To, Karens

I.School “What are you talking about, Karen?”

Influences. “Karens” as conversations.

Vocabulary: /Pejorative/ adjetive; expressing contempt. 

Background: Around 2018, a pejoration of “Karen” evolved. 

“Karen”: Urban Dictionary “Historically known as “a  Nancy”. Middle aged woman, typically blonde, makes solutions to other’s problems an inconvenience to her although she isn’t even remotely affected.”

“A Karen will go out of her way to impose their belief structures on any unwitting or unsuspecting individual... possibly involving an authority figure if the victim is of minority descent.” Finally having a word to call out these women’s problematic behavior, the internet boomed with Karen content. From the various viral “exposing Karen”' videos on Twitter, to the Subreddit r/FuckYouKaren with over 1.5 Million followers, internet users around the world consume content exposing and criticizing women for their controversial and racist behaviors.”

Quora: “Karens are some of the most despicable people one can deal with owning or working for a business. Nobody likes them, sometimes even their own families don't like them because they're embarrassing to be associated with, and Karen's refuse to admit they're ever wrong, that they are ever at fault, and that they ever handle something the wrong way(after all, they wouldn't be Karens if they were pleasant, reasonable people), so they're not going to change, so you quite literally can't take them anywhere. That's why it's bad to be a Karen.

In I.School, say what you want, and I’d like to offer a cautionary tale about the use of pejoratives, like “Karen”. 

First, full disclosure, my mother’s name is Karen, (Happy Birthday) so it’s personal.  I watched my mom struggle with being poor. Relative ‘poor’ like not having money for the laundromat. Walking 6.8 miles to downtown Denver to pick up her paycheck at the phone company because she did not have enough money, a quarter, for the bus. Raising two teenagers alone after being left by her husband. Two kids less then 18 months apart because she had no access, nor support, to birth control in the late 1960’s. Of course these are the observations of a child. Her stories are not mine to tell. So, when I hear clear specific descriptions of what a Karen definitively IS, I think, Karen’s stories are not for others to make up and tell either. 

Another problem with using Karen, or ________, (there are a few other pejorative), personal names being used as blanket scapegoats, is that it shifts the conversation. No need to have discussions about deep rooted issues, especially about women, poverty, rights, and minorities , when you can just write off as “the most despicable people.”  Just say the magic K word, that we got from a movie and a tv show, and blame is clearly placed on middle age white women. End of conversation. 

If only Karens were “pleasant, reasonable people” then things might be different. Right!

Rights, lack of them. Poverty, unfair laws, could lend to unpleasant dispositions. Questions of class, circumstance, imbalance of justice are too complicated, so just slap on a name. Problem solved. No need to trouble ourselves with nasty conversations that lead to how Karens chose victims of “minority descent.” It seems to me the perception of Karen privilege and, say a black photographer, might be open to wider lenses of conversation, like what those two have in common. Both women and minorities are more subject to pejorative language. Which begs the question, what are we NOT talking about? What does name calling keep us FROM?

One thing is evident. It works. 

Karen.

Once a pure and innocent name. Became a meme. Became “despised.” 

Sticks. Stones, AND names can kill a conversation. Ok, whatever. Now,

What are you talking about?

What are you NOT talking about?

What are you Building with your talks?

Semi-References:

Where the origin of the name Karen means “pure, which points to the wonderful innocence of childhood and the loving, pure nature baby embodies.” Baby name book.

“A ranking of the popularity of baby names by gender found “Karen” dropped from 660th place in 2019 to 831st in 2020, according to the Social Security Administration.”

https://babynames.com/name/karen

Side note. Okay, so yes, perhaps my mom does fit parts of the Karen description. No, we don’t really talk. With that said, I still chose not to use any human name to blanket a topic. There are reasons why names are used to distract us from the seriousness of life. There are reasons why people behave the way they do. It is the constant interruption of blame and stereotypes that prevent change. Karen’s are also smart, resilient, good cooks, and gardeners. Pure and strength don’t hold the publics attention as much as fear and blame.