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question "Karen" is now a derogatory term for entitled white women. Since when?

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I'm usually the hip and current one in the room among my friends. Every new term I catch most times.

But I'm embarrassed to say I missed the repurposing of the name "Karen" into a derogatory term for privileged entitled white women. Lol

Since when?

Just Google "Karen meaning" for explanation.

Interestingly.
karen is a member of an indigenous people of eastern Burma (Myanmar) and western Thailand. The language of the Karen, probably Sino-Tibetan.

Also there are 46,105 domains with the keyword Karen.

Anyone ever heard of this repurposing of the name Karen.

Curious to know who started this.

Similar to OkBoomer.com coined by some kid.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Even though we may be in public spaces, we still have a right to our privacy within the sort of private "bubble" we've created for ourselves within that public space, no?

I bring my dog to places.. find a spot where there's no one around to play a bit of fetch with her. Pardon me, but you're going to bring a camera around to record me, sure as heck might trigger me.

A "private bubble" can't exist in a public park, that's an oxymoron. And I hope you don't mean you'd be triggered to file a false police report of harassment when someone asks you to respect the parks rules...?
 
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And YouTube videos of public freak-outs are making things better?
That remains to be seen, but if the NY bird watcher hadn't made a film, he might very well have ended up in jail or worse - so the fact that didn't happen in this case is much better imo, yes
 
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That remains to be seen, but if the NY bird watcher hadn't made a film, he might very well have ended up in jail or worse - so the fact that didn't happen in this case is much better imo, yes
Did it help his case that he posted it to YouTube so that it could go viral and ruin a woman's life?

I'm not saying there shouldn't be repercussions for offensive or threatening behaviour. All I'm saying is that, as a society, we all need a crash course on human decency, taking the high road, and how to de-escalate.

If you feel like you're being threatened, and need proof, record away. But as soon as you post it online for all to see, your motives have become something else, and in my eyes they are equally as bad as the original offenders.
 
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Did it help his case that he posted it to YouTube so that it could go viral and ruin a woman's life?

I'm not saying there shouldn't be repercussions for offensive or threatening behaviour. All I'm saying is that, as a society, we all need a crash course on human decency, taking the high road, and how to de-escalate.

If you feel like you're being threatened, and need proof, record away. But as soon as you post it online for all to see, your motives have become something else, and in my eyes they are equally as bad as the original offenders.
She put his very being in danger, and he did absolutely nothing wrong - she did. Why are you even advocating for that? If her life is ruined, she made her own bed. That situation was nothing short of ridiculous. She wasn't the victim. Full stop.
 
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There are whole YouTube channels devoted to this term.

I'm always left scratching my head because I find that the person pulling out their phone to record someone in a weak moment is just as offensive. Maybe more so.
I don’t think it’s a weak moment tht they are having. Definitely not most of the one I seen like l.
 
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She put his very being in danger, and he did absolutely nothing wrong - she did. Why are you even advocating for that? If her life is ruined, she made her own bed. That situation was nothing short of ridiculous. She wasn't the victim. Full stop.
I'm not advocating for her behaviour.

I'm just wondering if you want to live in a world where, at any moment, your own mistakes and slip-ups could be posted online for all to judge and mock.

Was her behaviour acceptable? No. Was there a much better way to deal with it? Big time.
 
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I don’t think it’s a weak moment tht they are having. Definitely not most of the one I seen like l.
Therein lies the trap. Now all of society gets to be judge and jury of a person's entire life and personality based on one recorded interaction with no context.

Ahhh technology.
 
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What do any of these political threads being pushed into the popular section have to do with domaining?
 
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Therein lies the trap. Now all of society gets to be judge and jury of a person's entire life and personality based on one recorded interaction with no context.

Ahhh technology.
A lot ppl have two faces. I think it’s good they recording them and exposing them. They need to be exposed. If they lose they job then that’s good for them . Maybe next time they will think before they act. I mean Central Park Karen knew tht her calling police and lying could potentially end bad for guy because he was Black. Screw her job tht could have cost him his life and she knew that . Why do you think she specifically said “ and I’m gonna tell them your an African American Male?” That’s self explanatory and you want to worry about her job. 👀.... And Karen ain’t a racist term . If you say Karen is a racist term you might as well say Felicia is a racist term ( bye Felicia)?
 
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A lot ppl have two faces. I think it’s good they recording them and exposing them. They need to be exposed. If they lose they job then that’s good for them . Maybe next time they will think before they act. I mean Central Park Karen knew tht her calling police and lying could potentially end bad for guy because he was Black. Screw her job tht could have cost him his life and she knew that . Why do you think she specifically said “ and I’m gonna tell them your an African American Male?” That’s self explanatory and you want to worry about her job. 👀.... And Karen ain’t a racist term . If you say Karen is a racist term you might as well say Felicia is a racist term ( bye Felicia)?
I just find that we now live in a society where we're too eager to destroy people's lives. "They deserve what they get" has become too common of a refrain.

You don't cure hate and ignorance with more of the same.
 
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I just find that we now live in a society where we're too eager to destroy people's lives. "They deserve what they get" has become too common of a refrain.

You don't cure hate and ignorance with more of the same.

You also don't cure hate and ignorance if there is no accountability for your (negative) actions.

I see both sides on this.

Some people are just assholes in life. Up until the modern era they have largely been able to be that way with limited accountability. With the internet and social media it certainly can shine light on that behavior.

They can learn that there are ramifications for their actions.

At the same time, having every moment of your life potentially being recorded for people on the internet to see is not really a positive. Once that is online, it is there for good.

There are many people's lives who have been damaged via videos that they did not intend to release. The Star Wars kid meme for example.

