The Karen meme silences White women

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karens going ham in this thread

+1

For real! I’m a middle aged white woman who isn’t offended at all. But I also have the critical thinking ability to realize that not all middle aged white women are, “Karens” - in fact, plenty are not. It’s only the ones that act that way. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Stop calling the police/ manager/ boss for stupid, inconsequential bs “issues” and you’ll cease to be acting like a Karen. Try to use sound, judgment that isn’t based in conscious or unconscious biases while you’re at it. For example, if someone is robbing me, it’s ok to call the cops. If I see a black man jogging in my neighborhood, it’s not. Honestly, this shouldn’t be so hard.

In a local moms group someone just made a post complaining about people not wearing masks in a store in VA, and someone in the comments called her a Karen for complaining. As a rule of thumb, I generally think making complaining posts on social media is not a good look / annoying, but the term Karen is being used far and wide for many different reasons at this point. It’s really any complaining woman at this point - and I don’t think we can say NO complaints are ever valid. Therefore, I still the term is detrimental to all women.

[Anonymous]

I am team-OP. Our hospital’s ICU is full. Full. Shops need to follow the law to protect health workers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karens going ham in this thread

+1

For real! I’m a middle aged white woman who isn’t offended at all. But I also have the critical thinking ability to realize that not all middle aged white women are, “Karens” - in fact, plenty are not. It’s only the ones that act that way. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Stop calling the police/ manager/ boss for stupid, inconsequential bs “issues” and you’ll cease to be acting like a Karen. Try to use sound, judgment that isn’t based in conscious or unconscious biases while you’re at it. For example, if someone is robbing me, it’s ok to call the cops. If I see a black man jogging in my neighborhood, it’s not. Honestly, this shouldn’t be so hard.

In a local moms group someone just made a post complaining about people not wearing masks in a store in VA, and someone in the comments called her a Karen for complaining. As a rule of thumb, I generally think making complaining posts on social media is not a good look / annoying, but the term Karen is being used far and wide for many different reasons at this point. It’s really any complaining woman at this point - and I don’t think we can say NO complaints are ever valid. Therefore, I still the term is detrimental to all women.

+100. The term “Karen” is used far more widely than pp is willing to admit. It’s basically any woman who doesn’t meekly accept the status quo. The hysterical response to OP shows that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karens going ham in this thread

+1

For real! I’m a middle aged white woman who isn’t offended at all. But I also have the critical thinking ability to realize that not all middle aged white women are, “Karens” - in fact, plenty are not. It’s only the ones that act that way. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Stop calling the police/ manager/ boss for stupid, inconsequential bs “issues” and you’ll cease to be acting like a Karen. Try to use sound, judgment that isn’t based in conscious or unconscious biases while you’re at it. For example, if someone is robbing me, it’s ok to call the cops. If I see a black man jogging in my neighborhood, it’s not. Honestly, this shouldn’t be so hard.

It’s only difficult for Karens, people that don’t want their entitlement or prejudice called out. Glad you aren’t one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karens going ham in this thread

+1

For real! I’m a middle aged white woman who isn’t offended at all. But I also have the critical thinking ability to realize that not all middle aged white women are, “Karens” - in fact, plenty are not. It’s only the ones that act that way. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Stop calling the police/ manager/ boss for stupid, inconsequential bs “issues” and you’ll cease to be acting like a Karen. Try to use sound, judgment that isn’t based in conscious or unconscious biases while you’re at it. For example, if someone is robbing me, it’s ok to call the cops. If I see a black man jogging in my neighborhood, it’s not. Honestly, this shouldn’t be so hard.

It’s only difficult for Karens, people that don’t want their entitlement or prejudice called out. Glad you aren’t one of them.

You can only wish the real annoying ones had so much self awareness. You’re deluding yourself if you think they care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I think a lot of think you all need to be offended. It's the only thing that will shake you from your comfort and complacency. I think for a lot of you this is the very first time you've experienced this kind of discomfort, and it's why you're losing it. My hope is that the result of feeling this discomfort is greater empathy for those who have no choice but to live in the same discomfort you feel right now, every day of their lives, facing much harsher consequences than being called Karen. You have no real clue what actually being silenced feels like, but if this gets you closer to understanding, it's worth it.

You need to stop imagining you think other people are thinking and feeling. I'm the only woman in my office. I was the only woman in my grad school department. (I work in a male-dominated field, obviously.) I've had plenty of chances to be offended, including fighting off grabby guys.

Do you seriously think calling people "Karen" will spark empathy? Is that why you've been here for 38 pages insisting that "Karen" is a good term for all middle-aged women? You need to rethink this. Sparking empathy is rarely done through confrontation. You're never going to set middle-aged white women back on their heels to the extent other groups have lived for decades. You're just going to piss them off and they won't even make the link to institutionalized racism. This is stupid.

I haven't been here for 38 pages, but please, continue telling me what I need to do.

By all means, keep insulting people as a way of getting them to understand you. Just don't be surprised when you fail.

