To think they call us Karen because they fear us

[InformEducateEntertain]

I absolutely hate the term Karen. It's pejorative and deeply unpleasant.

Middle aged women (of whom I am one and to whom the term is most generally applied) are bloody amazing. Putting us down for our don't give a f**k badass attitude and willingness to fight back strikes me as lazy categorisation.

I'd go as far to say that those who use it are scared by the knowledge that looking the menopause in the eye has given us the courage to have a voice at last.

AIBU?

You are actively trying to remove racist men from the equation. Tears don't harm anyone, why not say exactly what does?

I am a woman and I do not find it harmful.

I find the behaviour it describes far more harmful.

That’s like saying “toxic masculinity” removes toxic women from the equation.

There is a specifically gendered form of racism that racist women express. Recognising that does not spare racist men from criticism.

(But seriously the bellyaching about “Karen” is such a perfect demonstration of the insiduous nature of White Feminism.)

Except I can back up with facts that men as an class are a problem for women.

Can you show me any facts about how white women as a class are a problem for black men?

Sure you do

I’m a middle-aged woman. Nobody has ever used the term about or in front of me. I’ve only ever seen it online, and even then only occasionally. I don’t think anyone’s afraid of middle-aged women. Why would I want them to be?

Also can’t bear the crowd making menopause their personality.

You don’t speak for all women and h less you’re called Karen you don’t speak for women called Karen

Endless women on here have said it is offensive. Women called Karen say it actively is hurting their lives. Why aren’t you listening to these women?

ive been called a Karen on SM when the male had no idea my age. He just knew I was a woman, disagreed with me and wanted me to shut the fuck up. I then called him an incel, twice, and he disappeared 😀

Oh mate this is laughable. You said womens tears cause harm to black and brown men. How? By what mechanism?

(I also wonder where all this bellyaching about names becoming a tool for mockery was when people were mocking “black” sounding names” I recall a “Shaniqua” at my school who loathed her name for obvious reasons.

I’d love an example beyond the one of Amy Cooper that’s been given. Not a contextless TikTok or half story, but an actual evidenced story.

Hopefully this poster won’t accuse an innocent victim of rape and violent assault who never accused anybody, of being a “Karen who sued her white tears to weaponise black men” like another post did with absolutely zero remorse

Ive never heard “Shaniqua” being used to describe all black women who don’t sit down and STFU.

You’re really clutching at straws here.

The 'white women's tears' comes from the American South I think. It's a cliché in older books and films, and probably based on some form of reality. As a concept it doesn't travel well though.

I remember it used powerfully in To Kill a Mockingbird. Glad we don't live in the American South of sixty years ago.

🙄

I’m not sure I would equate womanhood with crying myself.

I mean are you saying white women make a lot of fake rape accusations or what?

Yes I’d quite like to know what “weaponising white tears” means in practice. And who has died as a result of this.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/08/how-white-women-use-strategic-tears-to-avoid-accountability

Again that is an opinion piece. I could show you thousands of articles written by women who are pissed off with misogyny

But for now here’s an article from a WOC about why Karen is a harmful term

www.independent.co.uk/voices/karen-meme-sexism-ageism-women-b1889486.html

Thanks Princessconsuelabananahammock9.

So it’s a bit like when men start saying everyday sexism doesn’t happen because they don’t want to hear about it? But they wouldn’t know either way.

Bit chagrined at the idea I’m acting like a man lol.

From that article, it seems enough for a white woman to deny being racist to be accused of 'white women's tears '.

Racism is a heavy accusation. I can imagine that if a woman was accused of it at work, she might get upset.

@JHound

I mean we could just call it “toxic white femininity” but personally I think that is worse that “Karen”

TWF seems way better to me, not least because as this thread shows, many people especially outside the US don't associate "Karen" with racism anyway, they think it's a general purpose "shut up uppity woman" insult. Calling out a specific gendered type of racism under the name "Karen" isn't going to be effective if people don't realise that's what you mean.

Anyway it’s given me something to think about. I’ll bow out now.

So nice of you to come on and use a misogynistic word