Do you find the term/meme 'Karen' an insult?

TehBewilderness

It was created as an insult, it is used as an insult, so it is widely understood to be an insult

Exactly. I'm not sure why it seems to be so difficult for some posters to understand that.

I've worked in customer facing roles and can only remember men being complaining arseholes

This is what you wrote.

I don't believe that only men are "complaining arseholes". I am very sceptical that whatever your work is that you have only ever seen men behaving like that. That strikes as confirmation bias and just as much perpetuating a stereotype as the Karen meme.

It was created as an insult, it is used as an insult, so it is widely understood to be an insult.

I didn't claim it's only men (nor that people shouldn't be entitled to complain if faced with poor service). I'm saying that in my experience, I've only seen so-called 'Karen' behaviour in men which other people (outside MN/in general) seem to be saying is stereotypical to a certain type of woman. I've met loads of arseholes, male and female. But 'Karen' is not just an arsehole - isn't that the point of it being a meme?

My point is that I don't recognise 'Karen' as even a stereotype. It makes no sense to me hence me wondering if I'm missing the joke as there seems to be no point to it other than lazy sexism.

Yes you are missing something. Claiming that it is only ever men who complain without justification is no better than using the "Karen" meme to vilify a certain demographic of women.

People are entitled to complain if faced with poor service.

Some people can be obnoxious.

I'm afraid I simply don't believe that it is only men who behave in that way any more than I believe it is only women of a certain age and class. I have worked in what could be described as a "customer facing role" my whole working life.

The thing is, the only people I've ever seen demonstrating the 'Karen' behaviour as described are men. I've worked in customer facing roles and can only remember men being complaining arseholes. Thinking the world revolves around them and what they want? Check.

Am I missing something?

Had a chat with a teenage DD this eve as she asked me why people were saying 'ok Karen' on TikTok. She read a few pages from this thread and it opened her eyes!

Errrm yeh. Just like if any left wing remainiac who disagreed with a white male brexiteer, would call them a gammon!! Guess your one of them

I'm a moderate right wing remainer. The term "gammon" is as unacceptable as "Karen".

Yes 'Gammon' was an insult used to shut down older white men who had right-wing opinions. It wasn't aimed at all older white men, and it isn't a common real name for white men. At least I've never met anyone called Gammon.

The only time I've been called Karen is on MN.

Errrm yeh. Just like if any left wing remainiac who disagreed with a white male brexiteer, would call them a gammon!! Guess your one of them

Only Karen's take offence to Karen

'Karen' is being used as a way to shut middle-aged white women down.

Think of it this way. Suppose people started referring to middle-aged black men as 'Geoffrey'. Then whenever a middle-aged black man has an opinion in public they don't like, they shut him down with 'okay Geoffrey'. I'm sure the problem would be clear then.

Fine to laugh at entitled people making a fuss of things

Is it? I really don't understand the reasoning that making a fuss about things which aren't right is some sort of unacceptable behaviour.

I'm white , middle class, well- off and articulate. I suppose in woke- speak "I'm entitled" If I were poor or unemployed or not white or not articulate does that mean I can make a complaint without being laughed at?

I'm oddly pleased that this rather magnificent lady is actually called Karen. Karens are obviously talented and imaginative.

Yes, those amazingly I am on a facebook group of allegedly gender critical women, many of whom were arguing that it is not. It blatantly is.

Yes I find it very annoying. Also see "becky"
It's aimed at silencing and attacking
women. The guise of it being white women only to make it more "acceptable"

I would severely judge anyone who used it

Fine to laugh at entitled people making a fuss of things but this use of Karen and Becky is a micro aggression.

Bang on iggi..

Speaking of short witted - did you read any of the thread before commenting?

To be called a Karen is usually to describe how annoying someone is.
Usually the name of a mother with a bobbed/spikey hairstyle who wants nothing but the absolute best for her children. Usually going as far as asking to speak to the manager if the macaroni and cheese her kid ordered wasn't up to her expectation. Basically a mother who thinks the world revolves around her and gives other people a hard time if they disagree with her views/beliefs.

If if a kid calls you a Karen it could simply be meant to be a short witted insult if they find you annoying. Sometimes it's just a short witted insult.

Sorry that happened to you bee222
Handy way to tell who to delete off your phone though, like an asshole detector.

It's just a new shorthand for misogyny against a certain 'type' of woman - like using Sharon and/or Tracy was in the 80s as a shorthand for 'common' women. The vile, repulsive Alan Clark MP called his two dogs Sharon and Tracy and everyone thought it sooooo amusing

My name is Karen.
I am recovering from life-long disordered eating problems.
I am sent Karen memes all the time (woke up to two on WhatsApp just this morning)
I was once sent one that said “hide your snacks, Karen! You fat slag!” By a woman who calls herself a “proud feminist” and a white man. Everyone in that WhatsApp group conversation found it hilarious. I didn’t eat for two days after that. When I complained online about this, I was piled on by people saying “lol - of course your name is Karen”

Someone please explain to me how Karen memes are not sexist and just plain mean? I’ve seen the reasoning that they stem from POC in the USA to speak out against white women that try to silence them. How does calling me a fat slag do this?

Give it less than a year and the phrase “Karen” will be used against any woman who has an opinion. It won’t just be kept for those dreary middle aged women.

"Us guys?"

Hang on, I'll page the Hivemind and see what is has to say.