Or, you can listen, as you'd like to be listened to. And you can stop lecturing strangers about how they've never experienced discomfort. I doubt many white women (except those who've been abused) have experienced discomfort the way minorities in this country have for generations. But to argue that you calling them "Karen" is the "first time" they've experienced ANY discomfort is presumptuous and deluded.

But I don't expect you to pay any attention. You want to insult white women by calling them Karens. OK, you do you.

Do. Not all white women. Just the ones who act like Karen. If you don’t act like Karen then it isn’t an insult.

But pp is saying that calling all middle-aged white women Karens is her way (realistic or not) of getting them to empathize with minorities. And others are saying you're wrong, that all middle-aged white women who try to fix something are Karens.

I didn't say that, but you're hearing what you want to hear. I can't help you.

We can read your post at the top. You said exactly that. It's in bold for you.

Many of us marched this weekend. I did, with my kids. Racism is the big issue facing this country, not middle-aged white women.

Nevertheless, your idea that insulting a different group to get them to "feel empathy" after supposedly being threatened for "the very first time in their lives" is narcissistic, ignorant, and toxic. It's also doomed to fail, because nobody who's been insulted ever feels empathy for the person who did the insulting. You want middle-aged white women on your side, voting with you for defunding police and ousting Trump; you don't want to drive them away with some poorly thought-out idea that insulting them will make them want to understand you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karens going ham in this thread

+1

For real! I’m a middle aged white woman who isn’t offended at all. But I also have the critical thinking ability to realize that not all middle aged white women are, “Karens” - in fact, plenty are not. It’s only the ones that act that way. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Stop calling the police/ manager/ boss for stupid, inconsequential bs “issues” and you’ll cease to be acting like a Karen. Try to use sound, judgment that isn’t based in conscious or unconscious biases while you’re at it. For example, if someone is robbing me, it’s ok to call the cops. If I see a black man jogging in my neighborhood, it’s not. Honestly, this shouldn’t be so hard.

It’s only difficult for Karens, people that don’t want their entitlement or prejudice called out. Glad you aren’t one of them.

I marched this weekend and I think pp is a conservative who doesn't give a rat's a$$ about BLM OR women's rights. This is no different from calling an assertive woman a beatch.

Top pp knows very well there's no bright line. She's pretending not to notice that half this thread is about calling out any woman who asserts herself, not just the women who are being jerks about inconsequential issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I think a lot of think you all need to be offended. It's the only thing that will shake you from your comfort and complacency. I think for a lot of you this is the very first time you've experienced this kind of discomfort, and it's why you're losing it. My hope is that the result of feeling this discomfort is greater empathy for those who have no choice but to live in the same discomfort you feel right now, every day of their lives, facing much harsher consequences than being called Karen. You have no real clue what actually being silenced feels like, but if this gets you closer to understanding, it's worth it.

You need to stop imagining you think other people are thinking and feeling. I'm the only woman in my office. I was the only woman in my grad school department. (I work in a male-dominated field, obviously.) I've had plenty of chances to be offended, including fighting off grabby guys.

Do you seriously think calling people "Karen" will spark empathy? Is that why you've been here for 38 pages insisting that "Karen" is a good term for all middle-aged women? You need to rethink this. Sparking empathy is rarely done through confrontation. You're never going to set middle-aged white women back on their heels to the extent other groups have lived for decades. You're just going to piss them off and they won't even make the link to institutionalized racism. This is stupid.

I haven't been here for 38 pages, but please, continue telling me what I need to do.

By all means, keep insulting people as a way of getting them to understand you. Just don't be surprised when you fail.

Or, you can listen, as you'd like to be listened to. And you can stop lecturing strangers about how they've never experienced discomfort. I doubt many white women (except those who've been abused) have experienced discomfort the way minorities in this country have for generations. But to argue that you calling them "Karen" is the "first time" they've experienced ANY discomfort is presumptuous and deluded.

But I don't expect you to pay any attention. You want to insult white women by calling them Karens. OK, you do you.

Do. Not all white women. Just the ones who act like Karen. If you don’t act like Karen then it isn’t an insult.

But pp is saying that calling all middle-aged white women Karens is her way (realistic or not) of getting them to empathize with minorities. And others are saying you're wrong, that all middle-aged white women who try to fix something are Karens.

I didn't say that, but you're hearing what you want to hear. I can't help you.

We can read your post at the top. You said exactly that. It's in bold for you.

Many of us marched this weekend. I did, with my kids. Racism is the big issue facing this country, not middle-aged white women.

Nevertheless, your idea that insulting a different group to get them to "feel empathy" after supposedly being threatened for "the very first time in their lives" is narcissistic, ignorant, and toxic. It's also doomed to fail, because nobody who's been insulted ever feels empathy for the person who did the insulting. You want middle-aged white women on your side, voting with you for defunding police and ousting Trump; you don't want to drive them away with some poorly thought-out idea that insulting them will make them want to understand you.

