Years ago, a neighbor put up a road sign:
“Slow Down, Karen!”
And I thought…Karen who?
Later I learned “Karen” was the new putdown for an intolerable woman.
(In this case, one who drove intolerably fast!)
I tried to imagine how I’d feel if my name became shorthand for someone characterized as entitled, obnoxious, or uncaring.
I pondered: Is there a male version of a Karen?
Yes! We just call him a “Male Karen.”
That’s seriously disturbing.
Why not a Fred? A Tom? A Jeff?
Why does this insult only stick when it’s tied to a woman’s name?
And that tells us something.
Language is power.
Language shapes culture.
We get to choose the words we use and the patterns we keep.
So here’s a simple shift.
Instead of “Karen,” why not say what you really mean?
- Aggressive
- Entitled
- Obnoxious
- Racist
- Unreasonable
There are a million words in the English language!
Do we need to turn someone’s name into an insult?
Let’s stop taking a person’s name in vain.
Let’s give parents the joy of naming a child without fear it’ll become a meme.
On a broader level, this kind of naming sends another message:
That women’s voices don’t matter.
That we should be quiet and ‘behave.’
Let’s give women the same linguistic dignity we give men.
Let’s stand up to misogynistic putdowns — loud and clear.
Let’s stand with the Karens of the world.
Your name is sacred.
Your voice matters.
Period.
What other everyday words do we need to rethink?
