10 décembre 2022
What Is the Definition of the Meme Karen
Posted by under: Non classé .
The term has been described as sexist, age-dependent, classist and misogynistic. Hadley Freeman, columnist and editor for The Guardian,[33] argues that using the meme is less about describing the behavior and more about controlling it and « telling women to shut up. » [34] Jennifer Weiner, who wrote in The New York Times during the COVID-19 pandemic, said the meme managed to silence her, saying she felt like complaining about a man nearby coughing outside, haggling on the sidewalk and spitting, afraid of being called Karen. must be reconciled. [35] In August 2020, Helen Lewis wrote in The Atlantic: « Karen has become synonymous with woman among those who view women as an insult. There is now a market, measured by attention and approval, for anyone who can sniff out a Karen. [3] Lewis also noted what she called the « finger trap » of the term: « What more is Karen than complaining about being called `Karen`? There is a strong incentive to be cool when other women become Karened so you are not Karened yourself. [3] Alexander`s video is one of countless other videos, images and memes that have surfaced in recent months of « Karens, » a colloquial term for middle-aged white women (which seems to stem from the popular meme « Can I talk to a manager? ») who are notorious online for their brazen claims. Privilege and racism – and their tendency to call the police if they don`t get what they want. « My personality is not like memes at all, » the University of Vermont medical student told the Post. The Karen meme, which has become so ubiquitous that it has been used as a Halloween costume, has surfaced in recent years to describe white women who were perceived as legitimate in public.
The extreme relevance of the Karen meme is currently important, as the meme has been circulating online for some time. Although the Karen meme seems to have existed on Reddit since at least 2017, according to Adam Downer, co-editor of Know Your Meme, the current iteration of the meme takes on a new meaning that addresses the real-life consequences of what started as an internet joke about bad haircuts and claims. In 2020, Karen spread as a label that denounced white women captured in viral videos engaging in racist acts. « Memes have a power that goes beyond humor, » Brock says. « We often use metaphors, which are often at the center of memes, emotions, or affects, to shorten things that affect us deeply. It`s often funny; Often it`s cathartic; And sometimes it`s racist. I`m trying to push back on the idea that memes are a frivolous way of articulating a particular phenomenon because in many ways it`s a much stronger shortcut than trying to explain to you exactly how people react to a particular situation. Social media is a platform for communicating feelings and the stronger the feeling, the more viral things become.
The Cooper incident and Floyd`s death followed a few months of Karen memes and videos that were already trending thanks to new restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. The clips documented the many encounters people had with white women who openly flouted COVID-19 health and safety measures such as wearing masks or social distancing. The 23-year-old has a good sense of humor when it comes to the unflattering meme. « After it gained popularity, I joked about it » – but it may not be far from the gag. Bindel`s comparison of the « Karen » meme to how « Sharon » and « Tracy » — character names from the sitcom Birds of a Feather — were used to reject working-class young women in 1980s Britain suggests that the meme could be interpreted differently on both sides of the Atlantic. for a certain kind of racist violence that white women have instigated for centuries – after a long and disturbing legacy of white women in the country using victim status as a weapon. [40] The Guardian notes that « the image of a white woman invoking blacks by police belies the myth of racial innocence. » [5] Apryl Williams of the University of Michigan called it a « black militant meme » and said it was ultimately useful in helping people recognize problematic behaviors, but warned that the jokes downplayed the threat to black people. [40] On the other hand, Karen Attiah, editor of Global Opinions of the Washington Post, argues that she does not have the historical context to be a denigration, and that the designation as such trivializes actual discrimination. [41] British journalist and feminist Julie Bindel asked, « Does anyone else believe that the insult `Karen` is misogynistic and based on class prejudice? » [1] [36] Freeman responded, saying it was « sexist, age-related and classist, in that order. » Kaitlyn Tiffany asked in The Atlantic, « Is a Karen just a woman doing something that annoys people? If so, what is the male equivalent? He said the meme was called misogynistic. [8] Nina Burleigh wrote that memes are « just excuses to scorn middle-aged white women. »[37] Matt Schimkowitz, editor-in-chief of Know Your Meme, told Business Insider in 2019 that the term « has simply embraced all forms of criticism of white women online » and has gained popularity due to the fact that this demographic is considered eligible. [12] The Urban Dictionary definition of « Karen » was first published in March 2018.
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