"How the 'Karen Meme' Confronts the Violent History of White Womanhood"

[Igneococcus]

This just popped up as a recomendation in Firefox when I open a new tab. I can't fully read it right now because I'm in a meeting any moment now (someone's still sorting out techinical issues), but a first quick scan makes me go "WTF" :

time.com/5857023/karen-meme-history-meaning/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

It’s a bloody meme, some white women need to quit whining about it and actually maybe just save their offence for the actual issues facing people of colour.

There is a very large issue with Men oppressing women, equally there is an issue with white people oppressing black people and there is a specific issue with white women oppressing people of colour.

It doesn’t have to be either/or. You can take issue with one without acting like a toddler ‘oh but men do it too, why don’t you care about that’ ridiculous.

Might have been answered but "Becky" originated in the rap song Baby got back by Sir Mix a lot in 1992.
The quintessential Becky character we know and loathe today was thrust into the mainstream cultural lexicon in 1992 when she appeared in Sir Mix-a-Lot’s booty-shaking anthem, “Baby Got Back.” In the song’s intro, a white woman gossips to her friend about a black woman’s behind. “Oh my god, Becky, look at her butt. It is so big. She looks like one of those rap guy’s girlfriends,” she spews in a syrupy Valley Girl inflection that would put Cher Horowitz to shame. “They only talk to her because she looks like a total prostitute,” she says, before the bass line kicks in and Sir Mix-a-Lot takes over.

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Karen

furloughb, there can be a specific issue with white women oppressing people of colour, and it can also be true that 'Karen' is usually used to attack middle aged women for reasons that have nothing to do with racism.

The urban dictionary definition, just talks about "The stereotypical name associated with rude, obnoxious and insufferable middle aged white women". Racism is not mentioned. Karen's main crime is 'taking the kids'.

There is generally a reason that men are denied access to their children, and it usually involves violence.

@Furloughb

It’s a bloody meme, some white women need to quit whining about it and actually maybe just save their offence for the actual issues facing people of colour.

There is a very large issue with Men oppressing women, equally there is an issue with white people oppressing black people and there is a specific issue with white women oppressing people of colour.

It doesn’t have to be either/or. You can take issue with one without acting like a toddler ‘oh but men do it too, why don’t you care about that’ ridiculous.

It's a meme that has taken on a life of its own. Now women are scared to speak out about things because they'll be labelled a "Karen". Like someone else said, it's being used towards women that aren't white too. It's a way to silence women and it's working. There aren't any male equivalents to Karen and I think it's worth pointing that out because the root of it is misogyny.

There may be people confronting the violent history of white womanhood, but they aren't doing it by posting 'Karen' memes on twitter.

Yes Karen isn’t just used against racist white women anymore, it’s used against any women but tbh if the use of a meme name is causing you to be ‘silenced’, you need to women-up really. It’s slightly pathetic. I’ve been called much worse than a Karen and it’s not shut me up

It is the roots as In the OP’s post/article I’m commenting on. This place is FULL of white women being so offended by the term ‘Karen’, not so full of people offended by the racist women who are real ‘karens’.

Mainly justification for them.

This new focus on the tactic to divide black and white women is coming along swimmingly. It’s garnering support from everywhere and silencing more productive common goals.
Hmm.

@madwoman1ntheattic

This new focus on the tactic to divide black and white women is coming along swimmingly. It’s garnering support from everywhere and silencing more productive common goals. Hmm.

This 100%. Couldn't have said it better.

It is the roots as In the OP’s post/article I’m commenting on. This place is FULL of white women being so offended by the term ‘Karen’, not so full of people offended by the racist women who are real ‘karens’.

Point to videos of racist white women in the UK and I will be offended.

If a white woman (or any other colour) called the police in the UK and complained about being harassed by a black male (or any other colour) the response would be incredibly underwhelming, I fear.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2020/06/21/black-man-films-white-neighbour-calling-nr-six-times-12882161/amp/

Here’s one from just yesterday, are you offended?

Sorry that was to merrymouse, I’m sure you weren’t trying to imply that white women being racist does not happen in the UK but that is how it came across.

As Comments above, It is NOT black women’s jobs to make white women feel more comfortable about their choices with regards to how they approach race. Especially not when it’s very clear that many white women don’t want to have that conversation.

