Your Use of “Karen” Is Racist
There is a disturbing racist trend that has perpetuated for some time now. It targets white women. Although not a minority or marginalized group per se – even though women as a class may beg to differ – almost anyone in this cultural moment can label white women as “Karens” when they act as stereotypically “white.” Many feel justified in dishing out this pejorative label when witnessing a middle-aged white woman act entitled or racist. But the label extends far beyond white women behaving badly. There is an entire subreddit dedicated to the hatred of “Karen” aptly named “Fuck You Karen.” Just for the hell of it. There are over 694,000 members.
Your use of “Karen” is racist. While there are many obnoxious middle-aged white women who suffer from bouts of privilege and racist tendencies, lobbing pejorative labels their way is hypocritical and demeaning to white women as a class. This is especially true when many of the people tossing around the label are self-proclaimed “Karen Experts” and ardent defenders of civil rights. Why not call certain behavior for what it is? Or certain people for who they are? Racist. Entitled. Privileged. Obnoxious. Xenophobic. Is it therapeutic to put white women in the “Karen” box when you witness one white woman behaving badly?
At a minimum it’s poor rhetoric. If all you can muster is an ad hominem argument targeted at an individual’s race and sex, you should reassess what you are trying to achieve. Let a person’s behavior stand for what it is. Amy Cooper showed the world her inner racist. Christian Cooper, the man on the receiving end, did not need to throw racist barbs right back.
That’s when I started video recording with my iPhone, and when her inner Karen fully emerged and took a dark turn…
– Christian Cooper
Similarly, @jaimetoons did not need to say, “That’s Karen and she’s calling the cops, and this is going to be really funny.” And then proceed to tweet about how “Karen” lies.
Social commentary pieces, many of which appear on Medium, drop Karen like it’s perfectly acceptable. Now don’t get me wrong though. White women in these recent cases have tried to weaponize their privilege. What they did was awful. It was racist. It is understandable that someone might have emotional outrage and a desire to dish back what was lodged at them – racial attacks. But why do they need to articulate the problem with unclean hands? What they accomplished with “Karen” could have equally been attained with “Racist White Woman.”
This is not about all those poor white women and girls currently named Karen. Even though it sucks for them right now. This is not about alienating allies. Even though it does. And it is not about rallying support from white women in the fight to dethrone Donald Trump. Even though they will be the difference makers come November.
This is about the Golden Rule – “treat others the way you want to be treated.” Last time I checked, black people do not appreciate racial slurs thrown in their direction. Asians don’t either. The ethnic list goes on. Why would white women be any different? Their privilege and the power structures may be different, but demeaning an entire class with a broad brush is a recipe for more hate, antagonism, and in the end, racism.
Nobody should be able to assign a racially charged ethnic label to anyone with impunity. If you think a white woman deserves the pejorative moniker, tell me why there is no other way to convey your message. “Karen” or another cliche white woman’s name is not a necessary condition to your ability to articulate America’s racism and entitlement problems. Some people may find it odd, but white women are worth protecting too.
Michelle Obama famously said, “When they go low, we go high.” Let the racist white woman’s behavior speak for itself. There is no need to detract from a message by injecting “Karen” into the conversation and castigating an entire class of women as racist or entitled in the process. Let the President keep the name-calling spotlight. For the best way to root out racism and self-entitled white people is not through monikers or labels. It is by highlighting the quality of their actions and the content of their characters.
2 Comments
Andi · July 8, 2020 at 11:58 pm
I am tired. Some are debating who can and who should not be able to use racial slurs. Nope. From now on, I say what I want, when I want. Too bad if someone gets annoyed, insulted, mad, indignant, outraged, pissed or pooped. I am generally kind, so it probably won’t happen. Well, not too often anyway. And mostly in my car, alone.
I was once called a “cracker” and cursed at by two black men sitting in a car blocking two handicapped spaces at a local bank. I needed one. I was polite because I thought it was just an over-sight as they waited for someone. Not a big deal to me but to them… I don’t know. Maybe they heard something other than me asking, “Would you mind pulling up a little so I can get into a handicap spot?” I was not afraid and never even thought of verbally retaliating or any type of retaliation. People are simply cranky sometimes. Maybe he had driven all day and right before I pulled up, had just declared, “I cannot drive even two more feet.”
That was awhile ago, but now, tomorrow, next week or year, if anyone calls me or any other woman, “Karen” – most definitely racist and meant as an insult – in front of me, I am going to say something. Don’t know what at this point, but I am not going to worry about calling someone out for a racist slur because I don’t want to traumatize them by having them remember maybe some of their ancestors were slaves. I finally realize I, also, can tell them about what my father and his family went through in Czechoslovakia some years ago. We have a story, too, and it matters. We all matter! We are all wonderfully imperfect.
John Smith · May 22, 2021 at 9:02 am
Karen is a racial slur, and it should not be used.
The word “Karen” was popularized by Black twitter to discriminate against White women who share their frustrations in public or get caught on video saying things which may be perceived as entitlement.
Women have real names, so use them.