Karen: The anti-vaxxer soccer mom with speak-to-the-manager hair, explained: How the name “Karen” became an insult — and a meme.

Vox ^ | February 5, 2020 | Aja Romano

[C19fan]

If your name is Karen, Becky, or Chad, you may have noticed a growing trend of people using your name as an insult. Increasingly, “Karen” in particular has emerged as the frontrunner for the average “basic white person name” — a pejorative catchall label for a wide range of behaviors thought to have connections to white privilege. And the recently trending Twitter hashtag #AndThenKarenSnapped has further shifted the “Karen” meme from its nebulous origins toward becoming a mainstream trope.

Where a similar insult like “OK Boomer” stereotypes a specific generation, calling someone a “Karen” draws on associations people have built around extremely common names. But the stereotype the name conjures — at least in the US — is limited mainly to white women in their mid-30s or 40s. The archetypal “Karen” is blonde, has multiple young kids, and is usually an anti-vaxxer. Karen has a “can I speak to the manager” haircut and a controlling, superior attitude to go along with it:

[C19fan]

What would be a good insult name for a loud mouth triggered black woman? Or is that not permitted?

[steve8714]

Michelle comes to mind. Maxine, too. Rosa, not so much.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Sheila, but the Aussies already use that to refer to women generally.

[BenLurkin]

“Karen” describes the proto=typical pushy broad. Vox making it racial is just silly.

And what is a Becky or a Chad?

[farming pharmer]

Latrina....

[dfwgator]

[Robert DeLong]

So Aja Romano is admitting he is scared of strong women. I really don’t think their skin color is of much importance to him. Just strong women in general.

[FreedomPoster]

You’re not allowed to suggest such a stereotype might exist, let alone select a name.

[Principled]

No Karen.

It’s not that kind of party.

[C19fan]

Becky is supposedly based on the character Becky Sharpe from the novel “Vanity Fair”. It refers to a snobbish, social climbing white women.

[Red Badger]

Tiffany......................

[Cowboy Bob]

Where a similar insult like “OK Boomer” stereotypes a specific generation,

If you say "OK Boomer" to Norman Julius Esiason, would that be considered an insult?

BTW, "OK Boomer" is about the lamest excuse for an insult I've ever heard. It's like saying "OK Pops" - hardly fighting words

[BenLurkin]

You mean Aunt Esther was just a figment of our imagination?

[Gman]

Karen -started with the character of Karen Hill from Goodfellas.

[C19fan]

If some Millenial or Zer uses #OKBoomer on me that is worth a punch in the face as I am not a Boomer being born in 1968.

[BenLurkin]

What does white have to do with it — other than only white women read Vanity Fair

[FreedomPoster]

Aunt Ester was a peach compared to some of what I’ve seen out in the real world.

[DoodleBob]

Well done.

This is the second Karen that popped into my mind:

[Scrambler Bob]

Well, if your name is Bob, insulters like to add an extra ‘o’.

My life-long cross to bear.

But I am so glad my name is not Karen.