Yesterday’s blog was about someone called Brandon and how the name had become synonymous with a hidden meaning. There’s another name that I’ve heard a lot lately that seems to have joined a trend, especially on the Internet, of using a first name to make fun of certain kinds of people — Karen.
In recent years, “Karen” has become a widespread “description” of a specific type of middle-class white woman, who exhibits behavior(s) that stem from privilege.
The origin of this use of the name Karen is uncertain, but the use of “Karen” became popular a few years ago as a way for people of color, particularly black Americans, to satirize the class-based and racially charged hostility they often face.
Why the name Karen? One of the most popular theories is that Karen has been credited to Black Twitter in the 2010s. Another explanation is that it comes from a 2005 bit by Dane Cook called “The Friend Nobody Likes.” (The friend was named Karen.) Another suggestion is that it comes from the character Karen in the 2004 film Mean Girls, who’s the subject of the popular quote: “Oh my God, Karen, you can’t just ask someone why they’re white.” Some even say that Karen comes from the 1990 film Goodfellas, in which one of the characters is named Karen.
Karens have been closely associated with Baby Boomers. Some millennials and members of Generation Z have called out boomers for being close-minded and behind-the-times, especially when it comes to unprogressive views on such things as gender, sexuality, and youth culture.
Lately, Karen has become more generally used to insult white women accused of taking advantage of their white privilege.
Although I haven’t heard it too much, apparently a male version of the Karen name has emerged — Ken. Patrica and Mark Mccluskey were pictured pointing guns at protesters passing by their home in St. Louis and they were dubbed “Karen and Ken.”
Mean what you say and say what you mean has apparently fallen out of favor……
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