Karens, are they to be pitied, scolded, ridiculed , or ignored?

[BFTD]

9 minutes ago, Freedom Farter said:

A lot of reaching has to be done to try and superimpose the Karen concept onto our society, it just doesn't fit neatly. We don't have the same class dynamics as USA and therefore the utter scorn for workers that you get in US culture is far less common here. 

Oh, you dear sweet summer child.

[Salvo Montalbano]

Working in education you meet a few Karens of the UK variety - very demanding, blame has to go somewhere, wanting to escalate things because they aren't satisfied with your answer, etc. Over here the added problem is that every Karen seems to know a Councillor of some description so all too often the heid yins shite themselves and acquiesce. Like one time when a kid had failed their 3 attempts at a unit assessment (you got 2 attempts, 3 in exceptional circumstances and you needed to pass to be able to sit the final exam) and they stomped their feet and scweamed and scweamed (one for the Absolutely fans there) and eventually moaned to a Councillor and they wangled an unprecedented 4th attempt at this wee test so they could do the final exam (which they they of course got about 18% for, but that was the teachers fault for not preparing him properly).

[Freedom Farter]

36 minutes ago, BFTD said:

Oh, you dear sweet summer child.

Ha! I don't think it good here, just not as bad as in USA. For example, folk shout abuse out their vehicle windows as they drive past homeless folk there. You're right, though, we still have more than enough division and hierarchy for Karen attitudes to exist.

[Boo Khaki]

1 hour ago, BFTD said:

There seems to be a movement among Karens to pretend that the term is misogynistic, as though they believe all women are stupid enough to be convinced that it's a term being used to insult anyone female  

I've seen this repeatedly constantly on "that place", and while I disagree with the assertion, I think you could probably contend there is a misogynistic aspect to it simply because there is no male verbatim equivalent. "Arsehole", "gammon", "w****r" etc isn't quite the same, even though they are commonly used to describe similar behaviours in males, because there isn't an equivalent that is just a common male "boomer"-age christian name. 

I don't accept at all that the concept itself is misogynistic, because it describes an instance of someone acting in a specific and unreasonable manner, and is not a simply reference to the fact they are female.

Do we have any well known male "Karens" on P&B? We could start a trope and blow this "Karen is misogynistic" shite out of the water.

[KingRocketman II]

11 hours ago, Wacky said:

I went back a few pages, but couldn’t see anything on the subject of Karens. I’ve no doubt someone will tell me if one exists. 

Anyhoo, who are these bizarre creatures? What makes a person think they have the right to intrude upon your privacy and freedom?
About a fortnight ago I had a woman from across the road knock on my door and pretty much demand access to my house to look at what my new cctv camera is pointing at. Now, some may think that is a reasonable request, but my camera is pointing to the left at my garage door where I keep my motorbikes, she is almost directly across the road from me but off to the right a little. There’s no way anyone with an ounce of common sense would believe the camera was pointing at their house. It’s on the corner of my house and it’s full purpose in life is to record anyone going near my garage door. 

I told her that she’s not coming into my house to look at anything, but she became very insistent claiming that she has a right to make sure I’m not spying on her. I told her if she wants she can phone the polis to come and look provided they get a warrant for entry. She started shouting loudly that I was spying on her etc, so I simply bid her farewell and closed the door.
I’d say she is in her late 40’s and on the surface seems a nice person, we have passed pleasantries in the past but never really had any conversation. She lives alone, and is always hanging around her window whenever anyone is in their garden etc. if we ever make eye contact I always acknowledge her, as does my wife, but we only get dirty looks in return since camera-gate.  

My neighbours warned me about her when I moved here, and I said I’d have “a word” with her husband if she started her crap with me, but he apparently left years ago. My neighbours told me she came to their house and demanded them to close their venetian blinds the opposite way around as she can see into their living room from her upstairs window. My neighbours told her to simply not look in their window if it bothers her, and that they don’t care if she does. 

