'The year of Karen' - Guardian article

[ArabellaScott]

More tedious pish on the 'Karen' phenomenon.

An article that directly equates women calling the police (however unjustifiably, all they did was call the police, hardly an illegal act) with a policeman murdering a man. Because of course the two are equivalent. In fact, I think the article's logic is that the woman who has called the police has actually directly caused the death of the man - it's almost as though the policeman disappears and is absolved, the blame shifted neatly from the (utterly fucking monstrous) actions of the policeman to the (perhaps racist, presumably highly-strung) actions of the woman. (Of course these were two completely unrelated incidents, but never miss a chance to use the correlation = causation fallacy when it helps your argument).

Quoting the last particularly nasty paras so you don't have to read the article:

'Complaints about Karen being sexist were noteworthy mostly for how neatly they re-enacted the Karen dynamic. Confronted with evidence of their own agency and complicity, some white women responded by reasserting their victimhood.

What I’ve found especially useful about Karen memes is the way they’ve given willing white women a tool with which to assess their own behavior and, if they want, improve it. My own mother, who is white, has on rare occasions demonstrated behavior that verged on the Karen-esque. This summer, for the first time, she acknowledged some of those Karen tendencies to me and stated her intention not to act like that any more – a conversation I’m not sure we would have had absent the meme.

Williams recalled similar conversations with white friends, and offered three simple rules to avoid being a Karen. One: recognize the privilege and history of being a white woman in this society. Two: avoid calling the police on people of color unless someone is in imminent danger of harm. And three: “Understand that it’s just not always about you, period. People are not out to get you for the most part, people are not trying to hurt you or harm your property or make you uncomfortable,” she said. “You’re not that special, Karen. You’re not that special.”

By people, presumably the writer means 'men', but it seems striking to me how men have been absolved of all responsibility here. The demon is clearly the writer's mother, and all women who dared to think they were 'special'.

This is pure, naked, misogyny. I would not want to be a woman or girl in the US at the moment.

It's another way to signpost this is about women of a certain age who are past being attractive.

And who can't afford to go to the most expensive hairdresser to get the most expensive highlights.

The stereotype seems to be a bit different in the US and the UK - we don't have quite the same concept of soccer mums driving minivans. However, it doesn't take much digging to find the MRA routes, which ever country you are in.

I had no idea what a “Karen” hairstyle is supposed to be so I had a google.

It’s basically referring to an angled/inverted bob with chunky highlights. However, it can also handily be extended to “any short hairstyle on a woman over 40, or a woman whose face I don’t like”, like in this link

www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/14-hairdos-that-scream-let-me-speak-to-your-manager/85575319/

Where they have Sharon Stone with short hair labelled the “How Dare You” hairdo and Jane Fonda labelled the “I’m going to take my business elsewhere “ hairdo. Read it and tell me again how not-ageist and not-sexist Karening women is.

I’ve often wondered why so many women are so committed to long hair even when it’s not flattering on them, and this certainly seems to be part of it. Short hair=Karen=old bag. It’s lazy, ageist, sexist and I hope the people who are doing this look back and cringe themselves inside out in later years when they get this. I wonder what the cool kids of 2040 will be calling older women then? Charlottes and Laurens? Graces and Olivias?

And Jane Fonda labelled the “I’m going to take my business elsewhere “ hairdo.

Proving that there is no acceptable way for an older woman to stand up for her beliefs and rights without inviting abuse.

I wonder what the cool kids of 2040 will be calling older women then? Charlottes and Laurens? Graces and Olivias?

Unless some of them twig what is going on, probably 'Greta'.

See, that list, not even a sniff of anything to do with 'racism'. It's all about women as consumers, complaining.

"Don't call the police on black criminals if you don't want to be a Karen"

Why don't they just tell black people it's not safe for them to be carrying out crimes?

Leave Karen alone!

With the article in question, it starts out talking about the police being called for non-illegal stuff.

Then switches to say you probably shouldn't be calling the police on a "person of colour" unless there is immediate risk of harm. But that's very different. That's basically defending criminals as long as they have certain skin colours.

I think the reference to police doesn't necessarily translate to the UK.

Part of the problem in the US is that if you call the police you are calling armed response, not Dixon of Dock Green to give a firm talking to some apple scrumpers.

However, given the routes of 'Karen' in misogyny and abuse, the last line of the article “You’re not that special, Karen. You’re not that special” is chilling.

However, given the routes of 'Karen' in misogyny and abuse, the last line of the article “You’re not that special, Karen. You’re not that special” is chilling.

