# Resolved, that using "karen" as a pejorative is off limits **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 23, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430 "2023-07-23T21:48:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/141 "2023-07-26T01:34:42Z")
Sorry, real life doesn’t come with links. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/142 "2023-07-26T02:22:17Z")
I dislike the term, and don’t use it, I’ll support banning it right after micro-penis. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/143 "2023-07-27T23:10:16Z")
Timely. > **[Opinion | Don’t Call Her ‘Karen’](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/opinion/columnists/citi-bike-karen-white-woman.html?unlocked_article_code=tjDaLhTUho0yD7irAEmsGgT8U_s17WC8J8PV9KPO5Jg-acGvRK1k3LM0eSw_e0n1JNUAgjS05UBaDHhOGeRJ33fr5r6ielZDTPVfgVCz1tbfuoMxU-9FLTFyc3O8uubjhw1jL-Zm-zyulE_68o_k_DAZRw4pzwKRKs-Fgn8odpMaUJg0e1GHRxuzHtGK_yr7_xoHPb9qwOcsk8aIAInZMj_njjiV4spWypNxF7izwWbJkJiC1agngkhqnpmIC2qIYtnrMp90Ng95oBgRhB7hG5_0Zg3StvV5T_LxePQ_lPHvlcCerMgz3z9kLMp3SXeYSnG1JIeZftOwGDiq4RabLF32sXRtld5dYGsXAsI5_5s&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare)** > > A viral video about a dispute over a rental bike was about much more. Or perhaps much less. FWIW I am more convinced that the default is to consider its use misogynistic and racist. The bit above accurately points out that we don’t really know the facts of what happened but use of the phrase set off presumptions and stereotypes in response. If instead of being a white woman of a certain age she was some other identity, fill it in, a trans man, whatever, having this interaction the same people sure of her entitlement might be calling the person a victim of bullying. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/144 "2023-07-27T23:20:56Z")
Am I the only one who gets bothered by the typo in the title every time I scroll by this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/145 "2023-07-27T23:22:58Z")
There, there. Fixed. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/146 "2023-07-27T23:26:32Z")
Thanks! I don’t mean to be a… well, you know! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/147 "2023-07-27T23:27:00Z")
I’m one, too. I feel your pain. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/148 "2023-07-28T07:10:20Z")
What was the typo? Pejorative spelled wrong? I sometimes see that with an extra “r” in it. As long as you are at it, I think Karen should be capitalized. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/149 "2023-07-28T07:20:38Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > What was the typo? Pejorative spelled wrong? I sometimes see that with an extra “r” in it. “An” pejorative. > [@mordecaiB](#): > > As long as you are at it, I think Karen should be capitalized. 🙂 Agreed! ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/150 "2023-07-28T07:22:04Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > “An” pejorative. Argh! That should be worth a mod note at least! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/151 "2023-07-28T07:24:40Z")
Pejorative with a silent “P”, just like pneumonia. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/152 "2023-07-28T07:34:50Z")
Pkaren??? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/153 "2023-07-28T10:42:12Z")
Sounds like a lovely [**place to visit.**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcairn_Islands) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/154 "2023-07-28T13:11:36Z")
PCaring PKarens pcascade pcalumny pcontinuously pcovering pcowering pclerks. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/155 "2023-07-28T13:50:50Z")
Great. Now my phone screen is covered with spit. I need to stop reading posts out loud. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/156 "2023-07-28T13:59:35Z")
Problematically Percussive Propulsive Ps Power Phlegmy Particles Phoneward. Phooey! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/157 "2023-07-28T21:40:53Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > As long as you are at it, I think Karen should be capitalized One of the mods explained that. Now it is a pejorative noun, not a name, unless you think that the karen you are complaining about is actually named Karen? But you knew that, of course. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/158 "2023-07-28T21:42:20Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > As long as you are at it, I think Karen should be capitalized. 🙂 But I wouldn’t be a ~~dick~~ Dick about it. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/159 "2023-07-28T21:53:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Now it is a pejorative noun, not a name, unless you think that the karen you are complaining about is actually named Karen? It’s more of a slang term than a pejorative noun, and it’s still very clearly the name Karen used as a shorthand for a set of characteristics. Maybe in a decade if the usage becomes so widespread that people think of the word as separate from the name it will be valid to leave it lowercase, but I highly doubt anyone will remember the Time of Karen by then. (Maybe it will return to being used by a specific subculture as it originally was, but I feel like the time in the mainstream’s attention has probably ruined it.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/160 "2023-07-28T22:32:13Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > It’s more of a slang term than a pejorative noun,… Then argue with the Mod that said you are wrong, and I am correct. Your motive here i suspect, and I think it has nothing whatsoever to do with grammar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430.md?page=9)