Sick of being called Karen

[frog22]

Listening to Radio 4 and Caroline Hirons is on and she has already used the term Karen to refer to her followers. I'm just sick of it. It's as bad as calling a woman the B word or C word!

Why would she do it? Why do women do it to other women?

@frog22

Women not supporting women is a trend that men and very jealous women (against other women) have promoted through society.

Men do it to divide women and to keep the stronger gendered manageable (cause if we actually band together, they’re buggered). It also means that they don’t have to do the dirty work and instead get women to do the dirty work for them (ironic really).

Jealous women do it because of issues they have with themselves (hence why they are jealous). If they spent more time trying to be a better version of themselves rather then using that energy to take other women down. Women would be a lot further in their rights.

Just steer clear of these people and find others that align with your principles. Then enjoy....cause I guarantee you. The same miserable women wouldn’t be.

FYI - I been reading MN Hot Threads over the last year. The majority of people here are not women supporting women (from what I’ve seen), so you might not get a lot of support here. Then again I could be wrong. I still have faith in womenkind.

No you are right, just like the fact that these “Karen’s” are all middle aged and blonde.... think I fit that category (even though it feels weird to call myself middle aged) Surely putting women of a certain age and appearance in a category and labelling is just as bad as being a racist bigoted asshat. We are not all the same no matter our name, age or colouring. We are all individuals and some people are assholes and some people are not, this is just as bad as the years of blonde jokes and Essex girl jokes and even ginger jokes, why are these things not considered racially insensitive. And no my name is not actually Karen, but I don’t think it is fair that every Karen from now until eternity will be tarred with this brush.

I think they've just found an insult that isn't obviously discriminatory, so it can't be challenged. If we challenge them for calling us a 'Karen', the answer is that clearly we must be behaving like a 'Karen'.

It's become a way of belittling women with impunity, sadly, whatever the origins

It isn't fun being named Karen at the moment.
And no I'm not living up to the stereotypical bullshit that is bandied around on SM at the moment either.
It is demeaning and ridiculous that women now cannot stand up for themselves without having this levelled at them 😒

@Itsjustabitofbanter

Would you like to speak to the manager?? 😂

Stop it @Itsjustabitofbanter !!

Ive seen it used as an excuse for men to harrass women on SM

Because before Karen was a thing, men never harassed women on SM?

It has bizarre connotations. Of a white, privileged woman who is using that over someone else. Those utube vids from US were awful.
ButI know two people actually called Karen. Neither is remotely like that. They are good women. And feel sorry that their name is being so abused. It does smack of something misogynistic to me.

YABU. Are you actually called Karen or you are called something else but like complaining?

imagine being female and asserting yourself! gross!

It really suggests that women should never complain / know their place. It is another term now for a ‘nag’. Women nag. No one talks about a nagging man. It is also applied to a ‘middle aged’ woman -it is an older woman’s name. No one wants to be that - a nagging middle aged women. It is good old fashioned misogyny being dressed up as something else. I am guessing men don’t ever complain or act badly 🙄The videos currently going the rounds are all of women acting in ‘entitled’ ways - no men? Why is that? Women are easy targets that’s why. For some men (and women too) on Twitter, ‘Karen shaming’ is a new sport. The new ones seem to centre on the issue of wearing a face mask. Either a woman refusing to wear one or challenging someone for not wearing one...

Seems to evolved into whenever a woman speaks up, she’s a ‘Karen.’ I have coeliac disease and I always tell the waiter when I place an order. Sometimes my meal comes out with gluten e.g. bread with soup. I’d calmly tell them that I can’t have the bread on the plate as it’ll make me ill. They roll their eyes and then return with the same dish with crumbs on the plate. More irritated now, I’d tell them again. They’d roll their eyes again and probably complain about my “demanding” behaviour when they return to the kitchen. They look so disgruntled and it makes me really on edge.

I thought when I expected good service that was reasonable. When I asked to discuss problems with a manager and not the minimum wage staff that was thoughtful. I didn’t realise I was being at Karen’. Working in hospitality I see many entitled women, men and children, as well as many people who just expect good service and rightly complain (mostly to management) when unhappy.

The male equivalent is Dave and it’s been going on for a lot longer than Karen. I don’t like either it’s just another way to keep people in “their place” and then when they react #bekind.

Never heard of "Dave".

There is no male equivalent and certainly not one that has gained as much attention. When the question of a male equivalent comes up, you get all sorts of responses - Darren, Kevin, Ken, Nigel, Kyle and Chad (although Chad is a US term for a young popular sporty type). Dave isn’t one I have heard before hence there is no real equivalent and definitely not the same unpleasant connotations. I agree that using real names is reductionist and stereotyping which is never good. I have two cousins my age called Sharon and Tracey so glad that isn’t such a thing now.

I've heard of Chad, but it's a red pill/incel/MRA thing, not really mainstream (thankfully).

It is an overused phrase, long beyond its original use, and the sooner it dies out the better.

Didn't know it was even a thing 😳

@AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter

but why can't a women ask for better service/refund without being called any name

Because she's a middle aged woman silly! Middle aged women are meant to sit down and shut the fck up apparently! Its fine for young attractive women to complain about crap service and its fine for men of all ages (and all appearances) to complain about crap service but a middle aged woman? and everyone loses their shit. Its pathetic, misogynistic, bollocks.

Exactly This ^

There are derogatory names for pretty much every race, age and class of people. IMO being so outraged all the time about it propagates it further

I have never heard of ‘Dave’ either. The term Karen is a dream for the ageist misogynistic silencers.
Back in your box women.

I have never heard of ‘Dave’ either. The term Karen is a dream for the ageist misogynistic silencers.
Back in your box women.

^This with bells on. The issue isn't whether it was originally intended as a misogynistic term, it's how it's come to be used since. And it is being used in a misogynistic and ageist way, to tell those of us who are middle aged women to know our place.