I found it quite puzzling, too. What does specialness have to do with calling the police? Not special enough to deserve protection? Or is it meant in the sense that 'Karens' are supposed to feel entitled, and it's trying to cut them down? Again, the more I look at it, the more clearly the nastiness of the misogyny seems to come into focus.

I wonder if anyone knows if it's even worth sending a complaint in to the guardian regarding these freelance opinion pieces? Do they ever retract/ remove articles or are complaints just filed away somewhere under 'Karens'?
Yes, I am aware of the irony.

Well I'm going to say it. 'Karen' thinks she's special because she suspects men wish to sexually assault her or worse, when in fact she's so ugly nobody wants to sexually assault her.

That's it, isn't it? If she's 'not that special'?

@MorrisZapp

Well I'm going to say it. 'Karen' thinks she's special because she suspects men wish to sexually assault her or worse, when in fact she's so ugly nobody wants to sexually assault her.

That's it, isn't it? If she's 'not that special'?

That's definitely how misogynists think, isn't it. That any woman who gets their attention is lucky, and she should be grateful. Special. Yay us.

@TheBuffster

I wonder if anyone knows if it's even worth sending a complaint in to the guardian regarding these freelance opinion pieces? Do they ever retract/ remove articles or are complaints just filed away somewhere under 'Karens'? Yes, I am aware of the irony.

Who knows?

I have written to the readers editor before and felt that I got a serious and considered response, but:

"Complaints about Karen being sexist were noteworthy mostly for how neatly they re-enacted the Karen dynamic. Confronted with evidence of their own agency and complicity, some white women responded by reasserting their victimhood."

Anybody who complains about sexism must be a 'Karen', presumably including Helen Lewis who wrote this very well researched and balanced article in the Atlantic.

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

That's it, isn't it? If she's 'not that special'?

I think it's also synonymous with "women, know your place". You've got these women who are old enough to no longer care about being sweet and pretty and compliant but young enough to not be elderly and vulnerable.

It's moved way beyond the "can I speak to your manager" stereotype, and is now used to tell women not to report crimes or suspicious behaviour if the suspect isn't white. I can imagine the possible behaviours that would fall under being a "Karen" would include reporting a man in a women's toilet or change room. Never mind about your safety or dignity, just don't be a Karen. 🙄

It's moved way beyond the "can I speak to your manager" stereotype, and is now used to tell women not to report crimes or suspicious behaviour if the suspect isn't white.

I think it goes beyond that. Because 'Karen' has its routes in sexist on-line memes, (however much the writer of the article might wish to pretend otherwise) the instruction is 'women be cool - don't report crime'.

'roots'

I'm sorry I've just re-read your original post and comment is not applicable at all, have asked for it to be removed.

Nobody was shot in the Amy Cooper case, the only person in trouble with the law was Ms Cooper herself. She has given her dog back to the shelter, lost her job, and there are charges of false reporting of a crime being prepared against her.

There are no words of how much I despise the Guardian.

@Zinco

"Don't call the police on black criminals if you don't want to be a Karen"

Why don't they just tell black people it's not safe for them to be carrying out crimes?

Leave Karen alone!

The Karen meme is about white women in America assuming that law abiding black people going about their everyday business must be criminals and then proceeding to call the police on them, which as we all know, in the USA can quickly become a fatal situation because of their armed police.

You've kind of proven the point of the meme by assuming that these black people having the police called on them for barbecuing, entering their building, using a communal pool, are automatically criminals. That is the very behaviour that is being called out with the use of the phrase 'Karen' by black Americans and that behaviour has a long and dangerous history for them (look up Emmett Till).

Much like the word woke this is African American slang which has been misappropriated by white liberals in order to attack white conservatives or vice versa. The original meaning has been lost in bad translation.

@ElliePhillips please read the origins of the word in this thread. Some very heavy researchers have root sourced it not to have originated as a racial thing.

You've kind of proven the point of the meme by assuming that these black people having the police called on them for barbecuing, entering their building, using a communal pool, are automatically criminals

Er no. Your comment makes no sense at all. The poster you are quoting did not make the assumption you have invented for her.

Typical virtue signalling warrior weighing in to a nuanced discussion without actually taking the time to read things. It's not like it's a long thread either do no excuse.

Yep, as I already said, I was focused on the switch in the article...

"With the article in question, it starts out talking about the police being called for non-illegal stuff.

Then switches to say you probably shouldn't be calling the police on a "person of colour" unless there is immediate risk of harm. But that's very different. That's basically defending criminals as long as they have certain skin colours."