At the risk of being seen as a fuddy duddy "get off my lawn" type, a confession...

[Pacifist Patriot]

I'm really not a fan of this whole "Karen" moniker thing. In fact, it bugs the daylights out of me. I cringe when I see it.

All I can think when I encounter it is how sorry I feel for women who really are named Karen and relief it isn't my name.

I know it is a short cut to label someone an unpleasant unduly self-entitled person who demands satisfaction at every perceived slight, and that's a bit lengthy for a tweet. But does this world really need another damn shortcut stereotype?

By all means call out the behavior for what it is. But why the need to use a woman's name to label it? I honestly don't get it. Maybe I'm missing something.

[Srkdqltr]

1. Small minds? Can't think of anything else?

[TheBlackAdder]

27. Becky, Karen, Susan & Gertrudes... Karen's are bad, but nothing tops my age group: Susans!

.

Most of the times the term Karen is misused, including their age, behavior and looks.

.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. "But why the need to use a woman's name to label it?"

Because it describes the entitled, self-righteous behavior certain white women employ when exercising the authority the white supremacy sees fit to give them against oppressed people. If oppressed people want to use shorthand to describe that behavior, which keeps them oppressed, that works for me.

[DBoon]

4. My wife is named Karen

does this describe her? Should I let her know? Why should the name of a woman I have been married to for many years suddenly become an acceptable shorthand for an entitled bigot?

[Voltaire2]

14. it describes a specific set of behaviors. If your wife exhibits those behaviors, then it applies to

her, else it doesn't.

Taking offense at calling out white privilege, finding reasons why you should be considered the victim, I don't know, seems sort of part of the problem to me. I mean, you know exactly what is meant by the 'Karen' trope, you know it doesn't mean 'all people named Karen are 'Karens', and yet you choose to be offended.

Very similar to how lots of white people chose to be very offended by the phrase 'Black Lives Matter', deciding that somehow that meant 'white lives don't matter', as if there were a fixed quantity of 'lives that matter' and if more black lives mattered then fewer white lives mattered, and completely ignoring the status of, in particular, black men in america with respect to law enforcement.

[rzemanfl]

22. bookmarking n/t

[LakeArenal]

33. We could call them Spoiled Brats. Spoiled Bitches

Grabbed Pussy, Shit Queen, Trouble Ho,
Nasty Woman,

Karen is not only misogyny it’s not very clever.

[malaise]

120. Miss/Mrs/Ms Thing denies them any name

I like that one

[LakeArenal]

140. Me, too. I posted before I saw yours.

😀👍🏻

[DBoon]

40. Using a real person's name as a shorthand for offensive behavior is cruel and demeanining

It is intentionally offensive. It is not a matter that I "choose to be offended", it is meant to be offensive.

Using an offensive term, then accusing the offended party of choosing to be offended is deflection.

It has unfortunately become a commonplace term and will from now on refer to racist behavior by middle aged white women. That does not make it OK.

[Autumn]

43. I think I'm over my "when they go low we go high" phrase.

[lagomorph777]

46. It describes nothing at all. It's a name, not a description, and it's wrong to use it as a smear.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

18. "Why should the name of a woman I have been married to for many years suddenly become an acceptable

shorthand for an entitled bigot?"

Why shouldn't it?

[DBoon]

32. Because it is a cruel thing to do to a woman who does not deserve it

You are taking a name associated with real people and using it as a term of derision and abuse without regard to people with that name.

When it is someone to whom I have been married for many years I *do* take it personally.

[MicaelS]

79. What term should be used?

So just WHAT term would you suggest be used to call out self-entitled white women, who invariably have bob haircuts, who call 911 on persons of color?

And remember there are a great deal of them, not just one or two.

If it was ANY woman's name there would be outrage by someone.

The name Karen is simply the name that has been chosen.

[aquamarina]

89. Why the need to chose any name?

In the last week, there has been an "Amy" a "Sherri" and a "Tom" making false accusations against black people. Not a single Karen, Chad or Kevin in the bunch.

[MicaelS]

99. Then what TERM should be used?

No name, what term?

Whiny White Women? Self-entitled white women? Bobbed White Women? White Women with Bobs?

Got to get the white part in there, along with the bob.

Wypipo Women?

Racist White Women?

