Karen and the Generational Divide

[LucilleBluth]

My very good friend kept sending me TikTok videos via whatsapp and told me to get on it. I resisted but last week I decided to have a look what it was all about.

Now I’m 40, friend is 42, both white and degree educated with teenagers and primary aged DCs. It would seem that according to this app that middle aged white women are the actual devil. I’m from a working class background and friend is MC.

I’ve never seen younger people be so vitriolic against people they don’t know. It’s definitely misogyny and ageism but dressed up as being woke???

I can’t quite figure out why or where it’s coming from. Any sociological explanation for this?

@TheBuffster

'Teenagers are being dragged into a world on its knees, and it's not their fault, but they're going to have to fix it.'

Teens are just people. Good, bad and grey and certainly not saints.

I'd like to see teens practice what they preach, then they'd get my respect.

For example, a well known early 30s environmental and vegan campaigner was at extinction rebellion and very politely asking teens if they'd reduce meat for the planet, which they obviously cared about.

The response was said teens being rude and ridiculing him, saying Nandos rules etc.

That's a sneering ageist attitude common amongst teens.
So no, they don't get a free virtue signalling pass. And the implication that those over twenty aren't doing their bit is frankly insulting.
More strides for equality etc have been made in the past 70 years. The current trend seems to curtail women's gains in particular because, you know, be kind.

Not buying it. People are people. Good, bad, ugly and that transcends generations.

Well said.

And people need to stop claiming there's a well known male equivalent of Karen. There isn't

Just catching up on Pointless, the round is on Famous Karens, obviously an old episode from before the current stupidity regarding a name!

And people need to stop claiming there's a well known male equivalent of Karen. There isn't

No but perhaps we should invent one, since many users on this board are fine and dandy with commandeering actual people's names as insults.

So by that logic I think I am going to call any male I find unattractive a James. Or a Dave.

Or how about any male that mansplains being called a Colin. I feel that's a Collin thing to do. And it's easier to call someone a Colin than explain why I am calling them out.

Peeves can be Pete's, because, you know, alliteration.

Murdery Mike's.

What fun and it is fine because it saves me the bother of articulation.

@hansgrueber

Just catching up on Pointless, the round is on Famous Karens, obviously an old episode from before the current stupidity regarding a name!

Oh god. I can't think of a single famous Karen. How rubbish am I?

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

Middle aged women are the only group you could do this to on SM.

////// This.

And I really feel for women who are called Karen, it must be awful to hear your name used like this.

Try being over 60.

Your right I reckon the bar is probably anyone over 40 😳

I think you acquire 'Karen' status at the same time you become invisible, which can vary from woman to woman but is usually around 4ish.

'Karen' is a term for invisible women who have the audacity to try to become visible.

40ish, not 4ish (although the way things are going the age probably will move downwards!)

TheBuffster

I got Karen Brady, who wasn't there! I'd never heard of any of them, one was a Russian male tennis player!

And I really feel for women who are called Karen, it must be awful to hear your name used like this

if only people had as much empathy for victims of racism.

Yes because when I said that I clearly meant I had no empathy for victims of racism

Us ladies, can only hold one thought in our little heads at a time, don't you know

Karen' is a term for invisible women who have the audacity to try to become visible.

Precisely.

And I really feel for women who are called Karen, it must be awful to hear your name used like this

Cadent if only people had as much empathy for victims of racism.

Funnily enough, some of us can have empathy for more than one group of people. Amazing isn't it?

@SusannaMorvern

Does that tired old line sound clever in your head? Because it’s really not.

Oh no, the tone police.

Sounded fine to me

Fine to me too. You can be sorry for invisible older women getting told to shut up and still be against racism. I would imagine most people in the UK were in both camps - want no discrimination against women over 40 and no discrimination on grounds of race either.

I’m too young to be of ‘Karen’ age but it’s always struck me as horrible. I always think to my mother’s partner— who is worse than any ‘Karen’ you’ll see on videos on SM. He’ll scream at people going out of their way to help him (doctors, cashiers) and he just sees it as being assertive.

On the rare occasions my mother complains (calmly may I add), he tells her to calm down.

Definitely a double standard. Massively sexist and ageist in every way. No one questions an angry man because it’s expected of him. An angry woman, on the other hand, is clearly just a bitch/emotional/on her period/etc. etc.

Tbh i am a Karen and proud as I am a middle aged woman who refuses to shut up....so shoot me!

It's still really acceptable to be agist...in work colleagues have open discussions about who is " old" . If you substituted the word " age" with black or gay those conversations would not be happening.

Agism is so ridiculous isn’t it - today’s on trend 23 year old is twenty years from being a 43 year old has been herself (if she’s lucky). Do these bright young things think they will remain young and relevant forever ?! The optimism and arrogance of youth!

malificent while there are women like you there will be hope

I don't know why some of you are saying another age group wouldn't have such a term made about them? 'Becky' has been around a lot longer than 'Karen' and is still used a lot...

I am in my 20’s and have seen people call other 20-something years old Karens (male or female) so I don’t think it’s about being 40 something and more about people who are displaying appalling public behavior or think they are the local police. I met a woman at a store recently I could see branded as a "karen", not that I would call her that personally but she was goddamn awful. The cashier was kindly trying to help her and she was absolutely rude, she ended up calling the cashier a fucking stupid bitch In Spanish and the cashier was like "oh hell no, get the fuck out of my store.“ and she was escorted out wihtout her groceries. She was middle-aged but to me it’s really about the attitude. It’s fine to ask for the manager or complain (I am first in line to do so if need be.) but there is a way to behave. And yes I expect more maturity from a 40 yo middle age woman than a 20yo woman (not that any age group is ever justified in being rude or awful).

The whole war between young and old is an old time tale. Old folks complain about the youth not respecting them/their elders and the youth complains about the elders historically ruining things for them and having forgotten what it’s like to be Young. In 20 years I’ll be mid forties and I am sure I will feel similarly to you, both unable to relate to the youth and to the elderly population‘s mindset. Even right now I feel a disconnect with the Tiktok Generation. I just remember it was only 10 years ago I did silly shit but was lucky the internet was just a recent thing and social media barely starting.