Use of 'Karen' as a slur

[HDDD]

3 times in the last few days I've seen this and it irks me every time. I naively thought it was a short-lived thing and had faded out...clearly not. Is anyone else still seeing it? Are you calling people out when you see it? Or am I in a minority of one at getting annoyed by it?

Without Karens, there would be no arts sector in the UK - we support theatres, galleries, etc way more than other demographic groups. This is generalising but a lot in the arts sector are very woke and seem happy to bite the hand that feeds. Many of these are backroom staff, fortunately lots on the front line keep a low profile and I doubt you would hear a 'karen' slur from the more thoughtful (however, the arts and thought are a bit oxymoronic)

I've not rtft I'm afraid but the most common group I see labelled "Karen's" are women of any age complaining about sexism. In the last month this includes:

• a woman on my local fb group asking the men not to make so many sexist jokes (1 man was posting deeply sexist jokes about 5 times a day).
• a woman saying she didn't think it was appropriate for a 6 year old to dress up as a "sexy" harley quinn for Halloween.
• a women in a group for female entrepreneurs made a post encouraging the other women to post sexy, scantily clad selfies on Instagram to sell their products, then called everyone who disagreed "Karen"
• a woman in an MLM who was calling anyone that disagreed MLMs are a pro woman, empowering business model "Karen"

I have never ever seen it used in the anti racist context its supposedly from, although I've seen plenty of black women on lipstick ally saying they've been called Karen for challenging sexism by black men towards black women.

The implication is that assertive women are always unreasonable.

Precisely this.

A joke :)

@NKFell

I've thought this is offensive from the first time I heard it. Completely sexist, completely ageist.

I don't like the 'OK Boomer' slur either.

OK boomer is a nasty slur... which I think is utterly justified to express the complete disgust with which many many young people look towards the elder generation. If older people gave a shit about the concerns of the young then maybe the young would be thanking the elderly instead of going out of their way to insult them? Just a thought.

NIMBYs stopping building and overseeing massive house price rises which benefit the old and the rich but completely screw the young.

Brexit taking away freedom from young people and economic opportunities.

It's a nasty slur but compared to fucking the country over "OK Boomer" is pretty trivial. (I am not a boomer, but I am not young either, I just have sympathy with young people).

Karen is an american term - no idea exactly why that name was chosen, but I think it's more of a class or wealth based insult directed at a particular type of stupid selfish and entitled person who happens to be female. I don't think that karen is misogynist, but the relative lack of a male equivalent may be, if that makes sense.

I am uncomfortable with the word "chav".

@ByGrabtharsHammerWhatASavings

I've not rtft I'm afraid but the most common group I see labelled "Karen's" are women of any age complaining about sexism. In the last month this includes:

• a woman on my local fb group asking the men not to make so many sexist jokes (1 man was posting deeply sexist jokes about 5 times a day).
• a woman saying she didn't think it was appropriate for a 6 year old to dress up as a "sexy" harley quinn for Halloween.
• a women in a group for female entrepreneurs made a post encouraging the other women to post sexy, scantily clad selfies on Instagram to sell their products, then called everyone who disagreed "Karen"
• a woman in an MLM who was calling anyone that disagreed MLMs are a pro woman, empowering business model "Karen"

I have never ever seen it used in the anti racist context its supposedly from, although I've seen plenty of black women on lipstick ally saying they've been called Karen for challenging sexism by black men towards black women.

It sounds like there are loads of karens in your group who are so unbelieveably karen that they have know idea how to use the term correctly. Bit like when Trump calls people liars.

@NotTerfNorCis

It's any assertive woman or any person you think is unreasonable. The implication is that assertive women are always unreasonable.

I really don't get that from it - being criticized for asserting something dangerously stupid and utterly selfish and deluded and entitled is not the same thing as criticizing someone for being assertive in a reasonable way.

I have never seen a video on like where a cool calm and collected woman is being called a karen for politely and assertively demanding her money back because the product she bought was faulty. It's people screaming dangerous nonsense or being blatantly and openly racist who are criticized