No matter what term is chosen, there will some pushback to the term: "Not All XXXXXX are like that."

BYW, I am a white man, so the term white is definitely fair game.

[aquamarina]

103. Why don't you check out Malaise's Post #24

[obamanut2012]

8. And, there is zero male counterpart

No, Ken and Chad are not the same. No one even really uses those. It is inherently sexist. It was a tad when it started, but it has morphed into a disgusting sexist meme. People use it to snark about feminism, etc. It is gross and sexist. It doesn't matter if people are using it as a "term" for racism. It is a SEXIST TERM USED AGAINST RACISTS. That literally makes no sense.

[Tipperary]

13. Thank you.

[Voltaire2]

17. The white male equivalent is the knucklehead knazi.

[LakeArenal]

34. Where has that been used? No where.

[Voltaire2]

59. I use it a lot.

[LakeArenal]

64. Okay.... you...

[Voltaire2]

129. it'll catch on.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

20. It's not sexist to observe that white women benefit from white supremacy and exercise it in a

specific way by appealing to authority, whether that be asking to talk to the manager because a black person working the counter didn't give them what they want, or calling the cops because a black man asked them to leash their dogs. It's a term used against racist white women, that's all.

[LakeArenal]

45. Expressing that anger at Karen's is sexist.

And scapegoating. Two wrongs never make a right.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

56. "Expressing that anger at Karen's is sexist."

People named Karen who do not exhibit entitled white woman behavior are not oppressed by the use of the name "Karen" to describe that behavior.

[LakeArenal]

61. So what, many are as you can read.

Your dismissive attitude seems to be the real problem.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

63. Having hurt feelings is not oppression.

[DBoon]

42. Karen was a common name given to girls in the 1950s

It describes a generation of middle aged women. It carries all the baggage of any derisive term used to describe middle aged women.

It is similar to how "Jennifer" was once used to describe women born in the 1970s.

[displacedtexan]

128. Don't forget the Heathers...

I grew up with Heathers who were named Martha, Mary Ann, Yvonne. They were meaner than snakes, with angelic smiles. My friend Heather was sweet & genuinely kind.
Not all Heathers are Heathers. Just like not all Karens are Karens. Not all Toms are uncles, not all Dicks are dicks, and not all Joes are sloppy.

[11 Bravo]

134. "Florida Man" might beg to disagree.

[Pacifist Patriot]

143. That's another one I'm not a fan of.

People who make unwise decisions transcend geography.

I get that makes me wildly unpopular. I'll survive.

And I am sincerely not "virtue signaling" anyone. I don't care if people want to use "Karen" or "Florida Man." It honestly can rankle me without leaping to the conclusion that the person using that label is somehow flawed or inferior. I know that is rather complex for some, but I can mentally handle that.

Personally, I don't like name calling. I couldn't care less if my kids said the F word growing up ("fuck this shit," "I don't fucking understand algebra," etc.) but they sure as heck weren't calling their brother a "fucking XYZ&quot

If DUers disagree with me, that's fine. Shared my opinion. Some agreed. Some disagreed. That's the beauty of this place.

[aquamarina]

66. When my parents named me Karen

They certainly did not do so so that I would act like a self-righteous entitled white woman let alone engage in white supremist behavior to oppress anyone.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

69. Okay!

[aquamarina]

71. I get your anger.

Every time I see one of these videos I am appalled and feel terrible shame that this is still happening. So while I cannot fathom what it must be like to be a target of this behavior and/or live in a constant state of concern that any action I engage in may result in me being profiled or having the cops called on me, I can empathize and voice my opposition to it. However, name calling, generalizing and stereotyping isn't the answer either.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

75. It's not meant to be "an answer."

It's a shorthand term used to describe, largely on social media, a concept. It's not name-calling, generalizing or stereotyping unless people are actively out there assuming All Karens Are Entitled White Women -- people are not doing that.

Also, what makes me sound angry?

[aquamarina]

81. I thought I explained.

Are you saying you are not angry when an entitled white woman engages in white supremacy behavior and calls the cops on a guy bbqing in a park, or calls the cops on a little black girl selling lemonade or calls the cops on a birdwatcher in NY Central Park or calls the cops on kids at in a community pool? Because I am. But using my name to stereotype all these women is exactly the same as calling all Mexicans Jose or all Chinese Chin or all Muslims Mohamad. It is a term of derision. End. Full Stop.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

84. It is not exactly the same.

People who are oppressed and use a name to describe a specific class of people with privilege who exhibit specific oppressive behavior is not exactly the same as white people calling all Mexicans a name. Oppressed people calling their oppressors a name is not oppressive. It is not an equal exchange.

