A thread about not using “Karen” which was about calling managers and entitlement for acts that are violent, criminal and terrorizing -not to “protect” white women - but to avoid minimizing their terrorism and threat. https://twitter.com/stevie_mat/status/1278533721793064961

Inside the thread you’ll see folk saying the manager thing is equivalent threat.

But “Karen” as a generic term vs BBQ Becky or Permit Patty was specifically about the threat of white women weaponizing police calls. It shows the whiteness of the women plus innocence of victims.

Also I don’t know why all the cultural critics are out here pretending like Karen didn’t become generic & mainstream because of the SNL skit where T’challa talks about Karen putting raisins in uninvited potato salad 2 years ago.

I’m never going to be the one to tell folk slang or language stays static. “Karen” can shift.

It’s always uncomfortable 4 me when a 1st name becomes a meme or a negative term without a modifier as I usually encounter it more from white men using it to be racist or sexist though

Of course that might just be a side effect of being more exposed to racist & sexist white men than almost any other “group nicknaming” folk. it’s just I really think “Karen” used for criminal acts is a form of helping infantilizing terroristic criminals so they get off easy.

In any case - if you are not black it’s not your place or mine to get involved in any conversation between black people navigating how to label threats - but if you are a white/pale skinned person appropriating this conversation be aware your use of “Karen” can undermine severity