That was apparently one of many times she’s found reason to tell folks in the street that she wanted them to comply with her wishes. 
I wonder if it’s a mental health issue, or simply a sense of entitlement? Either way I’m keeping clear of her because she strikes me as someone who can create problems for people that are pinged on her radar 

Has anyone here ever experienced a so call Karen? 

 

11 hours ago, Wacky said:

Ffs, have you been taking photos of my wife through my window 

CCTV. "a word" with the husband. A few motorbikes. Partridge responses. A few for the watching on that street 

[Bert Raccoon]

9 hours ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

I genuinely find with one exception that any person ive ever met with a Karen haircut is a horrible horrible person. 

I work with a Karen (actually named Karen) who has that haircut and is a total Karen. Seems nice enough most the time but you can guarantee any meeting, as soon as they want to start wrapping things up she will find something that just needs to ask/moan about. I can imagine outside work she would be the type to complain about absolutely everything 

[ICTChris]

I have a family member, via marriage twice, who complains almost every time we have been in a shop of restaurant. A few years ago we all did our Christmas shopping together in Edinburgh and she asked for discounts for cash in every shop and had the whole ‘stainless steel underwear’ attitude when told no. We used to live near a really nice little independent wine shop and she asked for a discount with cash when buying wine, it was extremely embarrassing. The owner actually laughed at her nonsense request. She has also fallen out with just about every person in the family, all her children’s partners and, now, my family for reasons that I don’t even really understand. To use the psychological jargon, she’s a very disagreeable person.

She also spent most of her life working in customer service jobs, in exactly the same position as the people she treats like shit. I’m sure that has a bearing on her behaviour, she feels a need to distance herself from them and emphasise her higher status by behaving in this way. She is someone who is hugely status conscious and it’s arguably what has lead to her estrangement from my part of the family, for reasons I can’t go into. 

[Bairnardo]

5 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

I have a family member, via marriage twice, who complains almost every time we have been in a shop of restaurant. A few years ago we all did our Christmas shopping together in Edinburgh and she asked for discounts for cash in every shop and had the whole ‘stainless steel underwear’ attitude when told no. We used to live near a really nice little independent wine shop and she asked for a discount with cash when buying wine, it was extremely embarrassing. The owner actually laughed at her nonsense request. She has also fallen out with just about every person in the family, all her children’s partners and, now, my family for reasons that I don’t even really understand. To use the psychological jargon, she’s a very disagreeable person.

She also spent most of her life working in customer service jobs, in exactly the same position as the people she treats like shit. I’m sure that has a bearing on her behaviour, she feels a need to distance herself from them and emphasise her higher status by behaving in this way. She is someone who is hugely status conscious and it’s arguably what has lead to her estrangement from my part of the family, for reasons I can’t go into. 

I know an extremely similar one, who constantly whines and moans about everything, is big on brands/status and has caused her husband to pretty much lose touch with all of his old pals. One of her worst traits is making a big deal about tiny little things in restaurants and demanding money off etc, then making a big deal about not tipping the server etc, who 9/10 times isn't at fault. Capable of being nice, but to the point of it coming across as terribly insincere. 

[Wacky]

11 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

I have a family member, via marriage twice, who complains almost every time we have been in a shop of restaurant. A few years ago we all did our Christmas shopping together in Edinburgh and she asked for discounts for cash in every shop and had the whole ‘stainless steel underwear’ attitude when told no. We used to live near a really nice little independent wine shop and she asked for a discount with cash when buying wine, it was extremely embarrassing. The owner actually laughed at her nonsense request. She has also fallen out with just about every person in the family, all her children’s partners and, now, my family for reasons that I don’t even really understand. To use the psychological jargon, she’s a very disagreeable person.

She also spent most of her life working in customer service jobs, in exactly the same position as the people she treats like shit. I’m sure that has a bearing on her behaviour, she feels a need to distance herself from them and emphasise her higher status by behaving in this way. She is someone who is hugely status conscious and it’s arguably what has lead to her estrangement from my part of the family, for reasons I can’t go into. 