[aquamarina]

87. So,

Name calling is bad unless it is used to call out perceived oppressors even if it hurts innocent people in the process. Okay, then. Noted.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

90. How are people named Karen who do not exhibit oppressive behaviors hurt by their name being

used as shorthand?

[aquamarina]

93. it's because the immediate

thought is that since you are a Karen, you must be a Karen. Get it?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

97. Do you think that way about guys named Tom?

[usedtobedemgurl]

94. I guarantee it is misused....

Someone in a local group called me Karen. Why? I went to the group to confirm our governor had restricted access to businesses. I went into a wholesale club and no one was counting at the door. There was a very long line to get checked out. It snakes almost to the very back of the club. Wherever I went in the club I ran, almost literally, into people. It was supposed to be 25% of capacity. I asked a simple question - whether I misunderstood the guidelines placed by our governor. I was berated, called Karen and abused a little. I finally just took down my post. I was worried about our city and the people in it. I did not feel entitled to anything.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

100. Did you call the wholesale club?

[usedtobedemgurl]

104. No. I called the governor's office and passed on the information.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

105. But you didn't ask the wholesale club why it was letting more people in than recommended?

[usedtobedemgurl]

106. You need a reason?

Okay....because I do not want to get in an altercation with anyone. I am tired of being given bullshit excuses. I did not have the spoons to deal with it.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

107. That's entirely fair. Sometimes people see patterns where they don't exist, and there's definitely a

pattern of aggrieved white people policing spaces in a way that goes beyond both the letter and the spirit of rules, regulations, laws, etc., and looping in authorities when they don't need to. It sounds like someone saw that in your actions. I'm sorry you felt attacked.

[usedtobedemgurl]

110. They also see how flaky.....

Our governor is and how the hoax is a big left wing hoax...all of those things mentioned on my thread, asking a simple question. I will not go into all of the toxicity they said.

Point: there was no one counting at the door
Point: there were a LOT of folks in the club
Point: our CDC says social distancing is a thing
Point: the critics were white (mostly males) who think the left is ruining the country and are a bunch of pussies.

I did not “feel” attacked. I actually was attacked. These right wing bullies jump over anyone and everyone. I asked a simple question: was there a rule in place that only one quarter of regular fire safety numbers could be filled in a business. I did not rant. I did not say they should be closed down. I did not ask for a manager.

[blm]

3. Same. I won't indulge it.

It was funny when it was a cat complaining to its Karen-named owner, then it took a wrong turn.

[aquamarina]

95. I agree.

When a name is used in humor it's one thing, but when it's used to stereotype derisive behavior, not so much.

[crickets]

137. Agreed. nt

[I_UndergroundPanther]

5. Male Karen's are called Ken's

[obamanut2012]

9. No, they aren't

[I_UndergroundPanther]

11. I heard they were.

So,what do we call men who act like Karen's than?
Maybe a Ken is needed.

[fleur-de-lisa]

15. I have heard Ken used too. And Chad.

[TheBlackAdder]

31. Chads are frat fuck-boys, and are nothing like a Karen. Matt Gaetz would be a Chad.

.

Chas, in the movie Back to School would be one.



.

[rzemanfl]

67. I have to bring up hanging when you say "Chad."

It's a Florida thing.

for the dense.

[Tipperary]

16. Yeah, cause we all need more names to call people.

[LakeArenal]

35. Where? Who?

[Lars39]

6. The mild form used to be called busybodies.

Busybodies used to just cause mischief, but these women are "swatting", hoping for much more dangerous results.

[obamanut2012]

7. 100% agree

I hate it. It isn't funny anymore (it barely ever was), and, it has morphed into a really, really sexist meme. And for those naysayers: yes, it has. It is also just inherently gendered, and has turned into a socially-acceptable form of "bitch."

[DBoon]

44. unattractive, middle aged, frumpy looking "bitch"

A woman past her prime

[LakeArenal]

48. Yep.

I’d be curious to see by gender who thinks It’s acceptable.

