CAREN Act To Stop Racially Motivated Police Calls Proposed By California Lawmaker

It's been going on for quite a while in USA. MawB. Not just with regard to racist behaviours. In fact the comedian who might have started it was referring to a woman that nobody liked in a group of friends.

There was also a few memes with regard to Permit Patti

This woman was filmed phoning police to inform them that an 8 year old girl was selling water outside her home.

I think it's just something that gets put out there and gains momentum online

I have a lovely friend called Karen I've known since school days.

She isn't quite as bothered about it as others seem to be

I agree with the feelings of anyone quoted in the article, that's their feelings on the subject. Not sure what else you want from me MawB

I don't agree it's acceptableto poke fun at the name at all but I cant stop it on my own. I will call it out if I see it but I will not do it in such a way that excuses the bad behaviour of the person being called it.

If I see it perhaps I will say, I agree this person is racist/entitled/prejudice/discriminatory but their name is not Karen

Good enough?

Thanks callistemon, there are a couple of comedians around at the moment who like to use women as their personal stomping boards, but he is not a name I have heard of.

Starblaze

We have laws in the UK associated with names that are a huge protection for everyone

I'm going to have to give up, I'm in the bath and I've got a curious kitten trying to sit on my chest

How do these laws afford any protection, let alone a huge protection for everyone?

Starblaze

Not saying I agree with the article, it just illustrates quite a few names this has happened to over the years or that are ongoing.

www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2018/01/karen-sharon-becky-and-chad-how-it-feels-when-your-name-becomes-meme

Well do you agree with the article content or not?
The point was made back on Friday regarding names such as Sharon and Tracey and nobody here would condone memes involving Essex girls, White Van Man or indeed any of these prejudices. “Felicia” is a new one to me I admit.
However, there seems to have been only some limited sympathy in some quarters for women with any of these names.

I still wonder about the cutting and pasting of so much detail of this “CAREN” act - when somebody draws attention to something there is usually an agenda- shock, horror or wink, wink smirking approval.
Eloethan has expressed sound common sense in her post yesterday at 20.28
^ What this couple and other people have done is despicable but why give this sort of behaviour a woman's name? I think it is cruel and misogynistic. Primarily, though, it turns the issue of racism into a sort of cartoon character (and a female one at that) and in so doing trivialises a very serious issue^
Not really anything more to be said, is there?

Oh, I see.

Chewbacca you already mentioned them, I just cannot remember currently if they are laws, acts or legislation

I have come to this thread late but I'd like to say that I have never met a Karen I didnt like!

I think I may have used law instead of act.

That's peaked my interest! Which "act" were you referring to?

I think it was someone called Dane Cook.

No, me neither!

It's just spiteful, not funny.

Do you know which comedian it was callistemon?

Not saying I agree with the article, it just illustrates quite a few names this has happened to over the years or that are ongoing.

www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2018/01/karen-sharon-becky-and-chad-how-it-feels-when-your-name-becomes-meme

I remember ‘Doris’ being a name used in a derogatory way towards women in the 70’s, usually implying lack of intelligence. Also being ‘an old Mary’ or an ‘old woman’ was/is used to refer to fussy men - I have never heard of anyone being described as an ‘old man’ in the same way.

Only the name Wally and possibly Herbert spring to mind as male alternatives, but they don’t seem to carry the same weight in terms of insult.

It's just not something that most reasonable people do but:

I know this guy called Steve that I have to put up with. Steve is a bully, he twists what people say or outright lies about it. He says nasty things and never apologises, just blames them like they deserve it. He thinks himself the most clever, most "right" person all the time.

Now when I meet other people like that, I don't call them "Steve's". Sometimes I do think "this person reminds me a lot of Steve, maybe I shouldn't take anything they say seriously".

The Internet seems to be very much a place where people's thoughts go, instead of being filtered before they get to their mouths like face to face conversation.

So we must find a way to have people not associate the name horrible people with the name Karen and just call them a horrible person.

If associating it with CAREN and a positive act is not the answer, what is?

Callistemon

I think it started with a comedian who labelled assertive women 'Karens'.
Women are supposed to know their place.

However, this nasty trend in America of false accusations by women against black men has been given the same label unfortunately.

He did refer to the male equivalent as Brian!

It was a comic sketch discussing a group of friends always having that one person who nobody really likes. I actually found it rather amusing but I'm not sure everyone would!

The Karen of today has morphed into something else

Unfortunately with the internet and social media these things take on a life of their own

Chewbacca

*MawB*, I think Starblaze is referring to the likes of:
Clare's Law; Clare Wood who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend
Sarah's Law; Sarah Payne, a child who was murdered by Roy Whiting

Of course, using the femail victim's names in this way is a positive act and demonstrates that the tragedy of their deaths has resulted in laws being passed, in their memory, that provides protection for other femails in the future.

Using "Karen" is pejorative, sexist and misogynistic and therefore not positive.

I see what you are saying Chewbacca and to me these laws commemorate individual women and are the antithesis of the use of “Karen” as a pejorative term.
Frankly, this thread has meandered all over the place with very few people, and probably not U.K. citizens, holding to the concept of a type of woman being a “Karen”.
We have skirted around misogyny, BLM, Right wing/Left wing politics and all round the houses without actually saying very much.
I still wonder what OP’s point was in starting the thread - criticism of US politics? admiration of the same? Stirring?
Who knows?

I do wish that I hadn’t decided to read this thread.
Must ring my daughter to apologise.

I think I may have used law instead of act. Thanks for clarifying.

I think it started with a comedian who labelled assertive women 'Karens'.
Women are supposed to know their place.

However, this nasty trend in America of false accusations by women against black men has been given the same label unfortunately.

The gender of the person isnt relevant really is it? The relevance is in the crime or whatever that has caused that persons name to be used.

What is the mystery "Karen" supposed to have happened to her to make her name relevant ? ?

Galaxy

It's hardly ever a mams name, it's always a womans.

In some countries it is a male name.

The use of a name is not negative per se , only when it is applied to a random group on no basis whatsoever other than trying to lump them together as a meaningless homogenous mass.

MawB, I think Starblaze is referring to the likes of:
Clare's Law; Clare Wood who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend
Sarah's Law; Sarah Payne, a child who was murdered by Roy Whiting

Of course, using the femail victim's names in this way is a positive act and demonstrates that the tragedy of their deaths has resulted in laws being passed, in their memory, that provides protection for other femails in the future.

Using "Karen" is pejorative, sexist and misogynistic and therefore not positive.

Starblaze

We have laws in the UK associated with names that are a huge protection for everyone

I'm going to have to give up, I'm in the bath and I've got a curious kitten trying to sit on my chest

Do we really?

What laws?

What names?

We have laws in the UK associated with names that are a huge protection for everyone

I'm going to have to give up, I'm in the bath and I've got a curious kitten trying to sit on my chest