Karen. I know this has been done to death, but...

[SusannaSpider]

The comments on this Guardian article show how bloody awful it is to be called Karen at the moment. So sick of it, I've changed my name online because I can't make even the most innocent comment without a pile on. I ordered something in a shop last week and the shop assistant started laughing and making comments. So tired of it and the mysogyny behind it.

www.facebook.com/10513336322/posts/10159824049276323/

It gives men a free pass for misogyny and some young women a free pass for ageism.

Appalling article!

I am actually shocked that the Guardian would print this.

I read this and found it quite interesting because I genuinely didn't know what all the Karen stuff is about. I wish they'd have put something more in about the adverse effect on women who are actually called Karen though. It just doesn't address that issue at all. Also I thought, as is typical of the guardian, that the sweeping opinions were assumed to be shared by the reader.

The comments under it are terrible.

The problem is that only a tiny minority of people are using the name to call out racists, and even then it isn't justifiable.

I feel compelled to share Helen Lewis's excellent and well researched article on the Karen meme on every Karen thread, because it's really useful:

www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/08/karen-meme-coronavirus/615355/

I'm aware this is going to sound like nitpicking, but the article states that Emmett Till was murdered by white 'adults'. It seems a bit squeamish about stating that Till's killers were men. I suppose that would go against the narrative of the article.

I spend a lot of time on Twitter and Karen is used as a misogynistic and ageist slur. I've rarely seen it used in reaction to racism. I don't think the article is representative of how it has come into use in the UK even if it is relevant to the US.

I was just coming here to comment on this article. Using Karen as an insult or meme is misogyny and ageist all rolled into one. And the writer also managed to have an extra pop at women by saying we are reasserting our victimhood. Like racism and sexism can’t exist at the same time.

Every time I’m on the guardian they’re begging for money. I used to donate quite a bit, as they used to be my main news source, and I considered it valuable, but not any more.

Oh, and I have lived in the US for the last 20 years (I’m British), and I only see this as an excuse to hit home sexism and ageism. I couldn’t be more sick of seeing it.

I only see this as an excuse to hit home sexism and ageism.

I couldn't agree more, but I think they believe they're onto a winner with their US audience by being sexist and ageist. Because sexism, misogyny and ageism is 'woke' isn't it.

I’m a Karen (although spelt slightly different) and I laughed about it a the start but now I’m tired of it all. I very recently responded to a TikTok Live (I’d had a few drinks and was sucked into the TikTok world!) where a young transgender woman was talking to a man who she was planning to meet later that night to make arrangements for him to be her sugar daddy!! I was really worried about her well-being and safety and commented on this, I got a tirade of abuse because I was a Karen. It seems our opinions and thoughts get lost now as it’s more fun to laugh at us! I just hope that female was ok.

One more example of the 'woke' re-packaging of good old-fashioned misogyny.