[qwlauren35]

10. I get Becky

The woman who made the phone call last time was Becky, and it stuck.

Don't know Karen.

I think they should have an acronym that is not woman-name specific.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I've wondered about that myself, it's bothered me, too. It's a fairly common name.

I have a cousin Karen, my uncle's first born. My senior year roommate in school was Karen. I looked and I have 3 Karens on my phone and I don't have a very long list. I also feel bad right now for anyone who happens to have that name. Why Karen?

[SoonerPride]

19. If this is the thing that "bugs the daylights out of you" then you need to pay more attention

There are bigger fish to fry.

[Pacifist Patriot]

28. Thanks, but I can walk and chew gum at the same time.

[LakeArenal]

36. Shit is not mutually exclusive, and sometimes shit is shit.

[fleur-de-lisa]

37. Exactly. I don't understand this latest poutrage.

I have extremely close family members named Patti and Karen (I don't know anyone named Becky.) We all think it's rather amusing that white folks are getting so upset about the use of a random name to call out entitled/priveleged white behavior.

Remember the 'wypipo' outrage a while back on DU? Several folks were having fits about it. "I'm not like that, so you can't use that term!"

If it doesn't apply to you, then IT DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU.

[Pacifist Patriot]

121. Poutrage. Got it. Thanks for your input.

[magicarpet]

21. I think it started out,...

With someone in Kentucky named Karen who threw a black family from a condo pool area because she could not fathom a black individual being gainfully employed and a condo owner at Karen's condo complex.

Kare harassed and harassed the black family until she forced them from the swimming pool area. The police were called,.. and the black family did own a condo a few buildings down from Karen's.

They had all the right in the world to use and enjoy the pool as any other condo owner.

Karen was wrong to bother them because of her outlandish racial hatreds. Anyone who displayed such hatreds was now refered to as Karen as a venom and vile racist who harasses black folk due to white privileges allowing them to treat black folk like shit.

Short hand - short cut,.... acting like an in your face racist as Karen from Kentucky did chasing the black family from the condo complex pool area.

It did not start out to smear all Karens,...
It was intended to remind how deplorable racism can advance and target black people as Karen from Kentucky - blocking use of a swimming pool that the black family had the right to use.

[whopis01]

25. The woman you are talking about is named Stephanie, and it was in North Carolina

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/29/us/pool-patrol-paula-south-carolina-trnd/index.html

And the use of "Karen" predated that incident. In fact, the reddit /r/FuckYouKaren/ has been around since late 2017.

[LakeArenal]

51. No retraction if their statement I bet.

[whopis01]

144. Of course not.

[ismnotwasm]

23. Well they won't get get a knee to the neck until they die.

It’s been around for several years. I’m not sure why people are only aware of it now. I get if your name is Karen it’s unpleasant (I know a couple of guys named Chad as well). I understand that the whole meme will eventually go away.

It’s a call out identifier describing a type of asshole originating from Reddit. Even other countries use it. Of all the things I’m worried about today, it’s not even on the list.

[LakeArenal]

38. So you don't care. But a lot of us do.

So we are mostly women, right?

That gives folks the right to dismiss our ire?

[ismnotwasm]

53. I'm saying I've been aware of the trend for THREE years

There are whole stories about “Karen’s” and their behavior. In fact you hear them described as having a “Let Me speak to your Manager” haircut. There are literally hundreds of stories about this type of person, not all of them about white women. It became a meme. One of my daughters is a bit of a Karen, And she herself calls other women Karens, when people are rude.

I can’t get worked up about a dying meme today.

[LakeArenal]

55. Very condescending.

“I really don’t care. Why do you?”

[ismnotwasm]

68. Ok

I didn’t mean to be or sound condescending.

But a man was murdered and a city is burning Black cops are literally crying, torn, there’s a pandemic that STILL might kill my mother, my husband my daughter because idiots

And everyone picks their battles. We’re you aware there is a small groub of women who are claiming the Karen meme is as bad as the “N” word? Fortunately it’s a very small group that got an inordinate amount of attention.

Not my battle.

[LakeArenal]

70. Yeah why stand up for small divisiveness when you have the big stuff to consider.

Caring about many issues is not mutually exclusive to most of us. But there you are. Literally. There you... are.

