Karen is my Name

I really wouldn't do this.
It will be over soon anyway and someone else with a different name will suffer.

I don't understand the empathy generator to be honest.

lemongrove

Hello Oriel and I do know a Karen who has changed her name for those reasons....she is a teacher and got a lot of stick!

Tell her she is not alone!

It would be interesting to learn how many women have actually changed their name or are thinking about doing so. I imagine there will be quite a few.

Thanks for explaining Oriel, being born in the 60’s quite a few of my friends have been called Karen ( two were black funnily enough ) but it’s no more common than other names of that era, ( Michele, Ann, Joanne, Caroline etc ) so it’s a all bit strange.
I’m horrified that it’s being used as an insult towards white women, because as the article says, imagine a name insult towards any other group.

I looked up my own name - Shelley, and it has very similar connotations. I would never change it though, it’s my name and it’s me, a million times different to the kind of women it’s associated with. If I was called Karen I would simply say, I am not A Karen, I AM Karen, and my version is very different to the stereotype.

NotSpaghetti

I really wouldn't do this.
It will be over soon anyway and someone else with a different name will suffer.

I don't understand the empathy generator to be honest.

There's no sign of it being over unfortunately. It's been gathering strength since 2011.

I'm not sure if you mean you don't know how to use the generator or if you don't see the point of it. I'll try to explain below...

The point of it is that it brings home how someone would feel if it were their name being abused.

To use it enter your own name in the box above the bright blue band. Once you've done this the name Karen is substituted by your own name on all the illustrations of the current use of Karen. So, for instance a 'Karen starter pack' is mentioned on the first page, if your name was Ruth the "Karen Starter Pack' would become the 'Ruth Starter Pack'. and so on

FannyCornforth

Thank you Oriel

Like many people, I’m fascinated by names.
I started a thread on here called something like ‘What name would you chose for yourself?’
How did you go about choosing your new name?

I wanted to keep the same initials so I chose the name Katherine. I believe that Karen is a derivative of that name so it seemed right. My friends now call me Kat.

Oriel I just meant I didn't see the point of it as the things it offered for my name were absurd anyway.
They had no impact on me I'm afraid.

I know three Karen’s, and none of them have the slightest concern, in fact they all see the funny side.
It will likely be a five minute wonder anyway.

Never heard of it being used in a derogatory fashion.
My sisters name was Karen and i my Dil`s mother is called Karen.
I certainly wouldn`t change my name because of it.

It’s easy to say you wouldn’t change your name ( from Karen)
If you are retired or work somewhere where you don’t get a hard time because of this.
The Karen I knew ( now has a new name) being a teacher got unrelenting jibes about it from teenagers in class and even a couple of members of staff. She looked for a new teaching job and changed her name and is much happier as a result.
It’s awful, and is maybe a short lived thing ( you have to hope)
But meanwhile, many Karens are having a bad time.

Sara1954

I know three Karen’s, and none of them have the slightest concern, in fact they all see the funny side.
It will likely be a five minute wonder anyway.

It isn’t a five minute wonder - I wish that it were. It’s been going on for 10 years already and is growing.

Do you know why your friends see it as funny? What is it that they find amusing?

I can’t find anything remotely humorous in it at all… and I do have a lively sense of humour. It seems strange that anyone should feel remotely OK about being insulted.

It’s a USA term that was meant to insult woman who were considered ( another horrible term) trailer trash or racist or homophobic or anti abortion etc etc and some of the women so nick named were truly awful, awful shouty loud common women, unfortunately as it’s travelled the ocean it’s meaning has been interpreted to cover a more general disliked woman

I don’t think I d change my name but I can certainly see why someone would if they were getting stick I only know one Karen and she seems fine I guess it depends what circles you walk in

Kandingski it wasn’t black calling white ‘Karen’ it was a group of white women who were very vocal racists and homophobes ( probably trump fans or similar ) who got called Karens they happened to be white racists so then it moved to any woman who was mouthy/ racist/ homephobic and then on to anyone who was in the age group and had strong opinions and probably not that classy if you see what I mean
It’s the original ‘karen’s’ who were racist

Oriel
Strangely enough, that’s exactly what they said about my name on your link ?

None of the Karen’s I have known have been nasty, the nasty people I know all have different names, glad I wasn’t named Sharon, plenty of dumb blonde jokes there.

On a slightly different angle, I read that girls called Alexa are being bullied at school and having to change their name. How awful for them.

I heard of this for the first time recently on Mumsnet, someone posted about a situation and said 'am I being a Karen'. Everyone bit her head off and said her post was offensive.

I've just had an ebay enquiry from someone called Sharon, she definitely isn't dumb.

@BlueBelle

It wasn’t black calling white ‘Karen’ it was a group of white women who were very vocal racists and homophobes ( probably trump fans or similar ) who got called Karens they happened to be white racists so then it moved to any woman

Why call them Karen though? Why not call them racists?

Oriel
I guess they just don’t let it bother them, as others have said, other names have been used in similar ways, and I can only speak for the Karen’s I know, but they honestly don’t care, I’m amazed that so many Karen’s seem to.

The only Karens I know are nothing like that!!

There is even a particular hairstyle that women are being advised to avoid having because "it makes you look like a Karen". It's a horrible, derogatory, sexist trope that's used to silence and diminish middle aged white women.

Chewbacca
Yes, it’s an asymmetrical bob which is long at the front with lots of highlights.
It’s actually called a ‘Can I speak to the manager’ haircut

Oriel I can’t answer that, why are Kevin’s dumb, Tim’s are dim, Sharon’s are daft and over Essexy, Hyacinths are snobs
I ve no idea perhaps the very first woman caught on camera shouting racist comments happened to have the name I ve no idea !!!
Maybe a US poster can help us on that one

It’s another form of misogyny and ageism as Karen is a name that is quite common in ladies aged 50+. As we get older, we are supposed to be devoid of opinions and completely lacking in self-assertion according to some. The only Karens I have known have been lovely ladies. I believe it started in the USA. It will pass as all these things do but it is very unfair on ladies who have this perfectly normal, nice name.

I was shocked when i first heard this especially as all the Karens i have ever met are lovely. It's a lovely name. Horrible misogynism used by women too. It is a vile way of being horrible toward older women. I totally understand how you feel Oriel. Sorry you felt the need to change your name.
I hope you aren't one of the lovely Karens i was at school with especially one who had the biggest smile ever. It's nasty.

We have two Karen’s in our extended family, and neither take a blind bit of notice,