STOP calling people "a Karen"

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Why are people so lazy and ignorant? Ironically they use it in some instances to berate someone for a perceived insult. Maybe this should be on Pedants' Corner, I don't know.

It really winds me up. Sexist and ageist.
It will not ever stop me having my say!

I don’t see how nigel is an insult 😳

I never see intelligent people using it. It’s always the knuckle draggers on my local Facebook page or tabloid newspaper comments section. Says it all really.

I think it fits certain middle aged entitled women who behave badly in public. It's unfortunate that the name Karen is used as opposed to another name but it's easier to say than Denise or Tracy. It's just a popular name among that age group. Online anyone being referred to as a Karen in videos is really obnoxious, entitled or unreasonable or all of the above. We do actually have a name for men it's Gammon.

Really? I would imagine it's a comparison to the most famous Gammon in the UK. Farage rhymes with Garage.

How many men have the first name Gammon??

Are there so many women behaving badly that it justifies a worldwide slur? Because I don’t see them.

This is a dig at women not men anyway

Yes

did not remember that Farage rhymes with garage has the first name of nigel 😀but its still not aimed at men…

By that logic throwing bacon at a synagogue is fine, because bacon's legal. Or yelling 'jihadi' at a Bangladeshi family walking down the street isn't a slur, as jihadi is in the dictionary.

Being a Karen isn't a protected characteristic lol

I've never heard Shaniqua used in that context but I have heard Lizzo. Both unacceptable, even though Lizzo is just a shortened form of Melissa.

Sex is though. Lol.

If you think being a Karen is the same as beings woman it explains why you're so offended.

Karen is used as a slur against middle aged and older women. It's a completely sex based slur. See various posts on the thread.

Pretty much this

anyone that justifies it or uses it is severely lacking in intelligence. I wish we had a name for that

The only women it "fits " are those who are actually called Karen

to think otherwise shows a lack of intelligence

Why does it fit? Why use a middle-aged woman’s name as a slur? Would you like it if your name meant “horrible entitled woman”?

So you are judging this person as having a fragile ego when you just resort to Karen instead of confronting behaviour specifically? Why is that?

It’s actually lazy as fuck to use the term too. Have some balls and address the behaviour you have an issue with

how does Nigel style his bonce? Just so I know one when I see one

firstly how is that not confronting the behaviour and secondly even if I didn't want to confront somebody directly it might be because they were a nightmare to deal with, which is sort of what the term means.

It's not a fucking "term", it's a woman's name. Improve your vocabulary.

My name is Karen and I absolutely hate having to say it in public now. Imagine if your name had the same reaction as mine, if you had to make a (legitimate) complaint and you are cringing before you say your name as you wonder if the person on the other end of the phone is thinking 'ha an actual, real Karen'. I no longer have my hair styled with a bob haircut as it appears this is associated with being a 'Karen'. As others have said, my Mum would be so sad to see my name trashed. I did read somewhere that the origins of this Karen caricature came from a man (in US?) who started this as revenge against his ex girlfriend, Karen.
I'm a reserved person so find it hard to deal with the constant jokes (heard them a 1000 times, thanks) the reluctance to give my name out, anywhere. I'm am just hoping the association will slowly fade away, the joke will become boring so I (and other Karen's affected ) can feel relieved and put it behind us...

One does wonder, if it’s supposed to be sued to call out racism, why they don’t just call a spade and spade and say ‘racist’ rather than using a name women are telling them is harmful. Can’t think why. It’s almost like it’s nothing to do with racism at all.

Of course it's a term, used to refer to women who are self important, pompous, behave a certain way.

Vocabulary evolves (unlike the minds of those in mumsnet). Things change. Meaningings change over time. It's not being used as a name when a woman is referred to as 'a karen' is it. You would say 'a moron' which is a term for a stupid person but you wouldn't say 'a Nicola' because it's a name.