[ismnotwasm]

73. Hahahahahaha

Ok. Here I am

[womanofthehills]

57. But but ..... just using Karen is so compact

We instantly know what happened. If your name happens to be Karen, it does ‘t have anything to do with being a Karen. Actually Karen Attiah has no problem with it. She says black people can express racism in whatever words work for them.

[LakeArenal]

62. Oh brother. The "I'm not sexist I have a friend named that" card.

[malaise]

24. I agree

Miss Thing is a better name for that person

[Pacifist Patriot]

29. Now that is what I grew up with!

I heard that in my grandmother's southern drawl when I read it. LOL! Actually, "Little Miss Thing."

[malaise]

50. The South and the Caribbean have some shared sayings

[Pacifist Patriot]

72. Yes, they do!

A college footballer from St. Lucia lived with us one summer when he couldn't make it home to England. We got such a chuckle out of expressions that were mutually unfathomable and amazed at how many were the same or similar.

[malaise]

139. Sometimes Miss Thing isn't little

[Pacifist Patriot]

141. Ha ha ha !!!!!

True that!

[LakeArenal]

39. Yes yes. Maybe Ms. Thing tho.

[malaise]

47. We can have Miss, Mrs and Ms Thing

[LakeArenal]

52. Good idea.

[aquamarina]

92. This!

[obamanut2012]

102. YUP

[crickets]

136. +1 That one works well. nt

[Alpeduez21]

26. I'm so sorry this offends you

Are you gonna be ok? Do you need an ice pack or maybe some tea? Really sorry that pointing out white privilege is egregious. Perhaps you have a better less offensive to us whites alternative for black expression of unrest against a system that persecuted them. I’d really love to hear what you think AAs should do so as not to upset you

[Pacifist Patriot]

30. It's a pet peeve. Lots of things offend me, this isn't one of them.

Last edited Fri May 29, 2020, 12:04 PM - Edit history (1)

But thanks for your "concern."

I still think it's a stupid way to refer to a woman throwing her privilege around.

[LakeArenal]

41. So condescending.

[lagomorph777]

60. +1 Not cool at all.

"Sorry it offends you" is more offensive than the original offense.

[LakeArenal]

65. ❣️

[lagomorph777]

58. Pointing out white priviledge is not the same as smearing everybody with a certain name.

Sexism is as bad as racism. It's not OK to pretend that a sexist epithet is justified by anti-racist outrage. It's just not. It's as bad as the racism itself.

[obamanut2012]

101. Why are you treating the OP like this?????

Many of us have known her for well over a decade, some of us know her IRL. You should apologize to her for being a jerk, and for insinuating something about her that isn't true, for being a jerk to a well-known liberal who has done so much for her community, much more than you, who embraced and advocated for LGBT rights and is a true ally. Who is so not a racist a syou are stating.

Then, self delete this POS attack on the OP, which is AGAINST DU RULES.

[kcr]

115. Pretty typical of people who love and defend the Karen meme

[Pacifist Patriot]

117. I don't care what this person thinks. Don't let him or her bother you.

Leaving posts like this where they are reveals way more about the poster's character than the person they are ignorantly slamming.

[bigtree]

49. fwiw, my wife, who happens to be white, doesn't mind it at all

...she chuckles a bit at the righteousness of slamming these self-appointed scolds, provocateurs potentially dangerous to black Americans.

"I'm not changing MY name," she says, "b**** needs to change hers."

[Faux pas]

54. An

asshole is an asshole. That's the only shortcut label I choose to use. The only prejudice I have is against ASSHOLES.

[BusyBeingBest]

74. Gen-X white lady here, it doesn't bother me.

Karen is just such a common name for my generation--that's why it sticks, it's almost a stereotypical middle aged white lady name. I have a couple Karens in my family and among in-laws, I don't know if it bothers them, but I don't think it's a big deal.

[Skittles]

130. the only Karen I know is black

yup

[MicaelS]

76. If it was ANY woman's name there would be outrage by some.

The name Karen is simply the name that has been chosen.

So just WHAT term would you suggest be used to call out self-entitled white women, who invariably have bob haircuts, who call 911 on persons of color?

And remember there are a great deal of them, not just one or two.