This is a good documentary on the subject - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnebago_Man

I really have kind of a dim view on social media and it's impact on society in general. It is way too easy to spread misinformation and other damaging nonsense. You have kids now subject to 24/7 cyber bullying.

Brad
 
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There are whole YouTube channels devoted to this term.

I'm always left scratching my head because I find that the person pulling out their phone to record someone in a weak moment is just as offensive. Maybe more so.

I don’t think it’s fair to liken disparaging remarks to “weak moments”.
 
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You also don't cure hate and ignorance if there is no accountability for your (negative) actions.

I see both sides on this.

Some people are just assholes in life. Up until the modern era they have largely been able to be that way with limited accountability. With the internet and social media it certainly can shine light on that behavior.

They can learn that there are ramifications for their actions.

At the same time, having every moment of your life potentially being recorded for people on the internet to see is not really a positive. Once that is online, it is there for good.

There are many people's lives who have been damaged via videos that they did not intent to release. The Star Wars kid meme for example.

This is a good documentary on the subject - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnebago_Man

I really have kind of a dim view on social media it's impact on society in general. It is way to easy to spread misinformation and other damaging nonsense. You have kids now subject to 24/7 cyber bullying.

Brad
Great points.

Accountability is a positive for sure. I just don't like how quick we are to condemn people without knowing the full story.
 
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I don’t think it’s fair to liken disparaging remarks to “weak moments”.
My point is that we don't know what they are because we weren't there and we don't know what provoked the behaviour.

Are you so sure that everyone ever portrayed in those public freak-out videos is just a bad person?
 
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I just find that we now live in a society where we're too eager to destroy people's lives. "They deserve what they get" has become too common of a refrain.

You don't cure hate and ignorance with more of the same.
Well everybody got they own opinion. I don’t think everything should be exposed because ppl do make mistakes but that wasn’t a mistake ok! A mistake is not (oh you put on the fake face when u out in public because u want to keep up appearance and you put the real face back on when u feel relaxed and unwatched) that’s not a mistake thts oh you got caught slipping....she deserved what she got...and don’t matter what happened (which Nothing probably did outside fact that he was black and asked her to leash the dog.) it’s not ok to lie like That. He could have been George Floyd because she felt like something provoked her to lie. And I saw a Karen that attacked a white lady and she beat the breaks off her , so it’s not just a Karen tht attacks blacks, Asian,Arabs etc...... Karen attacks everybody....
 
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A "private bubble" can't exist in a public park, that's an oxymoron. And I hope you don't mean you'd be triggered to file a false police report of harassment when someone asks you to respect the parks rules...?
Get to know me from around the forum, clean up your assumptions. Thanks.

Regarding private bubbles in public spaces, it is totally a real thing, and created every day, whether by lovers kissing at a beautiful water fountain, a family enjoying a picnic under a shady tree or friends playing Frisbee. Just because you see us, doesn't mean you can't respect our privacy.
 
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Well everybody got they own opinion. I don’t think everything should be exposed because ppl do make mistakes but that wasn’t a mistake ok! A mistake is not (oh you put on the fake face when u out in public because u want to keep up appearance and you put the real face back on when u feel relaxed and unwatched) that’s not a mistake thts oh you got caught slipping....she deserved what she got...and don’t matter what happened (which Nothing probably did outside fact that he was black and asked her to leash the dog.) it’s not ok to lie like That. He could have been George Floyd because she felt like something provoked her to lie. And I saw a Karen that attacked a white lady and she beat the breaks off her , so it’s not just a Karen tht attacks blacks, Asian,Arabs etc...... Karen attacks everybody....
My comments are more general and philosophical in nature.

For the specific situation you're addressing, I'm not saying that woman should be supported for her actions. I'm just saying that, as a society, we all benefit a lot more from a positive "Let's teach each other" mentality than a "You deserve to have your life destroyed" mentality.
 
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There is also Ken, the male equivalent. Aka Costco Ken from recent news.

Brad

Works well because there's already a Ken M!

I heard of Karen before... but I thought they were making fun of Karen, plankton's wife from Spongebob. People would name their discord bots Karen... etc.... dating back 2017. So I thought it was a Spongebob Meme

but lo and behold it means something else. Karen doesn't have to be a white woman. For general usage, it could just be a female who complains a lot or gives people a hard time.
 
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Karen doesn't have to be a white woman. For general usage, it could just be a female who complains a lot or gives people a hard time.

Previously the term was 'Mother-in-laws', we all have them, no matter what colour or race or whatever you are. :xf.grin:
 
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Oh, did you hear. They are removing the terms master/slave in computing terminology.. because it totally clouded my upbringing in terms of understanding the difference between hard drives and humans.

Lol, funniest thing I read all day :)
 
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We are tribal. We have been stuck at a tribal for a long time and it has to be maintained by constant reminders of how different they are from other tribes. Team vs Team. So we use names/titles/clothing/uniform/titles within titles/anything we can use to identify who we stand against and who we stand with.

In the case of the "Karen" Tribe, it is one we use to feel moral superiority over an inferior tribe that is the karens.

We like to pretend we are special. We are a little bit more complicated versions of chimpanzees waging war over neighboring clans.
 
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I am not sure how you have not heard of this term yet. It has been used for quite a while now on everything from news stories to internet forums.

The usage has really ramped up in the last few months. Aka uses like "Central Park Karen".

Brad

I'm old Brad. I'm out the loop. Lol teens call me "Sir" now. It's depressing like finding grey hairs in my nose and hair growing out my ears lol

Keep me in the loop Brad! Thanks!
 
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This has been around for ages, you cant go on FB without seeing a "Karen"

Oh no I know this but they never had an official name till now or has "Karen" the term been around for ages too?
 
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