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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

STOP calling people "a Karen"

385 replies

PaperwhiteTheFriendlyGhost · 24/03/2025 07:50

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.

OP posts:
HRTQueen · 25/03/2025 09:21

TickingAlongNicely · 25/03/2025 09:17

If it was only used for calling out vile behaviour,you would have a point.

But the vast majority of women who are called this have done nothing wrong. Which is what people are complaining about.

Then they can complain about it and call it out (if they want to).

But telling someone who is having to deal with a particular type of racist behaviour that they do not have to deal with what words they can or can not use or tell them how to deal with is really not on. Its 2025

ThePoshUns · 25/03/2025 09:21

TheJollyMoose · 25/03/2025 07:48

STOP telling people what to do.

STOP trying to control people’s language.

HTH.

Right back at you. 🙄

KimberleyClark · 25/03/2025 09:21

TheaBrandt1 · 25/03/2025 07:44

And dd a teen waitress in a coffee shop anecdotally the worst / difficult customers are 60-70 couples led by the man.

“Mum age” ie women 40/50s are the nicest. Though have complex coffee orders which is annoying.

Nice to know that DH and I, 70 something and 60 something respectively, are expected to cause trouble every time we go out for a coffee.

Strawberryjammam · 25/03/2025 09:23

Reclaim it. Next time someone uses it in a negative way go full Karen on them and make it clear it's not acceptable.

TheaBrandt1 · 25/03/2025 09:24

How dramatic are you?! If you don’t shout at teenage waitresses and huff “I could have made this at home cheaper” you’re good!

PinkCandles · 25/03/2025 09:25

SailorSerena · 25/03/2025 07:20

It must be a generational thing. I've never seen anyone complain about it anywhere other than Mumsnet.

No one in my generation is called Karen and we all grew up with interest memes which is where this came from.

Because anyone who complained about it elsewhere would be shouted down and silenced by misogynists. Thankfully there's one place women are allowed an opinion.

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 25/03/2025 09:27

HRTQueen · 25/03/2025 09:21

Then they can complain about it and call it out (if they want to).

But telling someone who is having to deal with a particular type of racist behaviour that they do not have to deal with what words they can or can not use or tell them how to deal with is really not on. Its 2025

You know very well that its usage in the UK today is not to call out racist behaviour, but to tell women with valid opinions to shut up.

HRTQueen · 25/03/2025 09:30

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 25/03/2025 09:27

You know very well that its usage in the UK today is not to call out racist behaviour, but to tell women with valid opinions to shut up.

Really that's strange as I know a number of people that use it to name a particular type of racist behaviour

I have not said it is not used otherwise

WinterBones · 25/03/2025 09:41

the only time i've ever actually used it was when i was parked in a disabled bay and a lady of a certain age came over and started telling me i couldn't park there as her elderly mother needed the space and i clearly wasn't disabled and asking if my badge was really my badge and demanding to see it, and then threatening to report me to the shop for illegal parking and abuse of a badge.

that kind of behaviour absolutely warrants its use and i really don't care what anyone thinks about me saying it to her.

TheGoogleMum · 25/03/2025 09:46

I hate the use of Karen as an insult too.
I think it's rarely used on racists just for women daring to speak their mind. Even if it was being only used on racists it's not fair on women called Karen to have their name turned into a slur. I agree it's just another way to silence women!

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 25/03/2025 10:10

WinterBones · 25/03/2025 09:41

the only time i've ever actually used it was when i was parked in a disabled bay and a lady of a certain age came over and started telling me i couldn't park there as her elderly mother needed the space and i clearly wasn't disabled and asking if my badge was really my badge and demanding to see it, and then threatening to report me to the shop for illegal parking and abuse of a badge.

that kind of behaviour absolutely warrants its use and i really don't care what anyone thinks about me saying it to her.

Why did you use the term Karen, though? Why did you not call her a ridiculous ableist busybody, or something that actually described her behaviour? What would you have said if it had been a man?

JHound · 25/03/2025 10:19

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TheaBrandt1 · 25/03/2025 10:48

It’s not a comprehension thing it’s a you make no sense thing.

MooDeng23 · 25/03/2025 10:49

You are being unreasonable. Anyone who acts entitled, regardless of gender, should be called out.