[lagomorph777]

108. Exactly. Using any given name for this purpose is immoral and is acting like the thing it calls out

How about "racist jerk with a bob haircut?" That way, when another racist jerk with a different hairstyle does something terrible, you can complain about her haircut too.

[MicaelS]

112. Racist white woman syndrome.

No haircut needed.

[lagomorph777]

119. Absolutely.

[ismnotwasm]

77. Kicking cause I just realized this is the equivalent of an Olive Garden thread

Or small children in Resturaunts/movie theaters. Or Pitbulls. Or smoking in public. Or breastfeeding in public—- Probably close to the “b****” war threads.

Well played.


You all have a good day

[Pacifist Patriot]

80. Hmmm...not seeing the equivalency so thanks for dropping by?

[ismnotwasm]

122. You welcome baby

[Pacifist Patriot]

124. Hmmm, also not a fan of that dimunitive. The purpose was what exactly?

[obamanut2012]

98. Yeah, no, it isn't

[kcr]

116. Been with DU since the beginning. You're wrong.

[ismnotwasm]

123. So you don't believe that's it's a topic with passionate opinions that ultimately don't matter?

Or are you seeing real social justice happening, decrying the bad memes of the internet

[Pacifist Patriot]

125. So it inspires you to share your opinions that ultimately don't matter.

You are perplexing indeed.

[Hortensis]

78. Same here. "Karen" and "Kevin" are devices to spread blame

earned by an individual malefactor to all whites or all white conservatives, the very definition of bigotry/racism.

Anger, meanness and hypocrisy, and of course racism, are all rampant right now, and the vast majority of uses I've seen were a way of acting out all of them under a pretense of cultural virtue.

[SoonerPride]

83. Spare me.

oh the poor whites are being oppressed, what ever will they do?

fuck that noise.

[Hortensis]

86. Actually, I was speaking against racism, and hypocrisy, among

a lot of people who don't recognize it in themselves. Maybe re-read? You don't have to agree once you know what I said, after all.

And, yes, there is of course such a thing as white-on-white racism. Just as "self-hate" and "self-loathing" are lay terms for widespread psychological syndromes that often manifest in political attitudes.

[lagomorph777]

109. +1 "Karen" or "Kevin" epithets are the essence of stereotyping and bigotry.

(Insert any other names here; my point is the same).

[Sunsky]

82. You know there are many black Karens

I know at least 5 friends named Karen. Lighten up.
Same with Felicia. One of my closest gfs is a Felicia. We used to mess with her, so much with "Bye, Felicia". One day my name might become a meme. So be it. I was always told that I have a "white girl name". That's what I found offensive. In college one of my colleagues asked me, why don't you switch name with another girl who she thought had a black sounding name? She did see the nonprofessional side of me.

[Mosby]

85. It's just a new way to call a woman a bitch.

[obamanut2012]

96. Thank you so much for saying this

I said it upthread, too.

It is exactly what it is.

[NNadir]

91. As a person whose real name always elicits jokes, the same jokes decade after decade...

...I always just laugh it off.

Of course, there are people who assume that I have never heard the jokes, but it's an icebreaker sometimes, and I always tell stories that involve interesting things that happened to me because of my name.

Karen is a beautiful name, by the way, but like many words for things, context matters.

[PassingFair]

111. I'm just glad they stopped using the "Patty" moniker.

From a Patty....

[kcr]

113. I don't think you're missing anything.

I completely agree.

[Midnight Writer]

114. Labels short circuit critical thinking.

It is simple to just label people to avoid logical scrutiny of an event.

We see our President do it every day. He doesn't need to make a rational argument. He simply tags it with "fake news" or whatever appellation he pulls out of his hat, and the people listening are triggered to a conclusion without thinking deeper.

[Pacifist Patriot]

118. Good point

[NNadir]

126. So does Twitter, by reducing every issue to a soundbite.

In general, we live in an age of hyperactivity, and as the wonderful Millennial generation term it - memes, now rule the world.

Among many other dangers we face as a species, the practice of avoiding critical thinking is a great danger before us.

I note that the narcissist racist in chief emerged out of twit twitter garbage, and was thus embraced by a population for whom critical thinking was an anathema.

This said, we don't always think critically on our side either, do we?

