How to explain the use of boomer, Karen is derogatory?

[NightSpot]

Teen Ds's. They use boomer and Karen all the time. I have said I do not like them. They argue they are not slurs, whereas I think they are. I also say Karen is misogynistic. I am not good with words and they argue rings around me.

Can someone explain in a way I can repeat? I do think though that they should respect that our house is not a playground, where I am sure they all use those words, and therefore they should respect the fact I do not want to hear them.

The same with sticking up for women is seen as TERF behaviour.

I basically need coherent arguments that make them understand why all three terms are horrible.

Misses point of thread but surely teens now aren't millennials? I'm a millennial at 32.

Back to the point- boomer, Karen, snowflake etc allure all intentionally derogatory! That's the point! I'd not let my children use them in my home

@letsghostdance

Folk that would be offended by boomer and Karen are absolutely the same folk to call millennials snowflakes.

I find them both offensive and I am a Millennial.

Something withering like “if you don’t have the intelligence to form and articulate your argument civilly, I’m afraid it makes you too boring for me to engage with.”
Then end with an irritating and patronising “Sweetie/princess/cupcake”

@waitingforadulthood

Misses point of thread but surely teens now aren't millennials? I'm a millennial at 32.

Back to the point- boomer, Karen, snowflake etc allure all intentionally derogatory! That's the point! I'd not let my children use them in my home

No. Teenagers are Gen Z.

Did anyone call teens Millenials on here?

LOL, im in my 30s, my mum is a boomer!

i would suggest if they think you are a boomer, they don't have a great grasp on maths!

Thanks, everyone. Sorry I didn't return sooner as I needed to sleep as working nights.

Yes, I have tried to explain the history behind them. There was s thread on here that was about the Karen term and one PP put it so eloquently - wish I had saved it!

For the record, I do not use the terms millennials, snowflake, OR gammon. Nor am I of the "baby boomer" age, have blond hair, "the karen" haircut or ask to speak to the manager!

I get called terf as yes, they are growing up in the 'woke' generation and in discussions I have tried to stick up for the need for single-sex spaces etc. But they see it as rad fem for some reason

I will keep trying to explain and hopefully one day it will sink in. They don't use it as a direct insult - more of "well that was a bit Kare/boomer/terf" when I say something.(I am pretty lax about swearing too) They are good kids generally and we have wide-ranging discussions about many things, political and historical, but these terms just get my hackles up. But I guess we all go through a stage where we are convinced we are right about everything

If you weren't born in the post-war '40s or '50s, you're not a baby boomer. Tell them to learn some history.

Babyboomers originally were born 1945-64.

Then someone realised that those born in the early 60’s who grew up through Thatcher, Punk and the start of MTV had nothing in common with the Peace Children born in the 40’s and early 50’s.

So then Generation Jones was born. 1955-65
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Jones

My DH and I use boomer to refer to MIL who definitely does have an attitude that fits the stereotype but I wouldn't call my own mum one because she doesn't fit the attitude. Growing up in different contexts does affect your opinion on things and attitudes towards things so there can be some generalisations but I do understand that they cannot be broadly applied to everyone of a certain group. As you said yourself, your children are growing up in a 'woke' generation so they approach things through that lense. It doesn't mean everything they do will fit in with that stereotype but it a broad brush stroke to put their attitude into a context.

I really don't see an issue with the Karen thing. I certainly don't use it as a racial, sexist or classist slur. It is (to me) someone who just complains a lot about everything wherever they go and nothing is ever quite right. I think anyone can fit that bill.

No different to young people being called snowflakes which has been happening for far longer. Weirdly enough I haven’t really seen older people object to that... funny isn’t it!

Most people can be politely insulting on social media, but some lose all grip on reality. As I posted above, I am 64 (born 1956, so a tail end boomer). I have no problem with being dubbed a boomer, but I also would not call my DS21 a snowflake because I see how hard he works and what he's up against. But the flip-off "OK boomer" reply I referred to above is just a cheap easy way to declare your belief that a whole generation is ageing and irrelevant and should shut up and be quiet. Having learned how to operate computers in the 1980s, and having used them ever since for 12 hours a day, I don't expect to be pushed aside quietly.

I’m in the US so it may be different here but ‘a Karen’ is a woman who exploits her white privilege and looks down on those who she perceives as ‘beneath her’ in an obnoxious fashion with very little self awareness. There is a male equivalent, ‘the Ken’. It’s not a sexist thing because the behaviour can be perpetrated by both sexes. They are definitely associated with certain physical characteristics, which is low, but it’s the behaviour that’s being mocked—and rightly so!

This is very true. It’s unfortunate that some men have stolen the word to refer to any woman they don’t like / disagree with.

But the term is very useful for referring to people like Amy Cooper, the woman who threatened to call the police and tell them ‘I’m doing to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life’ (the man was Christian Cooper, a black man).

The term is very much needed in the USA and it shouldn’t be banned to appease the feelings of people in the UK.

@honeygirlz There are plenty of people in the UK who fit that too. The fact is that those words are about certain types of behaviour. If people don't want to be called those things then they shouldn't act like them... Same goes for TERF. Don't want to be called one then don't act like one.

This is slightly off topic but I just wanted to say how nice and refreshing it is that you're having conversations with your teenage sons about feminism, even if they are disagreeing with you! The fact that they're engaging in it at all and forming their own opinions (eg that x view is terfy) is a credit to you.

Agree @BingBon! I’m heartened to see that many of us are truly making an effort to raise feminist sons.

The utter shit that was thrown towards 'millenials' for years. We've had this boomer bollocks for a few months and its labelled a 'slur'.

Also noticable how many of those whining about cancel culture last week are wanting karen and bommer cancelled this week.

@user1471565182 so true!

@user1471565182

Also noticable how many of those whining about cancel culture last week are wanting karen and bommer cancelled this week.

Really

How many?

@letsghostdance sorry I’m very much a feminist and want to keep women’s spaces for women!

Usage of the term 'Karen' as an insult is very useful for identifying twats I find.

pemba

I feel the same about snowflake

Though ds1 called me a snowflake the other day and when i said ‘what unique?’ he got a bit stuck

I really don't see an issue with the Karen thing. I certainly don't use it as a racial, sexist or classist slur. It is (to me) someone who just complains a lot about everything wherever they go and nothing is ever quite right. I think anyone can fit that bill.

Someone who complains a lot about everything could be described as an annoying person, an entitled person or, to use the MN phrase, a CF. Why would you use the name Karen to describe such behaviour? How do you think this makes Karens feel? Do you think people called Karen complain a lot about everything?