Do you think Karen is an offensive term?

[Blueeyes81]

Yes (white woman)

No (white woman)

Yes (everyone else)

No (everyone else)

I want to speak to your manager.

[DaveJord]

No, its not offensive... this Karen thing has gotten out of control. These women think their outrage gives them some type of power... and honestly, they need to be called out on it.

Becky, was a stupid air head of a blonde, blue eyed privilege white woman. But the Becky thing was so funny on Saturday Night Live at the time because it was so true... and it was something created by White Guys to just have fun with white woman about. All good natured fun.

So, only thing offensive about Karne, is that it does have a racial cognition to it. I mean it is reserved for white woman... so that is kind of not right. I mean you would not call a black woman a Karen... you would call her a Shanayna, but that's offensive to black woman. But it was created by Black men, and used to be funny on Living Color in the late 80's early 90's. I mean it was satire, Martin Lawerance played the character and was away for Black men to make fun of black woman, in a funny way. I do not think was mean spirted... but then again maybe it was for woman.

So, I am a white guy, and some of these white women are so irritating with their privileged attitudes about shit... trust me. Like seriously, you being so insulting with indignation about stupid shit, but since you are a woman you think you can not only get away with it... but that you have right to be a total B about it.

So, the complete opposite of a Karen would be a Shanaynay, but if Shanaynay is offensive then yes, Karen should be equally offensive.

Its like Michel Scot said in the Office,

"You don't call retarded people retards. It's bad taste. You call your friends retards when they're acting retarded."

[Lliam]

I think it's funny. It's nice to have a simple way to insult horrible people in a way that doesn't require invective but everybody understands.

A couple months ago, I was in a dentist office. They were still handing out masks and asking people in the waiting room to wear them, but they were no longer being strict about it.
So I finished getting my teeth worked on (you obviously don't wear a mask for that, right?) and was out at the front desk paying. All of a sudden, some lady came out of an office, saw me, and said "Sir, you need to wear a mask."
She had blond hair and kind of a short Karen cut. She was wearing a lab coat and a mask that looked like Darth Vader's, except colorful.
I ignored her and continued my business.
She said "If you don't put on your mask, I'll have to ask you to leave."
What's stupid was, I was practically out the door when she decided to assault me.
So I said "Okay, Karen" and ignored her.

My next time there, I was talking to the office manager about something unrelated (he's a cool guy and we chat sometimes). He had heard about the incident and was highly amused. We had a fun conversation about it. I guess it was the talk of the office and the staff who were there to hear the exchange thought it was hilarious. He told me that the lady is an orthopedic surgeon who is in that office one day a week. He and the rest of the staff hate wearing masks, too, and think that doctor is a joke.

A couple weeks ago, I was back for a cleaning, and was surprised to see the staff's faces. No more masks! I never saw that Karen again aside from that one time.

[Anonymous]

Yeah. It's supposed to be. It's a way of describing a person usually a white woman who is acting very badly or crazy for no reason. I've encountered a few karens here in the US that I didn't really like to antagonise because they clearly had mental health problems or were just looking for someone to take their problems out on. It's kind of like people with road rage, somebody stalling at a green light or mistakenly cutting them off isn't the real problem.

[Pinay_ako]

To me a Karen is someone (regardless of gender/ethnicity/age) who feels entitled at all times and gets rude at the slightest inconvenience and wants to throw a tantrum but should’ve been beaten with a stick when they were a child coz it looked like they were pampered too much from the real world out there! It isn’t offensive. So if you get called a Karen, then don’t get offended. You’re just annoying af. Grow tf up! 🙄

[anon1903]

So real

[Lliam]

🎯🎯🎯

[razelove]

I feel like it's lost all meaning. It's now just a term for a white woman someone disagrees with, and can't find a stronger argument or description for. Generally if I see "Karen does x" now and I figure it's just click bait.
It used to mean a woman on the higher end of the income strata who had demands, and by golly those demands were going to be met. A shrill bitch with some authority to back it up even if the demand was unreasonable.
Now with so many people trying to burn other people for likes on social media, it's tough to tell, and both sides tend to have paper thin arguments and evidence.
In all the back and forth with the woman who was getting the rental bike stolen, she's called a Karen. Though I'm pretty sure a Karen can own a bike rather than rent those crap blue bikes, take a cab, not care if it gets stolen, whatever.

[Jersey2]

Exactly!

[OlderAndWiser]

Saying "Karen Carpenter" is not offensive. Calling someone a Karen because you disagree with their actions is intended to be offensive.

[Anonymous]

Everyone who I met that is named Karen is actually the opposite of the stereotype. So it is terribly inaccurate term. Then you have cases like City Bike Karen, where a pregnant nurse who was just trying to go home after work was accosted by three young men who wanted to take off with the city bike that she paid for and had the receipt for. Yet society determined that she was in the wrong and has herassed her and her family to the point where she had to go into hiding. I thought institutional misogyny and racism was bad? Yet when it is against a white woman trying to speak up for herself it is suddenly okay?

[Whatthefluff]

Every video I see of “Karens getting owned” are two people in the wrong- and the filmographer plays victim with their stupidity to interact and follow the individual. I hope none of them are off-duty police officers.

[Whatthefluff]

I feel bad for people who are actually named Karen; all of them I know are actually nice. There’s also apparently been bullying in schools with kids whose names are Karen. I don’t think it’s an offensive term, but I feel bad for those with the name.

[LiamJHayden]

Not if we are speaking about the drummer and vocalist for The Carpenters. But the term "A Karen" or calling the lady who asks for the manager because someone did not drop everything to cater to her whims or who otherwise tries some BS entitlement crap , yes. "Karen" is supposed to be a slam.

[Singing_Hollow]

lol people make up things on the daily and get offensive for no reason. If someone called me Karen id correct them as thats not my name. Their opinion is just that. theirs and frankly I dont care lol

[ShesRad80]

no, to me karens come in all colors and genders to be honest

[D_Bone_Steak]

It's a term used for any woman that wants to speak to your manager... just happens to be mostly white women.

[nolabels]

I feel sorry for the actually named "Karens" of the world.

It just isn't fair to them.

Quit using Karen, Chad, and whatever other names that are ridiculous.

[cosmosis181]

I think it's a misguided term. It's only used for White, middle aged women... as if they're the only ones on the globe with snotty, entitled attitudes and prejudices.🙄

[abc3643]

No, I think Karen is my fantastically hot co-worker who I have not seen in 3 years because of the pandemic.

[AutisticLonelyWoman]

I think so because as a white woman it’s very offensive. When did this stupid trend started? Plus there’s women and girls named Karen so how do people think those ladies feel having their name used as a horrible trend? It’s so pathetic.

[Dargil]

No, but it is a stereotypical middle aged educated white woman. Other women emulate them but they are the originals.

[Dargil]

Girls. If "Karen" offends you, don't be one.

[valentina4eva]

no (white woman)😋 just don’t be a karen and people won’t call u karen lol

[Smashingdoozy]

No... Pretty telling if you find it offensive you're probably a Karen.

[Anemone978]

No, if you are being a Karen you are a Karen lol

[springxxx]

It's unfair for the girls who's actual name is Karen lol

[FunkyMonkee]

No but, she IS a fucking cunt!! So is my other ex-sister, Kathy!! Her, more than Karen!!

[humanearth]

No its my neighbor name and she is a wonderful older lady.

[MountAverage]

Well yes, but that's the point of the term, isn't it? Who calls someone a Karen without the intention of being offensive?