Can't stand people referring to others as a 'Karen'

[shesellsseashells99]

I'm fed up with seeing it, I really have. it's gone way too far now. I have a friend who is ashamed of her name and won't post on any public forum because of the stick she gets. Constantly seeing stupid memes.

You may think I'm being too serious but I think it's so derogatory to people who have that name.

YA100%NBU.

Irrespective of its origins, in the UK I see it used as a slur to shut down a woman (any woman, white, black, young, old) who dares voice a (valid) opinion on something that could be considered anything other than world ending.

"Could people stop parking on the pavement by the school, I have to put the pram in the road"... 'okay Karen, glad that's all you have to worry about'.

"could the kids in the park overnight stop breaking bottles and leaving them on the slide, my kid cut herself" ... "alright Karen, bet you were never young once'

"Can anyone help campaign against the builders bulldozing the protected trees in the nature reserve". "Ah, the Karen's are out. Trying to protect your £10million pound houses are ya?' (3 bed semis).

Anyone who thinks this is anything other than low intellect bullying is deluded.

Not another Karen thread. 🙄

even being turned down for jobs
Has this actually happened?

@BinkyBoinky Yes it has. I've met a lot of women online, we do discuss these things and I know what's going on. There's even been people making Karen comments on LinkedIn, which is absolutely unprofessional.

@mountbattenbergcake I think you would mind. Most people would. Anyone who claims they wouldn't, doesn't realise the extent of the harassment that's going on. Women called Karen can barely say anything on social media any more, not even a mundane comment, without there being a pile-on. Here, try out this website with your own name karenismyname.org/renamer and now imagine that a thousand times over, imagine millions of people all shouting at you for your name alone. It's no longer about just about types of behaviour. It's ended up with actual Karens being harassed and bullied, both online and in real life.

It sounds vile, but I’ve actually never come across it apart from on Mumsnet. What does it mean?

It is almost every single comment on my local newspaper's fb now. Every single time any woman comments on any story, a man comments "OK, Karen, calm down." or "whatever, Karen." or "shut up and go away, Karen."

In Britain, it is simply shorthand for "woman" (whose right to even have any opinion on anything is refused). Honestly, it is.

@Dongdingdong Same here, I've never seen the 'Karen' meme anywhere apart from Mumsnet. All I see with it is that there's no obvious male equivalent, so it is misogynistic IMO.

Named and shamed? I don't know the name of any police officer who has shot or killed an innocent citizen. I don't know the names of any of the men who slaughtered their partners and small children during lockdown (three incidents in the UK I can remember) because these stories are reported, people say 'that's a shame' and the news cycle moves on.

But I know the name of a woman who made a scene in Central Park because to social media, that's a story worth elevating to weeks of outrage.

She was pretty nasty but I see worse on a weekly basis on public transport. Nobody got hurt. And now she's a byword for how harmful women are, despite her not harming anyone.

Social media loves to hate women.

Really not seeing the link that perfectly nice innocent middle aged women in the UK who happen to have a particular run if the mill name have to take abuse and villification because that somehow helps the anti racist cause in America? Makes zero sense.

@MorrisZapp

Named and shamed? I don't know the name of any police officer who has shot or killed an innocent citizen. I don't know the names of any of the men who slaughtered their partners and small children during lockdown (three incidents in the UK I can remember) because these stories are reported, people say 'that's a shame' and the news cycle moves on.

But I know the name of a woman who made a scene in Central Park because to social media, that's a story worth elevating to weeks of outrage.

She was pretty nasty but I see worse on a weekly basis on public transport. Nobody got hurt. And now she's a byword for how harmful women are, despite her not harming anyone.

Social media loves to hate women.

@MorrisZapp - the woman you were referring to is hideous and had extremely dangerous intentions.

However - that is because of her, specifically. Not her name, which has become synonymous for women who dare to be seen / heard.

YANBU- it’s a horrible, misogynistic way to criticise middle aged women. A nasty American meme that has no place anywhere and certainly not here. Anyone using it in my presence would get very short shrift.

@Danglingmod

It is almost every single comment on my local newspaper's fb now. Every single time any woman comments on any story, a man comments "OK, Karen, calm down." or "whatever, Karen." or "shut up and go away, Karen."

In Britain, it is simply shorthand for "woman" (whose right to even have any opinion on anything is refused). Honestly, it is.

I'd say in almost all cases, it's used where 'bitch' would make the user look bad.

Correct.

@MorrisZapp

I agree with you. I suspect that it's popular on Mumsnet because it's a way of insulting a poster without having their comment deleted.

@Sameolesame

That is why Reni Eddo a Lodge did “why I’m no longer talking to white people about race” . Gosh this thread is staggering in Karenisms.

Now there's a reach.

Name changed so that I'm not linked to my previous post.

@EndemicPanda in my opinion you've (almost) hit the nail on the head "the real problem is that sexist white men are using the term to try to shut down and demean any assertive woman when there is no race element involved"

In my experience, it's sadly not always men.

I use a popular social media platform in which I broadcast live to my followers.

What I've found, is that when I'm assertive - whether that be calling someone out for the way they're talking to me or another participant...or voicing my opinion on a subject that comes up in conversation, I instantly get called a "Karen" And the expectation is I should find it offensive.

For me, personally I don't. I find it laughable because whoever said it is a sheep, just following the thousands before them that used the term 🤷🏼‍♀️ And I make that clear to my viewers whilst at the same time making the commenter look less than 1mm high before blocking them

Jokes aside though, I don't understand the race implication of the term and I certainly do feel for women who's name is actually Karen.

I'll continue to challenge those who use the term, and would like to see the trend die out ASAP (as we all would!)

@Sameolesame

That is why Reni Eddo a Lodge did “why I’m no longer talking to white people about race” . Gosh this thread is staggering in Karenisms.

I've read that book and she didn't mention my name even once, yet still managed to write an excellent, educational book.

Stop stressing about the name. Instead you should get worked up about the behaviour of Karens.

No, you really shouldn't, why bother stressing about how women called Karen behave ?

@Danglingmod

It is almost every single comment on my local newspaper's fb now. Every single time any woman comments on any story, a man comments "OK, Karen, calm down." or "whatever, Karen." or "shut up and go away, Karen."

In Britain, it is simply shorthand for "woman" (whose right to even have any opinion on anything is refused). Honestly, it is.

This, exactly.

To be honest for every 'Karen' slur I see just as many 'OK Boomer' or 'ah the Gammons are out in force' type of rispostes during online discussions. The former being a catch all for any middle aged person expressing a view it would seem and the latter aimed at men of a certain age and political view.

If Black people can label unpleasant middle-aged white women “Karen’s,” can LatinX people use a name for a “type” of person? Could they call an Italian-American a “Wop” as they were labeled in the past?

Indeed. Although it seems to me that much of this is intended to cause division with people. And it's working. It won't stop racism. It will make it far far worse.

Why will it make racism far far worse

Either you are racist or you are not

To use this as excuse is well just that an excuse. I didn’t like being called a Karen so I retaliated with what a racial slur

But apparently bitch is ok

But can you understand why women called Karen find it insulting? Why do you need to use an actual women's name? I've yet to hear a justifiable reason from those posters who are defending using it.

Because there really isn't one, is there?

What's wrong with simply calling a spade a spade and call out a white woman's behaviour as racist rather than call her a 'Karen'?

Either you are racist or you are not

Yes, but not holding racist views does not in anyway stop people being accused of being racist as it is a common cheap shot tactic that I have seen used in numerous 'debates'.

"I believe in a robust migration policy'

'so you are racist then'

'woah...hang on'