TheaBrandt1 · 25/03/2025 10:51

Can’t see anyone saying otherwise?

Terraarts · 25/03/2025 10:56

Just another, in a long line of insulting words, that have no male equivalent - or not until people struggle to invent one to also apply to males as some sort of ignorant ‘equaliser’. But that’s just a pathetic attempt at justification for the continuing casual misogyny that even some women don’t recognise… I forgive those poor, misguided women who jump on the misogyny bandwagon, they can’t help it, they’re suffering from patriarchal ‘Stockholm Syndrome’…😢😅 ✌🏾❣️
P.S. Anyone read ‘Hags’ by Victoria Smith? If you can read her chapter covering this issue and still think it’s cool to ‘Karen’ women…

GenderFluid90 · 25/03/2025 10:58

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WinterBones · 25/03/2025 11:02

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 25/03/2025 10:10

Why did you use the term Karen, though? Why did you not call her a ridiculous ableist busybody, or something that actually described her behaviour? What would you have said if it had been a man?

I'd have still called him a Karen.

I generally find people stupid enough to do what she did don't understand intelligent words like 'ablist' but they absolutely know what 'karen' means these days.

BeckyBismuth · 25/03/2025 11:02

WinterBones · 25/03/2025 09:41

the only time i've ever actually used it was when i was parked in a disabled bay and a lady of a certain age came over and started telling me i couldn't park there as her elderly mother needed the space and i clearly wasn't disabled and asking if my badge was really my badge and demanding to see it, and then threatening to report me to the shop for illegal parking and abuse of a badge.

that kind of behaviour absolutely warrants its use and i really don't care what anyone thinks about me saying it to her.

That does NOT "warrant" you calling this person Karen. It DOES deserve calling out. You can express the level of frustration and abuse that you felt, you should defend yourself against that sort of aggressive and unwanted behaviour. But not by calling them Karen. It takes a common given name, and applies a negative association to it. This is offensive to people who are named Karen. Whilst it might seem a convenient shorthand, it's essentially lazy and carries a lot of baggage that can be hurtful and counterproductive.

OpenOliveCat · 25/03/2025 11:06

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nonmerci99 · 25/03/2025 11:09

MixedBananas · 24/03/2025 07:55

Nope. Its use is fine as they use Daren for men who are the "let me speak to your Manager type" paychos as well. I seen more Karens UN the wild then Darens , personally.

As a Woman it doesn't bother me because I don't rage in public at service workers or random citizens.

I’ve never seen or heard anyone call a man a “Darren”, whereas women are called “Karen” all over the internet and in real life for daring to speak or criticise anything. It’s misogyny 101.

offmynut · 25/03/2025 11:18

Karen is just a name i dont call people if they piss me off i just walk away if im pushed to the point of saying anything its normally please stop acting like a cunt sounds much better than saying your acting like a karen.
The moment someone raises their voice they already know they have lost the argument.

Laiste · 25/03/2025 11:18

When men get cross people tend to pay attention.

When women get cross people laugh.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 25/03/2025 11:55

inadequatepillow · 25/03/2025 07:57

I understand people who are called Karen having their name turned into an insult being upset. I don’t understand the rage over its actual use. If you were called a Karen, you should probably be thinking about what you were doing to warrant being called that rather than being offended by the term itself. Ironically, this hypothetical scenario would be quite typical of the stereotype…

So women should just get back in their box when something needs questioning, addressing or challenged? Is that what you are saying?

Ive had numerous real life conversations where people are too frightened of being insulted and/or having their interaction filmed by a younger person and plastered all over the internet without context, to stand up for themselves.

That isn’t right

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 25/03/2025 12:03

HRTQueen · 25/03/2025 09:13

I don't feel its my place to tell someone to not to call someone a Karen when they have been on the end of a particular form of racist behaviour

It says quite a lot about a person who is not having to deal with racism and feels its their right to tell someone who has had to deal with this particular type of racist behaviour what words they can and can not use

Of course I understand if you name is Karen why it is upsetting, its unfortunate for them (if they are bothered not all are)

I have never heard it being used in this context. This is just used once again as a way to shut women up because we’re clearly racist if we object to being called Karen for our actions in f a non racist situation

And for many with this name it’s far more than just “unfortunate “ FFS 😡