To be bummed to be "Karen"?

[Shortstrawname]

Name changed because this could be outing. I'm in my late 20s and my name is Karen. I feel sad that my name has now become a huge meme. Amongst a sea of Katies in my year at school, I was kind of glad to have a unique name. Now, I feel mostly embarrassed due to the sea of Internet memes. There is an 'anti-Karen' group on Facebook with 127k likes! What do you all think of the name and do you immediately now associate it with the meme? I know there is nothing I can do but suck it up, but I wonder if there are any other Karens feeling the same out there? 🤔

Flipswhitefudge
Move to Australia and reinvent yourself as Kazza! or move to Liverpool and be called "Kagsy"!

It's a joke, it's not really what people think of all people named Karen

Is this wildly different from how mumsnet users use the name Tarquin as a generic name for a 'precious' child of an upper middle class family

No, and it is why all lazy prejudicial stereotypes reflect badly on the user. From Baby name threads that dismiss certain names as ‘Trouble’ onwards.

For the posters who know loads of lovely Karens, well obviously. It is intellectually defunct to even consider that name = character, personality and values.

This is mainly a US thing - as is "bummed".

I'm not called Karen but it irritates me because the person who quotes it is not originally funny they are just copying something, if that makes sense.

On the other hand it's become a catch all term to shout down women.

It's like "Love" which when I heard my relation from Sheffield says it is sounds lovely but it is also used sarcastically by some.

I agree with the above posters that I don’t associate the meme with real life Karen’s. I associate the memes with the insinuated personality.

As a Karen I just get fed up of the feeling of having my voice/opinion taken away. If I make a comment to the teenager, her response is OK Karen and much sniggering. Also have had people reply online with "OK Karen", then much back clapping and emojis. It does feel a tad ageist and misogynistic.
Although it's really lovely to read here how many of you like the name Karen, I've always felt it marked me as middle aged, so it's also lovely to read about all the younger Karens ❤️🙂.
Mine is supposedly pronounced Care -en, but no one ever does and I don't mind.

Is the expression ‘waiting on’ instead of waiting ‘for’ a US thing?

It seems to be growing at a steady pace but hits me as grammatically off.

How do you wait ‘on’ your mail arriving, for example?
Do you sit on it?

Its an awful meme and really annoying. See also the new Becky memes as a result of beyonce and her "becky withthe good hair" implying beckys are slags and cheaters. The only male equivelant i can think of is Kyle. Kyle is a chavvy fuck boy type with no brains.

Also i love the name karen. Really love it. The little girl in outnumbered is karen its brilliant.

CallarMorvern
I am not her Karen where it is pronounced care - en and you are the first I have found who has the same pronouncation.
I gave up correcting people years ago so only old friends and family use care - en now and I have got used to being Karen to everyone else.

Another karen here and yanbu the majority are nice

I'm also a Karen, in my early forties. It annoys me that my name is used for these stupid memes, I see posters on here saying things like "yeah okay Karen" to slap down people they disagree with too. For all those people saying it's only a joke, would it be as hilarious if it was your name? And no, I don't want to speak to the manager before anyone suggests it.

I have an aunt called Karen pronounced care-in and then 2 friends pronounced Karen reading this thread has made my thread hurt because when reading in my head I pronounce the names and I’m like wait is it Karen or Karen. I need gin

@RyanBergarasTeeth trust me, “Becky” as a particular Skype of person existed long before that Beyoncé song.

Particular type, rather.

Its an awful meme and really annoying. See also the new Becky memes as a result of beyonce and her "becky withthe good hair" implying beckys are slags and cheaters.

ACTUALLY.... the name Becky has been used for ages.

www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/04/27/what-does-becky-mean-heres-history-behind-beyoncs-lemonade-lyric-sparked-firestorm/83555996/

Plus, at that time I’m pretty sure most were wondering who Becky was in reference to who Jay-Z possibly cheated on her with not to describe a type of person.

@Proudboomer, I was apparently named after a radio DJ. I've also never met anyone else with the same pronunciation. A geography teacher used to pronounce it Kaaahren and we all used to collapse into fits of laughter.

Karen is a behaviour rather than the name

But why have people used a woman’s name to describe that behaviour? Call that behaviour out for what it is (entitled, rude), don’t assign a woman’s name to it.

Karen is a behaviour rather than the name

It's a behaviour that has been attached to the name. I think it's shit (I am not a Karen)

As an aside, I went to Primary school with a Care-un. She said it was the Manx pronunciation.

I too am a Karen and I find the memes amusing - I was born in the 60s (when it was one of the most popular names) and I take the memes to almost celebrate the fact that I won't take any shit off anyone anymore. Once I hit 50 and became 'invisible' I thought it was high time I stopped being walked over. Now if I have an issue with something I bring it up. There are ways of doing this without pissing everyone off though. @Di11y - do I know you?

celebrate the fact that I won't take any shit off anyone anymore. Once I hit 50 and became 'invisible' I thought it was high time I stopped being walked over. Now if I have an issue with something I bring it up. There are ways of doing this without pissing everyone off though.

@panicstationsready That’s the thing though - you’re not being a Karen if you’re not pissing everyone off.

A Karen is someone who does piss people off because they’re rude, entitled and inappropriate.

There is a difference between not letting people walk all over you and being a Karen.

I'm so offended by it I've considered changing my name. And now Amy Cooper has been called a Karen .

@Pupsiecola

I'm so offended by it I've considered changing my name. And now Amy Cooper has been called a Karen .

Because she was being a Karen.