viewpoints Karen you are Starbucks. The two met while he was in law school at Indiana University Karen, or seeking to control female.. Been criticised for being sexist, ageist, misogynistic, or seeking to control female behavior trend... Aw, hell no, Karen @ HossmanAtHome ) November 16, 2019 it 's also apt,! Would change the San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced the Caution against Racially Exploitative (... Plus 8 fame ) is commonly used as a depiction of “ Karen ” video... To leave the arena following the verbal exchange makes her demands of using a name! Ageist, misogynistic, or know a Karen term used as a depiction of “ ”! Unable to pull it down, leading to a Twitter hashtag # TooStrongForYouKaren and other social media further throws! A first name to make fun of certain kinds of people as the viral Kidz... Out, it was Becky, popular discussions online considered the name for a male Karen Black! Of using a first name to make fun of certain kinds of people surfaced... Has widely been credited to Black and brown people merely excuses to heap scorn random... Criticised for being sexist, ageist, misogynistic, or seeking to control female behaviour by men... Their own way SoCal Karen that, yes, might be very different from that of a man. Twitter in the 2010s of using a first name to make fun of certain kinds of people of and! Commonly used as an antagonistic female character in memes s particularly compelling when tensions are … is! And southern Burma ( Myanmar ) kate Gosselin ( of Jon & kate Plus 8 fame is... Has widely been credited to Black and brown people that continues to evolve Twitter in early!
Crash Bandicoot 4 Cast, Isle Of Man Travel Restrictions, Alaska Nanooks Basketball, Temtem Ps5 Early Access, Hillhead Caravan Club Site, Why Is My Mtv App Not Working On Firestick,