Karen advert

[IncognitoMam]

This shouldn't be allowed surely? Who comes up with this shit?
I'm not called Karen but I know Karen's that hate their name now because of the way it's used.

Earthsights post about how women are caught however they respond to the Karen put down put in mind of the ducking stool. If you survive you are a witch if you drown then you weren’t a witch but hey you’re dead anyway.

That IS interesting!

where did I say it was fine

i didn’t

i asked why this particular term gets so many wound up. Would it shut you down it wouldn’t me

Racism apologist on MN (this thread) don't even have the decency to acknowledge it. Focus on your karen and how it makes you feel and don't focus on me. I am just airing my opinion on the subject matter, not attacking individual posters

Please do share how your comments relate to the subject matter of the OP.

This is how I'm reading it and I feel like I'm losing my mind!

Karen is just the latest term used by African Americans to refer to a meddlesome white woman from the US who uses her white privilege, sometimes to deadly consequences.

And all that from almost 70 years ago makes it OK then does it? As long as such phrases as 'white privilege', 'meddlesome white women' are deemed acceptable because they are anti-white then we'll be in this mess for another few hundreds of years. I can guarantee that were someone to use the phrase 'meddlesome black woman' on this site they would be on the MN naughty step. You don't defeat something by saying it's OK in reverse.

This is how I'm reading it and I feel like I'm losing my mind!

Yes so do I! I think some on here are completely misunderstanding the whole issue. (Finding it more and more on MN these days.)

Nothing shuts me down if I think I’m in the right. That’s because I’m bolshy. That doesn’t mean I don’t object to its deliberate usage to shut other people down, who might not be as bolshy as me. I object to all similar misogynistic terms, and also I object to people who disingenuously say ‘Why does it bother you, it doesn’t bother me?’

I think the difference in some ways is that these were used to describe our peers rather than as a misogynistic way to shut down the older generations of females. Back in the day (80s) there was also the female counterpart Sharon and Tracy. But no one blinked an eyelid if someone was called by these names. In hindsight I feel sorry for anyone, who was at the time. Didn’t hear of a Nigel until more recently though. In some ways society is more misogynistic now than back then as we were at least taught to respect our elders even if we didn’t agree with them and left any piss taking to the comedians.

It wouldn't shut me down. But it would wind me up. I would then have to put effort into maintaing a resourceful state, so that I could challenge while also standing a chance of avoiding the conversation descending into a shouting match.

@Bettelucksecondtimearoundimherewaitingforu I find you insinuating that people on this thread are racism apologists an absolute disgrace. You accuse me of misquoting you when I literally highlighted your words yet you feel free to make that accusation.

Really? I have read some things, but this is totally ridiculous. The amount of anti-black racism that is allowed to remain on here is off the scale. Funny that you are not saying anything about all that though. MN naughty step indeed. And for your information the term "white privilege" is not anti-white in the slightest.

’Karen’ is not used as a slur or to silence all women. It specifically targets White women, both in the US and U.K.

White women are understandably pissed off about it but they also expect Black women to join their cause as it’s a form of misogyny which effects us all (women). Which is fine.

Except when Black women are specifically targeted by some form of discrimination, by and large we can’t rely on our white ‘sisters’ to join our cause.

Case in point: the murder of Sarah Everard brought thousands of women to the streets, protesting about the murder of a woman “who could have been me” (words used by white women on marches and on MN) at the hands of a complete stranger, a serving police officer. Around the same time, the brutal murder of two Black women by a complete stranger in a park and subsequent vile handling of the case by police officers who took pictures of their bodies and shared them on a racist WhatsApp group barely elicited a murmur of protest from white feminists.

When white women are offended, Black women are expected to don Mamie’s white apron and rush to help by joining their fight. But when women of colour are victimised…well…that’s different. Because racism is terrible but it’s different from sexism so you know, that’s a separate issue. Let’s get back to the fight against misogyny and how we can ensure (white) women are treated fairly.

Black and White women….we’re all in this together. Until we’re not.

Honestly couldn't give a shit about the term "Karen".

Men can equally say the term "mansplaining" is a term introduced to silence or invalidate their opinions. I think "Karen" is a reaction to that.

Just wanted to praise mumsnet for restoring that image of the young black girl Eckford being followed on her way to school by a mob of white women.

It's a harrowing image, but in america that's what they had to put up with.

It wasn’t that long ago that the term white privilege would get so many on here wound up

i have not said no one should be offended by being called a Karen but the response to the term being used seems so over the top

why? that some may actually detect racism so that’s why it is used is that so bad ?I’ve heard it used in this way and the reaction was off the scale how dare they claim she is racist, who did they think they were

I can guarantee that if someone came on here and said she had picked up underhand racism the majority of posts would dismiss this but being called a Karen the outpouring of support and disgust would be there

Men can equally say the term "mansplaining" is a term introduced to silence or invalidate their opinions. I think "Karen" is a reaction to that.

Yay! Women's fault again.

But it’s not just “historic” is it.
The original term of Karen is the only definition I’ve known (I’m UK based too).

Mumsnet is the only place I’ve seen the term misappropriated.

’Karen’ is not used as a slur or to silence all women. It specifically targets White women, both in the US and U.K.

No. Earlier in the thread I gave the example of my non white sister in law being called a Karen, because she's a woman and middle aged (and not the least bit rude or entitled). So misogyny and ageism.

We're in the UK, and it was a group of male teenagers who called her a Karen; she was about to go into a supermarket and politely said excuse me as their bikes were blocking her access between the car park and the shop.

There was outrage and upset about those murders. The reason the Sarah everard case was such a touch point was firstly she was missing so there was hope of finding her and then the crime was carried out by a serving police officer. I do take your point but don’t think those are a good example.

People will continue to ignore this and claim they've never seen this so it doesn't happen.

To expand they laughed among themselves (as she ignored them) and said 'she even looks like a Karen'

Mirror mirror on the wall, tell me who is the most ignorant of all.....

I think you might need to look up the meaning of mansplaining as it is clearly very different to 'being a Karen'z

Mumsnet is the only place I’ve seen the term misappropriated

I suppose my 15yo DS COULD have been on Mumsnet. Doubt it. But according to him, the term Karen is alive and well and living among the kids in his school, both boys and girls. In fact they refer to some of their female teachers in this way🙄 We're in NI, if that makes any difference. I have asked DS not to use it and I have told him why. He gets it.

I honestly think you'd have to have been living on a desert island not to have come across the term in this context.