New Horizons in Hate

[supergee]

K*r*n

Comments

[calimac]

What makes this even stranger is that none of the so-called "Karens" I've read about in the news are actually named Karen. There's an Alison, Teresa, Hilary, Amy, Lisa, Patricia ... but no Karen.

[weofodthignen]

Months after this started, I saw someone point out what we are apparently supposed to know: it's named for a hairstyle (one of those short, helmet-like ones) that somebody associated with "soccer moms" or something. Looking for images, I found this.

[arlie]

My (sarcastic) theory is that the name was chosen out of a very specific hatred of the Karen people of Myanmar and environs. They may be a third world tribal people, perhaps even indigenous, but since they aren't African, American or Australian they don't count in the minds of the average western wannabee world saver. Insulting them by using their name as a slur is perfectly OK, unlike the horror of insulting some random person one doesn't know by calling that person "them" rather than checking their pronoun preference.

[arlie]

Hmm, I've now read the linked article. All I can say is, for some % of "normal" people, particularly the ones proud of their "soft skills", displaying their own dominance by hurting others, emotionally or even physically, is the most fun activity they can find.

[minoanmiss]

"Karen", like "White eomen's tears", started as a term to describe a kind of (often racial or classist) abuse inflicted by White women using a combination of their racial privilege and their gender privilege. Both were then quickly picked up by bad actors and turned into terms of misogynistic abuse. And the original problems never got solved either.

[bibliofile]

Yes, the classic lose-lose scenario. Bleah.