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Original poster

STOP calling people "a Karen"

385 replies

PaperwhiteTheFriendlyGhost · 24/03/2025 07:50

Why are people so lazy and ignorant? Ironically they use it in some instances to berate someone for a perceived insult. Maybe this should be on Pedants' Corner, I don't know.

OP posts:
Nameychangington · 26/03/2025 17:31

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 16:30

Of course it's a term, used to refer to women who are self important, pompous, behave a certain way.

Vocabulary evolves (unlike the minds of those in mumsnet). Things change. Meaningings change over time. It's not being used as a name when a woman is referred to as 'a karen' is it. You would say 'a moron' which is a term for a stupid person but you wouldn't say 'a Nicola' because it's a name.

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you wouldn't say 'a Nicola' because it's a name.

Give me strength. Karen is a name just like Nicola is, there's no difference! Honestly you're just supporting the theses of the posters suggesting that only the very dim use Karen as an insult.

Busymindfull · 26/03/2025 17:24

I hate it too. Who started this?

JandamiHash · 26/03/2025 17:04

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 17:02

Absolutely not. In fact I think the two are almost symbiotic.

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But you gave a description for Karen. What is a moron then?

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 17:02

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 26/03/2025 17:00

You implied “moron” was a similar type of word to “Karen”.

Are you now saying you would use “Karen” as an insult but not “moron”?

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Absolutely not. In fact I think the two are almost symbiotic.

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 26/03/2025 17:00

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 16:55

I'm using it as an example. In the same way another person used various other slurs as an example. I didn't call anybody a moron.

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You implied “moron” was a similar type of word to “Karen”.

Are you now saying you would use “Karen” as an insult but not “moron”?

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 16:55

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 26/03/2025 16:44

You think it’s OK to use an ableist slur as well. Imagine my surprise.

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I'm using it as an example. In the same way another person used various other slurs as an example. I didn't call anybody a moron.

JandamiHash · 26/03/2025 16:45

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 26/03/2025 16:44

You think it’s OK to use an ableist slur as well. Imagine my surprise.

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My thoughts exactly

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 26/03/2025 16:44

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 16:30

Of course it's a term, used to refer to women who are self important, pompous, behave a certain way.

Vocabulary evolves (unlike the minds of those in mumsnet). Things change. Meaningings change over time. It's not being used as a name when a woman is referred to as 'a karen' is it. You would say 'a moron' which is a term for a stupid person but you wouldn't say 'a Nicola' because it's a name.

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You think it’s OK to use an ableist slur as well. Imagine my surprise.

LizzieW1969 · 26/03/2025 16:34

Haven’t you read what has been shared by a PP, that she finds it really upsetting to have her name used in that way? Because ‘Karen’ really is her name, not just a term. You clearly suffer from a real lack of empathy.

JandamiHash · 26/03/2025 16:32

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 16:30

Of course it's a term, used to refer to women who are self important, pompous, behave a certain way.

Vocabulary evolves (unlike the minds of those in mumsnet). Things change. Meaningings change over time. It's not being used as a name when a woman is referred to as 'a karen' is it. You would say 'a moron' which is a term for a stupid person but you wouldn't say 'a Nicola' because it's a name.

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No, it’s a name, it’s been stolen by half wits and misogynists who are gaslighting the world into believing that women are The Problem.

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 16:30

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 26/03/2025 16:20

It's not a fucking "term", it's a woman's name. Improve your vocabulary.

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Of course it's a term, used to refer to women who are self important, pompous, behave a certain way.

Vocabulary evolves (unlike the minds of those in mumsnet). Things change. Meaningings change over time. It's not being used as a name when a woman is referred to as 'a karen' is it. You would say 'a moron' which is a term for a stupid person but you wouldn't say 'a Nicola' because it's a name.

JandamiHash · 26/03/2025 16:25

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 26/03/2025 16:20

It's not a fucking "term", it's a woman's name. Improve your vocabulary.

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One does wonder, if it’s supposed to be sued to call out racism, why they don’t just call a spade and spade and say ‘racist’ rather than using a name women are telling them is harmful. Can’t think why. It’s almost like it’s nothing to do with racism at all.