With all due respect to the many wonderful people in the world who bear the name "Karen," if I were among them, I would accept the inconvenience in favor of providing a quick shorthand to evoke a type of injustice that we should not tolerate in a decent world.

One would hope that the appreciation of critical thinking would not become a historical artifact like say, fighting large wars with spears and arrows, which were far less destructive than our "modernized" weapons, but we may need to live this way, since the encouragement of thinking clearly is surely being devalued.

[Midnight Writer]

131. We are today facing the consequences of "labeling" in MN.

Police brutality is nothing new.

But for decades we have largely been able to ignore it through labeling.

Claims of Police abuse have been met with responses of "Well, it's only the (insert ethnic slur) complaining, you'd expect THOSE people to fuss when the cops catch them". By labeling the complainants, the thinking is short circuited and people jump over the evidence and go straight to the unfounded conclusion.

It's not until we have proof in the form of videos that people actually stop to think perhaps this is a widespread injustice.

The same technique Trump uses when confronted by whistleblowers. He labels them malcontents and disgruntled employees, 'very unhappy people". People who accept his labels need look no further to reach an unfounded conclusion.

Sometimes, Karen actually is served a bowl of soup with a cockroach floating in it.

[ismnotwasm]

127. Also for those interested

A history of the Karen phenomena

https://www.vox.com/2020/2/5/21079162/karen-name-insult-meme-manager

On one level, we’ve seen all of this before: After all, resentment toward the upper middle class — what we might call “bourgeoisophobia” — has been around since the middle class itself, often coming most strongly from members of that very middle class. What has changed are Karen’s specific offensive traits: Like all bourgeoisie stereotypes before her, she’s snobbish, prudish, and hypocritical. But now, she’s against science on principle, which is definitely a new twist to the traditional bourgeois model. And the chief way she manifests her class consciousness is not by, say, being a patron of the arts, but by being aggressively rude to the help.

“Karen” isn’t alone in receiving this treatment. We’ve increasingly seen a lot of “basic white names” — commonly associated, rightly or wrongly, with Middle American white Protestants — being used in mocking memes that portray them as archetypes rather than individuals. Consider such examples as: “They’re lesbians, Harold,” “Talkback Tammy,” “they’re good dogs Brent,” and, of course, “Becky with the good hair.” White people seem just as likely to make fun of these names as everyone else, especially when it comes to men making fun of women; in the predominantly white men’s rights movement, “Chads,” “Stacys,” and “Beckys” are used to embody and mock people who conform to mainstream gender norms and beauty standards.

This trend might have also gotten a boost from social media, according to Dr. I.M. Nick, a nomenclature scholar and former president of the American Name Society. “The general tendency which social media users have been shown to manifest is a high frequency of shortenings and abbreviations,” she said in an email, though she hesitated to speculate on how this tendency might apply to specific names. Combined with what seems to be an underground but culturally established association of “Karen” with rude entitlement — more on that in a minute — it’s possible that social media shorthand could also be one potential origin point for the meme.

Oxford Karen told me she’d seen the meme applied to other names like “Susan” and “Zach”— what she describes as “basic white people names.” She compared the meme to the famous Key & Peele “Substitute Teacher” sketch, which inverts/calls out the tendency white people have to stigmatize and mock “ethnic” names by applying that mentality to white names. “I taught at a school with predominantly children of color,” she said, “and that Key & Peele sketch hit home.” In other words, she suggested, there’s potentially an element of reclamation in this trend — payback for decades of “black names” being pejoratively stereotyped, as the sketch highlights:

[pwb]

132. I know three People named Karen.

One is nice two are Karens.

[MicaelS]

135. So people should have used Kate instead. n/t

[LanternWaste]

133. Debbie Downer, too... eh?

Until and unless I see the same reaction to Debbie Downer, Joe Six-Pack, Neck-Beard, Bubba, Queen Bee, etc., I can't read sentiments like this as anything other than just another self-serving, sanctimonious desire to join the Oppressed Hipster Club.

Yeah... I think you are indeed, missing something; ignoring relevant context is flaw.

[Pacifist Patriot]

142. Honestly, not a fan of anything you've listed either.

Maybe it is name-calling I have a problem with.

Call out the behavior, skip the cheap labels. Whatever.

[Cha]

138. Yeah, I don't like it, either..

I usually just trash those threads.

I think about the Karen I know who's one of my best friends.