It is not divide and conquer and that crap about ‘the sisterhood’ and needing to join together is bullshit too. Black women do not have to excuse white women’s actions because ‘we’re all women.’

You either stand with people of colour or you stand against us, you don’t get a pass because you have a vagina and therefore face oppression in some form too.

‘More productive common goals’ so in other words, shut up about racist issues because we need to talk solely about women’s issues instead. It’s insulting.

I’m confused. The spark for the current black rights movement is about state-sponsored white male violence against black people. The “Karen” meme isn’t more widely discussed than that.

In the US important to consider that confronting a racist man can lead to a black persons death (see Ahmaud Arbery) so there’s a reason most of these videos are of white women who are less physically dangerous and violent.

How is this about Black Lives Matter? This is just misogyny.

Or this:

Racism is not mentioned. Karen's main crime is 'taking the kids'.

Exactly. Sorry, my opposition to the term Karen has nothing to do with racism/anti racism, despite lots of people telling me that I've never experienced it outside that context. I have. It's a misogynistic term used to shut women up and disregard what they say.

Much like "terf".

It is not divide and conquer and that crap about ‘the sisterhood’ and needing to join together is bullshit too.

I really dislike any implication that it is more important to show loyalty to your ‘siblings’ than stand up for your rights.

I’m sure you weren’t trying to imply that white women being racist does not happen in the UK but that is how it came across.

No I was genuinely interested. The bird watcher/dog incident seemed to have lots of coverage, but I have not seen coverage of this incident at all. It doesn’t seem to be on Guardian or BBC websites.

The woman in the video uses racist language, is generally abusive, refuses to leave his home and was arrested. Good. He should be able to ask somebody not to feed his cats without facing racist abuse.

It’s very obvious that racism exists in the U.K. and of course women are as capable of racism as men.

‘Karen’ is still generally used to attack women disagreeing with white men.

The Karen thing isn't a big deal, you are hardly being "oppressed" Jeez. Suck it up like everyone else has to. It's not even aimed at all white women anyway, only a certain type. Other races/minority groups have had (much worse) names lobbed at them (usually at the entire race) for eternity. Now it's your turn. Big deal.

Karen is not the only word that has ever been used to abuse women. It's just one of the words that people use when they would like to say "cunt", "whore" or "bitch" but think that might make their misogyny just a little bit too obvious. See TERF.

George Floyd was murdered by a male but no one cares that white men are going around killing black men and women (and other white people too) because the truth is, black men benefit from the patriarchy but refuse to admit it.

What utter tosh. The killing of George Floyd was the last straw after Ahmad Aubree was killed by white men while jogging months before the public was told because their lawyer was trying to clear their name and it backfired and the case of Breona Taylor, an EMT who was shot in her own home after plain clothes police stormed her home looking for someone who they had already caught the day before and the white police officer who signed the no-knock warrant lied to cover himself. It took protests to even have those police officers arrested and for action against the men who stalked and killed Aubree, and the ones for Breona Taylor have yet to be arrested.

Please also tell me how black men benefit from the patriarchy, especially in the US. They are imprisoned at a higher rate than white men for the same offences, receive harsher sentences than white men, and more force is used against them disproportionately compared to white men. This makes it more difficult for those men to vote in several states (if they can) and get a job which often causes them to repeat-offend. Even Dylan Roof after killing a church full of black people who he admitted were kind to him before he killed them was treated a hell of a lot better than George Floyd who died over an alleged counterfeit bill.

The Karen thing isn't a big deal, you are hardly being "oppressed" Jeez.

All women, regardless of race are oppressed because when they voice an opinion they are ‘shrill’ or ‘too loud’ or ‘nagging’ and women of all races are targeted by the ‘Karen’ meme.

The Karen meme as defined by urban dictionary is just an excuse for abusive men to attack their partners - see ‘Karen took the kids’.

*Now it's your turn. Big deal’.

You assume that ‘Karen’ is only a term of abuse for white women’.

This is the usual tedious misogynist fiddling while Rome burns.

White male officers are standing on the necks of black men, so who shall we blame?

Women.

Slow hand clap.

I think the issue some white feminists have is that they are privileged in every sense except their sex, and as such struggle to see past or relate to anything other than Misogyny as being the sole cause of oppression.

I mean even when the topic of racial oppression is discussed, it always manages to find its way back round too ‘poor women’. It’s sad. But unsurprising.

Defences are already up on this thread though, so not the time or place to discuss.