Please can we talk about using the name Karen as an insult?

I actually introduced my self to some on a couple of weeks ago and she said “so your a racist”

Gosh there are some thick people around (unless she was trying and failing to make a joke?)

Sorry you're experiencing this, Dugan.

My name is Karen and i am at my whits end. I am American and for the last couple of months it has been insane. Now thanks to Central Park “Karen” my name is synonymous with racist. I literally dont even use my name anymore. I actually introduced my self to some on a couple of weeks ago and she said “so your a racist”. It was a statement not a question. It was funny for a bit but now it is just cruel. I am glad i read this thread it made me feel much better

I don't think you get it properly, it's not about you because you're cLled Karen, it's simply an off hand term, like Mary sue.

Just on men's names. Haven't rtft but when I was growing up Derek was the equivalent to Karen. There was also Norman, Nigel, Kevin and Chad for someone who was claimed to not be very bright. They were far more prevalent in the 90s

When the people using "Karen" memes are openly admitting that they're using it as a pejorative synonym for a word used to strip women of our humanity and reduce us to a single reviled hole, it's pretty damned obvious we should be kicking up a stink about it.

This.

Someone I've just deleted from facebook - someone who purports to be a feminist - has been posting a lot of memes about how the "Karen" meme isn't problematic, and that it's only "Karens" who object to being called "Karen", and it's wrong to analyse the meme let alone criticise its use.

What prompted the eventual deletion was the completely unironic sharing of a meme in which said something along the lines of "When we call you Karen, what we're calling you is cunt."

I wasn't aware that the debate over whether it's acceptable or misogynistic to refer to women as 'cunts' had been concluded one way or another, but apparently the libfems have decided for us.

When the people using "Karen" memes are openly admitting that they're using it as a pejorative synonym for a word used to strip women of our humanity and reduce us to a single reviled hole, it's pretty damned obvious we should be kicking up a stink about it.

if someone said ‘he’s such a Kevin’ here (UK) I’d assume it was a reference to the Harry Enfield character Kevin the Teenager. I think referencing a specific person/character is a bit different than just assigning unflattering characteristics/stereotype to a name.

A ‘Kev’ or a ‘Barry’ are extremely well known terms for a chav, well they certainly were in the 90s. I believe a ‘Ned’ is the Scottish equivalent (hence the films Neds).

Karolina Żebrowska is an inveterate piss-taker!

"your typical Karen but she's a 1920s flapper"

I've just seen it used on another MN thread. Which is horrible, as it's just a way of shutting women up.

Like this one sent to me recently. It’s poking fun at the fast cat right, lockdown humour? But would it be as ‘funny’ if the name was Sam, or Emma, or Amy, or Chris, or Tom?

It would be totally the same. I've seen a few like this where it made no sense, no reference to a particular sex or a particular generation. I wonder if maybe some people just use the name Karen because they think it's a generic person?

Just had a gay man (queer he/him in bio) on Twitter call me a Karen, for pointing out lesbians tend to prefer women as partners rather than straight men. He's got a stereotypical pornified woman pic on his profile. No misogyny there then, s'all just the bantz! eyeroll

Yeah but Susan's are actually cool #koolkatsusan

Odfod

I can't believe how much this entire thread proves the point about "Karens." I truly thought this was satire at first.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I see a lot of “fuck off karen!” Comments after bemoaning whatever the previous behaviour was.

“Karen isn’t happy they don’t have wotsits in during a pandemic, Fuck off Karen”.

The whole silencing of women in this way just seems like an extension of the you know who’s who like to shut women down.

If you’re determined or outspoken And over 40 you’re now being openly told to fuck off but it’s ok because it’s just bantz and not for real 🙄 It doesn’t hurt anyone, it’s just a laugh.

I’m going to start asking for a full explanation of the ‘joke’ from now on. I can be just as irritating as the memes.

Is it really deathraystar?

Well I am glad my name is really Deathraystare (not really)! . I don't particularly like my name and have slightly changed it.

Arf Arf!!!

FAT CAT! Not fast. I doubt that cat is fast. Well, she might be. Let’s not get into fat-shaming our pets.

why let a pandemic get in the way of being a sexist prat?
Lol, why indeed. Let’s have an equal opportunities apocalypse shall we

I do need to formulate a short-ish response to Karen memes explaining the inherent misogyny and ageism in them in a simple and non-confrontational way. They’re so often used in an unconscious everyday sexism way. Like this one sent to me recently. It’s poking fun at the fast cat right, lockdown humour? But would it be as ‘funny’ if the name was Sam, or Emma, or Amy, or Chris, or Tom?

Damn! I was having fun with the little fellow...

Oh dear, it looks like KarenAge38s other thread has been zapped. How sad for him.

My local group where people are discussing coronavirus mitigation strategies currently has multiple "OMG Karen" posts, because why let a pandemic get in the way of being a sexist prat?

Excellent post cwen

Of course MrGHardy! Older ‘cis’ women are supposed to put up and shut up, and prioritise everyone else’s problems above their own, like each individual woman is the whole world’s mother, didn’t you get the memo? You can’t expect [men, transwomen, nonbinary personages, genderqueer snowflakes, trans allies, other - write in description box]* to care about any issues other than their own now can you. They’re far too important. Obvs! Karen’s problem is she thinks she’s important when she’s so clearly not. Silly Karen.

older = if you might possibly look like you’re maybe at least 30, and/or you don’t believe in genderwang, because then you have T*F mindset anyway so become an old woman by default.

**delete as appropriate. Also note that transmen do not appear in this list. Because everyone forgets about them anyway, so they don’t matter either.

^^