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?

[ukgift2016]

It is ridiculous. I saw two young white women on a BBC podcast lecturing fellow white women (Karen's) and telling them to leave the country!

I am 30 but I despair of the younger generation.

[KarenMcKaren]

It's just a word for the woke groupthink to use to shut down middle aged women. They don't think their opinions count so they don't want to hear them. Fuck them. Because I won't ever shut up. However much they would like me to.
From Karen

[bitofasleuth]

Well considering that the term originates in the United States and is used largely by BAME people in a derogatory fashion towards white, middle-aged, fairly well-off women who they perceive to be racists, then I am in complete agreement with you OP.

Calling someone a 'Karen' is calling them a racist.

[KarenMcKaren]

^I mentally file away anyone who uses 'Karen' as a put-down as an empty-headed crowd-follower°

Exactly this.

[Hingeandbracket]

We are all the poorer for all these lazy slurs. See also snowflake boomer and gammon, amongst others. I agree Karen is worse as it’s a women only insult, but it’s all lazy ignorant shorthand

[Nottherealslimshady]

Karen is what women who treat service staff like shit and expect to get better service by carrying off are called. If you dont want to be called it then dont do it.

[AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter]

Karen is what women who treat service staff like shit and expect to get better service by carrying off are called

What are men who treat service staff like shit called? oh thats right- nothing!

[frog22]

I watched a video that someone filmed recently of a women who was frightened and crying on the ground. The man that filmed it was shouting Karen at her!

Imagine if the man was filming a black woman and shouting a racial slur at her, or filming a gay woman shouting a homophobic slur at her.

None of that would be tolerated. But because they are calling her a Karen then get to imply that she is privileged, racist, angry, ...... I could go on.

[justanotherneighinparadise]

I can understand why many of you are offended and I suspect a lot of your offence is because you fall into some of the criteria. But I see many of these people in my area and had my own name for them. They very much fall into the ‘Karen’ subset and I’m glad there’s now a name for them.

[mencken]

just looked it up. If someone is behaving objectionably why not just call them a litterer, an anti-vaxxer, a fuel-waster or whatever it is they do?

all sounds a bit woke to me. Probably the same oh-so-cool-for-skool types who use 'sheeple' and 'muzzle' to refer to face masks. While driving their large number of kids round in an SUV and jabbering on a brand new chunkphone.

[Russellbrandshair]

@justanotherneighinparadise

You sound like a Karen to me 🤷‍♀️

[Kisskiss]

I had to google ‘karen’ a while back as I wasn’t sure what it meant. The definition I saw astounded me. Isn’t it a racist term??? I don’t get why it’s ok to use it at all...

[whattimeisitrightnow]

I really don’t understand the sudden fuss over Karen. The meme has been around for YEARS, yet suddenly Mumsnet has taken notice of it. It refers to people who are pushy, opinionated, treat retail staff poorly etc. It is not a sexist term: men are referred to as Karens, in the same way that women can be referred to as ‘Kyles’ or ‘Chads’ (other ‘name insults’ for particular characteristics), so I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to compare it to terms like ‘bitch’ and ‘cunt’ which are rooted in misogyny and always have been.
That being said, it sucks that people actually named Karen are being teased for this. I do empathise with that - it must be shitty.

[whattimeisitrightnow]

@Kisskiss no, it’s not a racist term where did you get that idea from?

[whattimeisitrightnow]

Re my post: don’t get me wrong, the term is rude. I don’t use it myself. But it’s not sexist and it’s not a new thing.

[Hingeandbracket]

@justanotherneighinparadise

I can understand why many of you are offended and I suspect a lot of your offence is because you fall into some of the criteria. But I see many of these people in my area and had my own name for them. They very much fall into the ‘Karen’ subset and I’m glad there’s now a name for them.

You are half there’s a name you can use to lazily stereotype a whole group? You are part of the problem.

[MouthBreathingRage]

If people think the term 'Karen' hasn't got out of hand, you're being very naive. Just because they're not saying it to your face, doesn't mean they're not saying it behind your back, or on social media. It has evolved beyond the 'racist middle aged white woman' trope, it is now being used against any woman deemed to be 'difficult', or behaving in a way that isn't considered 'nice lady' enough. If you are a woman and you have a contrary opinion or a valid complaint, someone will be calling you a 'Karen'. Just because you're not hearing it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

[Hingeandbracket]

Half=glad of course

[Lolwhat]

This post is very Karen

[justanotherneighinparadise]

@whattimeisitrightnow

I really don’t understand the sudden fuss over Karen. The meme has been around for YEARS, yet suddenly Mumsnet has taken notice of it. It refers to people who are pushy, opinionated, treat retail staff poorly etc. It is not a sexist term: men are referred to as Karens, in the same way that women can be referred to as ‘Kyles’ or ‘Chads’ (other ‘name insults’ for particular characteristics), so I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to compare it to terms like ‘bitch’ and ‘cunt’ which are rooted in misogyny and always have been.
That being said, it sucks that people actually named Karen are being teased for this. I do empathise with that - it must be shitty.

^ this!

[Longtalljosie]

I have worked in retail. You’d get a request to speak to the manager once a day or so. It was never a problem and never came with abuse. It was part of the system. I had a degree of leeway (not much at first) and the manager did. My time in retail was in the early 90s when shops stopped doing exchanges or refunds on earrings so that’s what 90% of the requests to speak to the manager were about.

I have also asked to speak to a manager while using service industries myself. Often it’s because the person I’m dealing with is being a condescending, jumped up sexist little twerp. So if you are one of those people you probably get that request quite a lot from people you treat like that. After a while you notice they’re all the same (women too old for you personally to fancy) and rather than being curious about why you’re annoying all these women, you assume all these women are troublemakers..,

[justanotherneighinparadise]

My personal experience of this sub set are they are rude, monied, pushy, shop at Waitrose and normally have a husband who has a very important job 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Stellakent]

I'm in my mid 50s and there were several Karens in my year at school. It was a popular name at the time. I've never heard the term used offensively in real life, but I think it must be upsetting for people with that name. All the Karens I know are lovely people.

[tellmetocalmdown]

I just assume anyone who uses the term Karen is a misogynistic, arrogant, uneducated twat.

It says way more about the user than the actual person its targeting to me! I have second hand embarrassment for anyone who uses it.

[HandsOffMyRights]

@justanotherneighinparadise

I can understand why many of you are offended and I suspect a lot of your offence is because you fall into some of the criteria. But I see many of these people in my area and had my own name for them. They very much fall into the ‘Karen’ subset and I’m glad there’s now a name for them.

When you say "these people" do you mean every white woman over 40? Because this is how the term 'Karen' is being used as the new scold's bridle.