Karen

[strawberrydaquiari]

The use of Karen as an insult isn't going away is it?
I'm fed up. I feel silenced. I can't stand up to the insult without being accused of acting "like one" and being shut down.
It's everywhere and I hate it.

It's got as much power as you give it.

I see posts on community pages from men that read, "Sorry to be a Karen but...(insert enormous whinge)" which I find bizarre. Literally laying responsibility for their anger at the feet of a woman, any woman.

But I found this headline the most disappointing. Such a great story and in a woman's magazine but completely undermined by a misogynistic headline.

www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a39589245/the-karen-who-cried-kidnapping/

It's been around for many years. The younger generation don't seem to use it as much anymore and have moved on. But it is now ingrained and I don't think it's going away.

@Bigfathairyones

Not wanting to set the cat among the pigeons here but if you've looked an any of the 'classic Karen' clips being shown on social media, does anyone think that their behaviour is just 'standing up for themselves'? Every 'Karen' example I've seen is of a woman whose behaviour is well into the unreasonable bracket. I would be happy to have a 'Keith' category for unreasonable behaviour from men, but I don't think we should be accepting the behaviour, even if the term offends.

My darling dead dad who was the most reasonable of men was called Keith. So fuck off with offensive assumptions about people's names meaning anything about their character or behaviour. The use of Karen whenever a woman says anything, like complaining about bad service or (god forbid) asking to the see manager to clear up a problem is hugely misogynistic, and noone cares whether you'd be happy to have a "Keith" category - there isn't one for men, that's the point you twonk.

It's so dull and unimaginative; 2016 called and asked for their insult back.

@Longcovid21

I was at work the other day and a couple of young lads had left their stuff all over the photocopier, i asked nicely and calmly if they could not leave their papers on the copier as i needed it to print some stuff

Could you have just said, "are these yours guys? Don't forget them."

Could you have just said, "Oh please, let me help you with that. You just sit down over there, I'll make you a drink and a sandwich to go with it....no no, thank you. Tidying up after teenagers is my favourite 😇"

In September last year Ofcom deemed the the use of the name Karen as an insult to be offensive.

I think some people don’t understand that the women behaving badly in videos, etc aren’t actually named Karen.

My friend is a black GP called Karen and she is fucking furious about this. She has considered changing it but rightly says 'my mum called me Karen, it was her favourite name, why should I?". I go berserk if anyone uses it. And I work with teenagers so I am berserking a lot! This is good to drop on facebook threads etc karenismyname.org/renamer

I don’t know.

My sister’s name was Karen. She’s gone now and I miss her so much. We spent so much time laughing and teasing one another and I miss that so much.

“Please pass the butter, Karen.”
“Care for a walk, Karen?”
“Can I bring you anything from the shops, Karen?”

It would be nice just to have her here to tease her a bit. I know she’d give it right back to me and wouldn’t take it personally.

@Bigfathairyones

Not wanting to set the cat among the pigeons here but if you've looked an any of the 'classic Karen' clips being shown on social media, does anyone think that their behaviour is just 'standing up for themselves'? Every 'Karen' example I've seen is of a woman whose behaviour is well into the unreasonable bracket. I would be happy to have a 'Keith' category for unreasonable behaviour from men, but I don't think we should be accepting the behaviour, even if the term offends.

The point is that if people are behaving badly then challenge the behaviour. Don’t use a woman’s name. There are women actually called Karen! They have to live with seeing their name dragged through the mud through no fault of their own. The alternative is to change their name.

Oh dear! What a bunch of Moaning Minnies!

#lighthearted

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon

It’s classic misogyny.

Any woman standing up for themselves? Or rejecting shoddy service? They’re a Karen.

It’s so, SO rude.

Any woman or certain women, particularly of a certain race, who behave in a certain way?

Anyone still say ‘Calamity Jane’?

Joe Public?

Dangerous Brian?

Billy no mates?

[quote user75]My friend is a black GP called Karen and she is fucking furious about this. She has considered changing it but rightly says 'my mum called me Karen, it was her favourite name, why should I?". I go berserk if anyone uses it. And I work with teenagers so I am berserking a lot! This is good to drop on facebook threads etc karenismyname.org/renamer[/quote]
Oh, you’ve got a black friend? And bringing her in lends weight to your point? It’s so nice having a black friend to parade when one needs to bolster their point.

We should all have a black friend.

As far as I am aware it was originally coined as a term for white women behaving in a racist, duplicitous way. Unfortunately it has been taken over by the ignorant and rude as an insult to be thrown at any older woman who dares to have an opinion or disagree with a young person.
In those circumstances it is even more offensive and hurtful to be unjustly on the receiving end IMO.

@ElenaSt

Anyone still say ‘Calamity Jane’?

Joe Public?

Dangerous Brian?

Billy no mates?

That is a ridiculous analogy.

The use of the name Karen as an offensive slur has absolutely nothing to do with the names you’ve listed.

I saw a placard which read ‘when I call you Karen what I actually mean is cunt’. How is that OK?

Put your name into the generator below to see how you wou,d feel if your name was used in such an offensive manner.

karenismyname.org/renamer

My name is Karen - my Mum (rip) gave me my name and loved it so it's upsetting it's used the way it is. I tend to ignore it a lot. People think they're being funny and it really isn't but it says more about them as a person and how easily they're influenced by social media and others.

I'm Karen and proud 😂

[quote sweetbellyhigh]

I see posts on community pages from men that read, "Sorry to be a Karen but...(insert enormous whinge)" which I find bizarre. Literally laying responsibility for their anger at the feet of a woman, any woman.

But I found this headline the most disappointing. Such a great story and in a woman's magazine but completely undermined by a misogynistic headline.

www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a39589245/the-karen-who-cried-kidnapping/[/quote]
This is a good Act It’s called the Caution Against Racial and Exploitative Non-Emergencies Act, or the CAREN Act.

I’ll reserve outrage for the wrongs perpetrated. Who can forget Emmett Till? I can’t get worked up by the use of the name Karen when Karens of this world continue to destroy lives because they feel entitled to.

I do feel sorry for people called Karen, which is a lovely name.

My chief objection is to having a nasty slur for “assertive middle aged woman” at all. It’s very “women, know your place”. It’s not remotely like “Joe Public” etc.

@Why2why

Yes I realise that but they have bastardised the acronym by interchanging it with Karen and also used it as a name for the perpetrator. So disappointing

@Why2why that's a really weird take. The name is used to imply someone is a racist a lot of the time so the fact that the one Karen I know is black, is pertinent.

I’ll reserve outrage for the wrongs perpetrated. Who can forget Emmett Till? I can’t get worked up by the use of the name Karen when Karens of this world continue to destroy lives because they feel entitled to.

Presumably you’re using the word in the older sense of “racist manipulator”? In the UK at least, that’s not generally how it’s used these days- it’s a general slur for a middle aged woman, no connection to race at all. May be different in the US.

@Why2why oh right, you did understand but you think it's fine to use a misogynist slur and are defending it. I don't think it's ok, it is very upsetting to women called Karen, especially women like my friend.

Anyone being called a Karen probably deserves it. The use of it isn't some mysogynistic attack

What does the Emmet Till have to do with the misuse of the name Karen?