“Karen” almost never does that. The behavior pattern is one of “Why do you not recognize my superior position here? It is so obvious, what the hell is wrong with you, fix this now!”
But the reason “Karen” is not per se a stereotype is because it is not a broad-brush application. There is no oh, that person looks like a Karen, because, apart from that goofy haircut, “Karen” is, as I said above, based on a behavior pattern. An observed behavior. Someone is not called a Karen unless that person is seen and heard being all Karenish.
And perhaps Karens are just like some other types of people, who have no personal agency about some aspect of their behavior (I can’t help it), but Karen’s behavior is especially abrasive and can yield damaging results, so it is worthy of criticism or even deprecation.
I think we’re discussing people who may deserve to be called on their bad behavior in public. Or that’s my take, anyway.
I take responsibility for my behavior and I expect others to do so. It almost never works that way.
I’ll never be the one to call others out on it. I’m way less than a confrontational person.
Around here bad names of every ilk may be heard on a Tuesday in the grocery store.
The only person you can fix is yourself and possibly your children.
The Dope PTB must make their choice on this. We’re all adults, I presume. And can follow rules.
If not there are consequences.
But the above often does have a racial impulse. Not exclusively, no, and not even frequently. But several of the examples in media have stumbled into implicit or explicit racism. Which is why I carved out an exception for them.
And I don’t deny it, but it’s also a behavior that may or may not be a pattern. It’s the whole “one bad day / hour / minute” issue that leads to us characterizing a person from a 30 second video clip. I’m 100% happy to say a person acted like a self-important jerk at the time of the recording and it certainly isn’t going to make we want to associate with them, or give them much benefit of the doubt, but reducing the entirety of their being to a stereotype “karen” isn’t doing them or myself any good.
And this is something that I too don’t grant them. I do and will judge them by their actions, and gave an example to beck of what works for me. But calling someone a Karen is too easy, too dismissive. Call them out on what they are doing specifically. Reduce it to name-calling can be satisfying, sure, but again, we can then move on to dismiss them without confronting the problem.
And to be clear, I made it explicit that someone who repeats these behaviors deserves all the crap they get, male or female, just want you ream them on their crap and attitude.
Oh, I’m not advocating banning the word. I just wish people would be more judicious in their application of it. Also there was a certain period in my browsing life when every recommended article was something like “Entitled KAREN berates fast food employee!” and I guess that is a thing some people are interested in watching, but I am not. Because as @ParallelLines points out, you’ve got one snapshot of a person on one day and you’ve made them a clickbait laughingstock, for what? It seems so mean-spirited. But then I am not an eye-for-an-eye kind of person, I’m a take the high road kind of person. If someone treated me poorly in public I am not the sort of person who would take revenge by posting about it online. I would just try to be a better person than them.
Agreed.
The genie is outta the bottle with phones and posting stuff.
It’s not good. It’s not bad. It just is.
This meme will go away. A new one will take it’s place.
It’s a wild world we’re in.
Oh, baby, baby it’s a wild world.
I am so flattered that you all still remember this thread after so many years. You guys are the best.
Hey you! Good to see you! Stick around if you want. 
Got any Ron stories, @melodyharmonius ? 
Oh Please Please Please! Melody, you have been sorely missed.
I’m sure I can recall a story or two - maybe more on the lines of people I’ve met as a recruiter - let me think on it.
So sayeth Becky with the good hair 
No doubt!
Apparently, you don’t want to be named PILP.
Oh. I guessed it was Pain In the Lower Parts.
Not a term I ever heard, but FAs have their world and pilots have theirs.
I bet it’s a single carrier slang. Still better to not be one.
It amazes me the people who think rude behavior gets you better treatment in the hospitality field.
Screaming at your waitress or bartender will get you in big trouble with them. You won’t wanna go back.
The stewards and stewardesses on a plane have a plan. Let them carry it out. Unless you’re having a health issue you should leave them be.
There’s already enough jerks who drank too much in the airport bar or are just simple assholes who feel entitled.
A flight attendant I know told me all about crop dusting. I wish she hadn’t.
My Mother was named Karen.
She was a good woman, and is now dead.
I’m rather sad that her name has been thus appropriated.