Here are the top five names given for baby girls; one sample per decade:
1928 Betty Dorothy Helen Margaret Mary
1938 Barbara Betty Mary Patricia Shirley
1948 Barbara Linda Mary Patricia Susan
1958 Karen Linda Mary Patricia Susan
1968 Jennifer Kimberly Lisa Melissa Michelle
1978 Amy Heather Jennifer Jessica Melissa
1988 Amanda Ashley Jennifer Jessica Sarah
1998 Ashley Emily Hannah Samantha Sarah
2008 Ava Emily Emma Isabella Olivia
2018 Ava Emma Isabella Olivia Sophia
Names familiar to us oldtimers — Mary, Patricia, Susan, Linda, Barbara etc. — were common before the the 60’s; Lisa (and Karen!) came into vogue during the 60’s, but then came a massive shift: The names are different nowadays, and quickly go in and out of vogue.
For each year, the ordering shown is alphabetic, not popularity rank order. Here is the list for boys’ names:
1928 Charles James John Robert William
1938 James John Richard Robert William
1948 David James John Robert William
1958 David James John Michael Robert
1968 David James John Michael Robert
1978 Christopher David James Jason Michael
1988 Andrew Christopher Joshua Matthew Michael
1998 Christopher Jacob Joshua Matthew Michael
2008 Daniel Ethan Jacob Joshua Michael
2018 James Liam Noah Oliver William
Among 2018 baby boys, Liam was #1, Noah #2 !
Furthermore, I would posit that the (IMO, silly) term “reverse racism” acknowledges that racism = prejudice + racial superiority/inferiority. Hence the ‘reverse’ part of that.
Just because a few old people don’t know about an internet meme doesn’t mean that it isn’t widely known among a substantial segment of the population. Or that it’s of no concern.
You might as well say, “Nobody in my nursing home vapes, so why are people on television talking about it?”
Now you’re being such a Ronald!
Your failure to grasp a distinction does not mean that elucidating the matter is nitpicking. This has nothing to do with people who are named Karen. It is about the viral epithet “a Karen”, a label for certain sterotypical behaviors.
Equally, any failure to see any value in discussing whether words or actions are racist or sexist is your own limitation. The first “concrete suggestion” if we were to gain insight that some term is racist or sexist is rather obviously to stop using it ourselves.
Failure to grasp? My own limitation?
So now we’ve gotten to the insults portion of the debate?
Again, I’ve never used the Karen meme, and from reading this thread, nobody else here seems to either. So problem solved then? Thread over?
We in this thread are not the source of the problem. What I have yet to hear anyone suggest is anything that any of us can do to stop other people on the internet from using it.
Rob Dyrdek uses it often on Ridiculousness on MTV.
That’s not true. A few people have said they have seen it. I will add my voice. I definitely have seen it on Facebook and Twitter.
That’s not what I said in your quote of my post. I said I have never used it, and I can’t recall anyone in this thread who has used it. Of course I have seen it, and so have some in the thread.
What I haven’t seen is any suggestion on what to be done to stop those that do use it from using it in the future.
It’s not racist or whatever-ist, it’s a descriptive label EARNED by the target. Generic white mom walking down the street? Nobody in their right mind would think, “Ah! A Karen!” because she has not yet started Karening (For those who are unfamiliar with Karen & Becky, it might interest you to know that The Kids are doing grammatically unholy things to nouns & verbs). All Karens are white women, but not all white women are Karens, so it’s generally good manners to give her the benefit of the doubt before affixing the label. You’d hate to undercut someone only to find out later she is one of the good ones. Mom had similar theories about persons of color (which is not a term she used).
As a completely random observer to this thread, allow me to sincerely and politely suggest:
Take a step away from this thread. It is not doing you any good.
May I politely suggest that this thread isn’t doing anyone any good? Kind of what I’ve been pointing out with asking for concrete suggestions. Of which so far we’ve seen exactly zero.
My entire point is that we are talking about the internet, and there seems to be a complete lack of understanding of how the internet actually works. I did think that the entire point of this board was fighting ignorance. Has that changed?
So is your entire thesis that because we can’t control with randos say on the internet, then there’s nothing to talk about?
Basically. What good is getting upset about something that there is nothing we can do about? What has this conversation accomplished? Assholes are going to be assholes on the internet. Such has it always been, so shall it always be. We can tut tut and pat each other on the back for disapproving of what some right wingers do to insult female democratic candidates on twitter and facebook, but what can be done?
This thread could go on for 100 pages, but will the internet culture we’re complaining about change at all?
nm dupe
Who has said they are upset?
Why are you participating in this thread?
If this discussion causes people to reconsider their own opinions and behavior, then yes, it can cause changes to this thing you’re calling the “internet culture”.
But even if didn’t, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t discuss this topic.
Those who have opined that Karen is racist and sexist and demeaning to anyone named Karen and to all middle aged white women. That sentiment has been expressed more than once. If someone feels this way, then usage of Karen would be an upsetting thing for them to encounter, no?
Why does anyone participate in any thread here? I have time on my hands, and I’m pretty well versed in internet culture so I thought I had some germane information to share on the subject.
I don’t recall anyone in this thread saying that they personally have used Karen in this way. I certainly haven’t. So I don’t see any evidence that anyone in this thread has decided to no longer use Karen in this way.
Look, at this point we are in a circular conversation and the plot is being lost. The fact that there still has not been even one concrete suggestion about how to stop Karen from being used this way on the internet tells me that there likely won’t be any forthcoming, so I’ll go ahead and bow out at this point.
I’m one of the posters that said I don’t like “Karen” because its connotations. But it’s crazy to infer from that I’m upset about anything. I’m not even in the demographic group that is being mocked with the term. I’m just providing an opinion that was solicited by the OP.
So that’s the answer to your question about the point in talking about this. It’s not just about changing other people’s behavior; it’s about exchanging ideas.
Do you think the only people reading this thread (and are in the position to be influenced by it) are those who have posted in it?
Doesn’t this complaint apply to any of the previously established racial slurs? We acknowledge the N word as racist without giving the Government control over our twitter. I’ll admit our current plan against racism isn’t perfect, but social condemnation of it is doing more than nothing. Also, whether we have a good plan against sexist slurs is orthogonal to whether a certain term is a sexist slur.
The talking about it is the solution. When I was fifteen, all my friends and I used “gay” to mean “stupid” and “fag” was how we insulted each other. Nobody passed a law making that illegal. But the discussion we had as a society, on TV, in movies, on the internet, about the use of those terms eventually lessened the problem of homophobic slang. The problem is still out there, but it’s a lot less of a problem than it was in 2005.