Dr. Mike Tracy

If you spend any time on the internet and social media, the odds are good you have run into someone calling another person a “Karen.” You might even have wondered what a Karen is. Well, calling someone a Karen is not a compliment. The best guess is that the term originated from a 2005 comedy sketch by comedian Dane Cook. According to Dictionary.com, a Karen has come to mean “an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people’s behaviors.” 

In other words, referring to someone as a “Karen” is an example of name-calling, something which has become so common in our society that we often don’t even stop to think about what it is and what it may be doing to others. In our hearts, we all know that name-calling is not okay, even if somebody else started it. Parents and schoolteachers discourage children from insulting name-calling, starting at an early age. Unfortunately, the temptation to name-call usually persists into adulthood. The current political climate in the United States is vivid proof of this. 

Wikipedia defines name-calling as “a form of argument in which insulting labels are directed at an individual or group.” One researcher calls name-calling “the lowest and most common form of disagreement.” It is also a basic technique of propaganda.

Another issue that complicates name-calling is substitutionary cussing. This is the tendency to use camouflaged words to say what is in our heart with words that have less social or punitive consequences. For example, a person might say, “I am so mad at my freaking boss…” The issue isn’t that the boss is “freaking” (whatever that means), but it allows the substitution of a word with many of the same letters that might otherwise result in punishment, especially for children. The substitution of a close sound-alike word that will have the same effect without landing us in hot water is an old practice which is perhaps more visible with the soundbites and memes of social media. Our heart attitude is the same, regardless of which “f” word passes our lips in anger. 

And this brings us back to “Karen.” A person whose name is not Karen may be referred to as a “Karen,” which is a substitute for “white b—ch.” Cool posts on social media are accompanied by catchy hashtags to reproduce the cycle and spread the message, whether it is a message of encouragement or of hate. One hashtag with multiple variations is “#karen,” which on social media will lead one to what has become a culturally acceptable stereotype of race and gender. Hashtag hate allows us to participate in the ultimate combination of name-calling and substitutionary cussing, which is often positively reinforced by social media and our broader society. Bad words and stereotypes spread more quickly when attached to a clever hashtag.

Is it racist or misogynistic to call someone “a Karen” when what is meant is “white entitled woman?” Could it somehow offend people if men are labelled as “male Karens?” I will let others debate these points of the rippling effects of offensive stereotyping. If anyone displays racist and/or entitled behavior, it should be called out, but not by mislabeling them with a common first name. There is both danger and discourtesy in mislabeling people, so it would be best to not call someone a “Karen” unless that is their name.

Parents generally give great thought and anticipation when naming children. First names are usually assigned by parents, and children usually grow up being referred to by their first name. Names often have a deeper meaning. For example, Karen means “pure.” Lots of people with multiple ethnicities across the world share the name. It is reported that there are over a million people named Karen worldwide. In addition, residents of a particular area of Myanmar are referred to as “Karen” people. There are currently over 200,000 Karen American refugees in the United States.

My fifth-grade teacher punished me for name-calling, and she nailed it: Mrs. Kamatos told me that “sticks and stones may break bones, and name-calling can hurt others too.” It’s best not to name-call. The use of descriptive terms to point out specific concerning behavior — instead of disguising concerns with more socially acceptable euphemisms and hateful stereotypes — is a more civil and effective form of communication. Not all women named Karen are white women abusing privilege, and not all such women are named Karen. In addition, we have a community of immigrants referred to as “Karen Americans” as a reference to their place of origin. Don’t name-call and catch all women named Karen and Karen Americans in the crossfire.

Let’s give Karen her name back.

(Mike Tracy has practiced medicine in Powell for nearly 20 years and currently serves the community through 307Health. He and his wife, Karrie, have three grown children. He enjoys the community greatly and is concerned about changes in the civility of communication during the digital age.)