Talk:Karen (slang)

Potentially racist

Limiting it only to “white women” is racist. Social status and economic security can also be a contributing factor which is available to all races. 96.93.22.53 (talk) 13:03, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

The sources say otherwise. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:52, 17 January 2023 (UTC)

For a slang term, how can sources be reliable? These people who make these "sources" do not understand slang. Karens are definitely more than just white women using white privilege. The actual definition that is generally accepted is for any woman using her female privilege, not her racial privilege. Even the terms "Darren" and "Kevin" are used for male equivalents. Mikey'Da'Man, Archangel (talk) 15:26, 4 March 2023 (UTC)

When have you ever seen a non-white woman being called a "Karen"? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:07, 4 March 2023 (UTC)

[1] SuperKaren doesn't appear to be white in this one. Mikey'Da'Man, Archangel (talk) 19:22, 13 March 2023 (UTC)

Not very Karen-like, just resisting arrest. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:10, 13 March 2023 (UTC)

That is LITERALLY what Karens do. It is a video of a Karen on the channel Karens in the Wild. There's no one who does it better. You also can't get any more Karen than this. Mikey'Da'Man, Archangel (talk) 17:15, 21 March 2023 (UTC)

Sure you can. A white woman calling the cops on a non-white for doing nothing in particular is the "Karen" archetype. This alleged example ain't it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:47, 23 March 2023 (UTC)

It's not "potentially racist" it IS racist. I am a white woman (or Anglo, or Caucasian or whatever other classification you want to use) and have been called a "Karen" by Latino people who have decided to use the word as a racial epithet when lashing out. Their intent was obvious. It was directed at me in rage b/c I am a white woman and I told them to turn the music down that they were blasting all over the neighborhood late at night on a weekday. The idea that this word is not racist is complete bullshit. You only have to be called a Karen by someone who's not white (or not Anglo or not Caucasian), and feel the force of the contempt behind it to know it IS a racial epithet. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 47.138.92.123 (talk) 04:02, 27 May 2023 (UTC)

Black women included as "karens" as well?

Are black women included as being "karens" as well? Many black women behave the same way as white women who are called "karens". 104.235.135.205 (talk) 22:30, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

Where have you seen non-white women (other than maybe wealthy entertainers) who act "entitled"? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:30, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

There are literally hundreds of videos on YT channels & subreddits dedicated solely to exposing Karens, and they show a variety of entitled people of all races.

Some of the most notorious Karens include Asian, Hispanic, and black people.

They're not always women, either; Michael Barajas is a Mexican-American who falls under the Karen umbrella.

2600:4040:750C:6F00:7CA8:F9B2:B0FD:E579 (talk) 13:27, 3 May 2023 (UTC)

Is Marjorie Taylor Greene the ultimate Karen?

Editorial
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
I would stand to argue that Marjorie Taylor Green is, without a doubt, the ultimate incarnation of the slang term 'Karen.' And mind you, I do feel bad for all the kind, nice women out there named Karen, that have been bestowed with a bad wrap. But there is one woman, that deserves the title. This beast that takes no prisoners. When she wakes up in the morning, she brews her coffee with the ground up remains of the Bill of Rights and a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, drinks it, and chews her glass coffee mug until all that is left is sand ground up in her pointy teeth. She then walks out her front door, every day, looking for a pound of flesh to take as her prize. Like a wolf in winter, spotting a lame calf trailing the herd. Not only does she define the term Karen, but she embodies every sense of the term. Every possible ounce of sanity, empathy, understanding, or compassion is lost in the primal blood lust that is Marjorie Taylor Green's psyche. She doesn't just want to "speak to the manager." She would find more satisfaction with a hatchet and a pike. 2600:1700:F0:A50:4078:19D7:8DA5:5C68 (talk) 09:26, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

Have we gone overkill with the Meme?

The name Karen means pure and was derived from the name Katherine. The Hebrew meaning of Karen is ray, horn, and antler. In French the name can mean 'clear'. People have forgotten that the name Karen was once a name that was respected and loved by many. It used to be in the top 10 baby names from the 1940s to 1960s. When you look up what the meaning of the name Karen is you do not find pure first, you find, " A white women perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is normal," This is directly from this wiki itself. I personally know people with the name Karen and they have received death threats telling them that they will come and kill them. They also have worked at places where people will learn their name and make comments on it or make fun of the name. This may have started of as a funny name to use but now it is unkind and has seemed to have lost its true meaning witch was one of great meaning. Why don't we just call bad people what they are 'bad people'. 47.160.106.19 (talk) 01:59, 20 March 2023 (UTC)

I agree. Also, the socially-sanctioned corporate abuse of this name in board games, movies, coffee shops, wrapping paper, tee shirts, dolls, etc. all telling people with this name to shut up should silence the "whataboutism" of anyone with another name that's been used in an unflattering way here or there since this name abuse has been so beyond anything else in scope in our history. At this point, it's being used to silence women by threatening to stigmatize them. Some people should be stigmatized, but for their behavior and not their name. To argue otherwise is the equivalent of saying "All ___ people don't mind my [extremely offensive] use of their identity to categorize someone since they know this isn't about THEM." It really doesn't hold up as an argument. Those with the name Karen describe feeling like society hates them and they're running around with a "kick me" sign when people behave rudely upon learning their names. It's time to put this slang to bed along with blonde jokes, "welfare queen" comments, Polish jokes, homosexual jokes, etc. and recognize that respecting identity includes respecting someone's birth name and not making it into a nasty way to refer to behavior you don't like. Anyone who thinks it's not a big deal should ask someone 5-20 named Karen and hear how their experiences have been. Shelbybaxter (talk) 06:33, 20 March 2023 (UTC)

Good luck trying to change society from here. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:45, 23 March 2023 (UTC)

Wish we could as its just sad to see a name that was once respected be turned into an insult. 47.160.106.19 (talk) 00:57, 25 March 2023 (UTC)

These things happen. Why do you think boys aren't named "Elmer" anymore? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:12, 25 March 2023 (UTC)

Because it was never a good name. 47.138.92.123 (talk) 04:38, 27 May 2023 (UTC)

You mean like the name "Gaylord"?

2600:4040:750C:6F00:7CA8:F9B2:B0FD:E579 (talk) 13:29, 3 May 2023 (UTC)

This is a racially based term and therefore should be termed as racist

Trolling
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Title. Just because it's directed at white people doesn't somehow make it not a racial slur, unless you're of the racist left ilk that think it impossible to be racist to white people. 198.200.215.5 (talk) 15:38, 11 May 2023 (UTC) Also I imagine you admins locked the page so no one can say this is a racist term right because I know you guys are a bunch of extremists politically 198.200.215.5 (talk) 15:41, 11 May 2023 (UTC) Find a source to support your argument. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 17:09, 12 May 2023 (UTC)

Meaning

It's being used increasingly on social media to generally refer to any woman, of any race, who is excessively angry/confrontational or crazy. In fact it's increasingly being used to describe a crazy, unhinged woman. I'm not sure why colour of skin is mentioned at all. ♦ Dr. Blofeld 11:10, 20 May 2023 (UTC)

Because RS mention it. If you have RS that are saying the meaning of the term is evolving, by all means spit 'em out. Valereee (talk) 21:14, 20 May 2023 (UTC)