I am a white middle aged woman and this thread has given me a tremendous amount of empathy for black women who have to explain the same concept over and over and over again to white women who refuse to stop foregrounding their own feelings. Is it really that hard to understand that the whole Karen meme can be a lesson in empathy for people about judging and mischaracterizing people by the actions, real or imagined, of their entire gender or race? The point is, now some people who have never experienced it know first hand it doesn't feel good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a white middle aged woman. Due to the Karen meme I feel like I lost my voice. When there is an injustice, I will hesitate to speak up. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly a subset of entitled middle aged white women, however, there are other non entitled white women as well who now feel silenced after fighting to find our voice.

I can understand what you are saying. I am Indian-American and I am accused of standing by and not contributing, or being a tiger mom, or taking the jobs from people or getting my kids prepped. People see what they see and they react to whatever they want to react to. A lot of stereotypes are being broken now (Rahul Dubey opening his home to shelter protestors being one), and I expect people to react to what I am doing in front of them rather than what they think about me. I also stay away from social media because it is very hard to convey nuances in a tweet or a comment. Don't feel silenced but be very mindful of what you say. The correct words matter but the correct actions matter even more. So speak with your actions.

What a very thoughtful response. Hopefully others will read it and take it to heart.

I want things to change in this country and world. Tearing down each other is not going to help us. BLM needs to thrive and it needs everyone's help. It is not nice to tear down anyone. Yes, call out those who are oppressing people who are following the law and doing the right things. But we also need to call out those who are breaking the law and doing wrong things. I think we all need to speak up firmly and politely when we see injustice being committed. No one should feel muzzled.

[Anonymous]

"Karen" bugs the sh*t out of me, as does a lot of Twitter nonsense, but at this particular junction in history, if you are choosing to complain about the Karen meme ... you may well be a Karen.

[Anonymous]

As a middle aged white woman, I find the Karen meme hilarious. Some of us are intolerant, entitled, and utterly un-self aware. It’s an excellent thumb in the nose to that archetype. There are legitimate times to stand up for yourself or ask for assistance; and if you’ve been called a Karen, that was likely not one of them. Also it’s always fun to imagine the hairdo.

[Anonymous]

Just ignore it. Who cares! If you’re worried about being compared to a meme, re-examine your self-esteem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a white middle aged woman. Due to the Karen meme I feel like I lost my voice. When there is an injustice, I will hesitate to speak up. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly a subset of entitled middle aged white women, however, there are other non entitled white women as well who now feel silenced after fighting to find our voice.

I can understand what you are saying. I am Indian-American and I am accused of standing by and not contributing, or being a tiger mom, or taking the jobs from people or getting my kids prepped. People see what they see and they react to whatever they want to react to. A lot of stereotypes are being broken now (Rahul Dubey opening his home to shelter protestors being one), and I expect people to react to what I am doing in front of them rather than what they think about me. I also stay away from social media because it is very hard to convey nuances in a tweet or a comment. Don't feel silenced but be very mindful of what you say. The correct words matter but the correct actions matter even more. So speak with your actions.

What a very thoughtful response. Hopefully others will read it and take it to heart.

I want things to change in this country and world. Tearing down each other is not going to help us. BLM needs to thrive and it needs everyone's help. It is not nice to tear down anyone. Yes, call out those who are oppressing people who are following the law and doing the right things. But we also need to call out those who are breaking the law and doing wrong things. I think we all need to speak up firmly and politely when we see injustice being committed. No one should feel muzzled.

+2 or 3. Creating new stereotypes is not the solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karens going ham in this thread

+1

For real! I’m a middle aged white woman who isn’t offended at all. But I also have the critical thinking ability to realize that not all middle aged white women are, “Karens” - in fact, plenty are not. It’s only the ones that act that way. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Stop calling the police/ manager/ boss for stupid, inconsequential bs “issues” and you’ll cease to be acting like a Karen. Try to use sound, judgment that isn’t based in conscious or unconscious biases while you’re at it. For example, if someone is robbing me, it’s ok to call the cops. If I see a black man jogging in my neighborhood, it’s not. Honestly, this shouldn’t be so hard.

It’s only difficult for Karens, people that don’t want their entitlement or prejudice called out. Glad you aren’t one of them.

You can only wish the real annoying ones had so much self awareness. You’re deluding yourself if you think they care.

They are all over this thread caring and whining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karens going ham in this thread

+1

For real! I’m a middle aged white woman who isn’t offended at all. But I also have the critical thinking ability to realize that not all middle aged white women are, “Karens” - in fact, plenty are not. It’s only the ones that act that way. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Stop calling the police/ manager/ boss for stupid, inconsequential bs “issues” and you’ll cease to be acting like a Karen. Try to use sound, judgment that isn’t based in conscious or unconscious biases while you’re at it. For example, if someone is robbing me, it’s ok to call the cops. If I see a black man jogging in my neighborhood, it’s not. Honestly, this shouldn’t be so hard.

It’s only difficult for Karens, people that don’t want their entitlement or prejudice called out. Glad you aren’t one of them.

You can only wish the real annoying ones had so much self awareness. You’re deluding yourself if you think they care.

They are all over this thread caring and whining.

You’re all over this thread pretending it’s not broadly applied to any woman who dares to express an opinion. According to you, even pp’s who disagree with you about the scope are Karens.