TVqueen20 · 26/03/2025 16:23

My name is Karen and I absolutely hate having to say it in public now. Imagine if your name had the same reaction as mine, if you had to make a (legitimate) complaint and you are cringing before you say your name as you wonder if the person on the other end of the phone is thinking 'ha an actual, real Karen'. I no longer have my hair styled with a bob haircut as it appears this is associated with being a 'Karen'. As others have said, my Mum would be so sad to see my name trashed. I did read somewhere that the origins of this Karen caricature came from a man (in US?) who started this as revenge against his ex girlfriend, Karen.
I'm a reserved person so find it hard to deal with the constant jokes (heard them a 1000 times, thanks) the reluctance to give my name out, anywhere. I'm am just hoping the association will slowly fade away, the joke will become boring so I (and other Karen's affected ) can feel relieved and put it behind us...

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 26/03/2025 16:20

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 15:58

firstly how is that not confronting the behaviour and secondly even if I didn't want to confront somebody directly it might be because they were a nightmare to deal with, which is sort of what the term means.

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It's not a fucking "term", it's a woman's name. Improve your vocabulary.

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 15:58

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 26/03/2025 15:26

So you are judging this person as having a fragile ego when you just resort to Karen instead of confronting behaviour specifically? Why is that?

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firstly how is that not confronting the behaviour and secondly even if I didn't want to confront somebody directly it might be because they were a nightmare to deal with, which is sort of what the term means.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 26/03/2025 15:37

how does Nigel style his bonce? Just so I know one when I see one

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 26/03/2025 15:36

It’s actually lazy as fuck to use the term too. Have some balls and address the behaviour you have an issue with

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 26/03/2025 15:26

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 11:25

I use Karen and if it offends people they can avoid me which is absolutely my ideal outcome. No time for people who can't accept language evolution… and who's ego is so fragile that that they need to brand anything that calls out their awful behaviour as 'misogynistic' because they've no better argument.

So you are judging this person as having a fragile ego when you just resort to Karen instead of confronting behaviour specifically? Why is that?

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 26/03/2025 15:10

MrsSlocombesCat · 26/03/2025 12:35

I think it fits certain middle aged entitled women who behave badly in public. It's unfortunate that the name Karen is used as opposed to another name but it's easier to say than Denise or Tracy. It's just a popular name among that age group. Online anyone being referred to as a Karen in videos is really obnoxious, entitled or unreasonable or all of the above. We do actually have a name for men it's Gammon.

Why does it fit? Why use a middle-aged woman’s name as a slur? Would you like it if your name meant “horrible entitled woman”?

AmIthatSpringy · 26/03/2025 14:08

MrsSlocombesCat · 26/03/2025 12:35

I think it fits certain middle aged entitled women who behave badly in public. It's unfortunate that the name Karen is used as opposed to another name but it's easier to say than Denise or Tracy. It's just a popular name among that age group. Online anyone being referred to as a Karen in videos is really obnoxious, entitled or unreasonable or all of the above. We do actually have a name for men it's Gammon.

The only women it "fits " are those who are actually called Karen

to think otherwise shows a lack of intelligence

AmIthatSpringy · 26/03/2025 14:07

Hillsaremyhappyplace · 26/03/2025 12:24

I never see intelligent people using it. It’s always the knuckle draggers on my local Facebook page or tabloid newspaper comments section. Says it all really.

Pretty much this

anyone that justifies it or uses it is severely lacking in intelligence. I wish we had a name for that

Nameychangington · 26/03/2025 14:02

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 13:57

If you think being a Karen is the same as beings woman it explains why you're so offended.

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Karen is used as a slur against middle aged and older women. It's a completely sex based slur. See various posts on the thread.

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 13:57

Nameychangington · 26/03/2025 13:54

Sex is though. Lol.

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If you think being a Karen is the same as beings woman it explains why you're so offended.

Nameychangington · 26/03/2025 13:54

Anotherparkingthread · 26/03/2025 13:46

Being a Karen isn't a protected characteristic lol

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Sex is though. Lol.

BeckyBismuth · 26/03/2025 13:52

nomas · 26/03/2025 10:38

Not just women.

Tim, nice but dim.
Dave is a term used for boring men.
black women are dismissed as ‘Shaniquas’

Funnily enough no one speaks about racist tropes about black women on MN.

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I've never heard Shaniqua used in that context but I have heard Lizzo. Both unacceptable, even though Lizzo is just a shortened form of Melissa.