I Think I Have To Change My Name
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This whole “Karen” thing has just gone too far. Why did they have to pick my name to represent the most obnoxious white woman in the world.
It was my son Jack who first broke the news.
“Mom, you’re not going to like this – but your name has become associated with all angry, racist white woman who refuses to wear a mask and seea no racial inequities in our county.”
“You’re kidding,” I responded. “Is that a thing?”
“Yes, it really is.”
“Why does it have to be my name?”
He had no response.
Then my brother, Louis sent me this article in the Seattle Times about the Karen phenomena, noting that the male equivalent is now being referred to as Ken, which is our younger brother’s name. Guess our parents really knew how to pick ‘em.
Being the clueless, middle-aged, white woman that I am, I decided to look this up on Wikipedia. I learned that Karen’s defining characteristics are “entitlement, selfishness, a desire to complain” and that a Karen “demands the world exist according to her standards with little regard for others, and she is willing to risk or demean others to achieve her ends.” If you are a Karen, it seems that one of your favorite phrases is “I want to speak with the manager.” Oh, and she is also against vaccinations and has a bob haircut with blond highlights.
The article sent by my brother cites “one of the all-time Kareniest Karens” – Amy Cooper – the dog-owning, white woman who called the cops on Christian Cooper, the birdwatching man in Central Park.
Great – Amy Cooper is now associated with my name.
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The Atlantic recently had an article with comprehensive history of the Karen meme, titled: “How Karen became a Coronavirus Villain.”
“Amid the coronavirus pandemic,” the article explains, “’Karen’ has been adopted as a shorthand to call out a vocal minority of middle-aged white women who are opposed to social distancing, out of either ignorance or ruthless self-interest. It’s the latest evolution of a long-standing meme. In The New York Times last year, the writer Sarah Miller described Karens as “the policewomen of all human behavior,” using the example of a suburban white woman who calls the cops on kids’ pool parties. Karens have been mocked for being anti-vaccine and pro– “Can I speak to your manager?” They’re obsessed with banal consumer trends and their personal appearance, and typically criminally misguided, usually loudly and with extreme confidence.”
There is an Instagram account called “karensgoingwild.” It has videos of white woman doing and saying horrible things. For example one white woman spent her afternoon covering a Black Lives Matter graffiti in the road with black paint. It has so many horrible videos on the site. I couldn’t believe it.
While I get that these behaviors are horrific and obnoxious, why does it have to be my name? I had no say in my name – it was my parents choosing. Do I now have any way to stand up to this societal dissing of my name? I think that it may have gone too deep into the American media and psyche and I don’t see a way to unwind it.
I think I just have to change my name.
What’s better, Anna or Ethel?