She sounds like an absolute joy 

[ICTChris]

I think the whole Karen meme is intrisically linked with the filming of everyday interactions for publication.  So if you get a woman complaining about something, you whip out your mobile phone and film it and call her a Karen.  Of course, this usually gives an incomplete picture of what happened.

 

[Bairnardo]

1 hour ago, ICTChris said:

it’s arguably what has lead to her estrangement from my part of the family, for reasons I can’t go into. 

 

3 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

  Of course, this usually gives an incomplete picture of what happened.

 

You can talk

[scottsdad]

I wonder how the name Karen came about. I mean, when I went to school there were loads of girls called Karen. 

Was there an original Karen who was awful to someone?

[hk blues]

5 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

I wonder how the name Karen came about. I mean, when I went to school there were loads of girls called Karen. 

Was there an original Karen who was awful to someone?

From what I understand it started with a US comedy sketch where one of the characters that nobody liked was called Karen.  

[Wacky]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_(slang)

[CarrbridgeSaintee]

15 hours ago, Wacky said:

I went back a few pages, but couldn’t see anything on the subject of Karens. I’ve no doubt someone will tell me if one exists. 

Anyhoo, who are these bizarre creatures? What makes a person think they have the right to intrude upon your privacy and freedom?
About a fortnight ago I had a woman from across the road knock on my door and pretty much demand access to my house to look at what my new cctv camera is pointing at. Now, some may think that is a reasonable request, but my camera is pointing to the left at my garage door where I keep my motorbikes, she is almost directly across the road from me but off to the right a little. There’s no way anyone with an ounce of common sense would believe the camera was pointing at their house. It’s on the corner of my house and it’s full purpose in life is to record anyone going near my garage door. 

I told her that she’s not coming into my house to look at anything, but she became very insistent claiming that she has a right to make sure I’m not spying on her. I told her if she wants she can phone the polis to come and look provided they get a warrant for entry. She started shouting loudly that I was spying on her etc, so I simply bid her farewell and closed the door.
I’d say she is in her late 40’s and on the surface seems a nice person, we have passed pleasantries in the past but never really had any conversation. She lives alone, and is always hanging around her window whenever anyone is in their garden etc. if we ever make eye contact I always acknowledge her, as does my wife, but we only get dirty looks in return since camera-gate.  

My neighbours warned me about her when I moved here, and I said I’d have “a word” with her husband if she started her crap with me, but he apparently left years ago. My neighbours told me she came to their house and demanded them to close their venetian blinds the opposite way around as she can see into their living room from her upstairs window. My neighbours told her to simply not look in their window if it bothers her, and that they don’t care if she does. 

That was apparently one of many times she’s found reason to tell folks in the street that she wanted them to comply with her wishes. 
I wonder if it’s a mental health issue, or simply a sense of entitlement? Either way I’m keeping clear of her because she strikes me as someone who can create problems for people that are pinged on her radar 

Has anyone here ever experienced a so call Karen? 

You could make a decent comedy sketch out of that.

[Wacky]

Some say this is the first instance of a Karen in action? 

it’s the poor dog I feel sorry for. She should have been charged with animal cruelty IMO. 

[Wacky]

10 minutes ago, CarrbridgeSaintee said:

You could make a decent comedy sketch out of that.

I agree now, but at the time I had to be very guarded dealing with her. She could have went to the polis and spun any auld pish leaving me to try and defend myself against it. 
Funny now? Yes 

Funny at the time? Definitely not 

[ICTChris]

33 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

 

You can talk

I don't really want to give out personal identifying information, lest one of teh P&B Karens tries to Karen me.

[Alert Mongoose]

I'm bemused by the explanation she would give for expecting a discount for cash? It's not the 1980s anymore unless the wine shop is offering some customers 'time to pay'.

[Michael W]

11 hours ago, Freedom Farter said:

Ha! I don't think it good here, just not as bad as in USA. For example, folk shout abuse out their vehicle windows as they drive past homeless folk there. You're right, though, we still have more than enough division and hierarchy for Karen attitudes to exist.

Agree with this. There are obviously people here that have poor attitudes to service workers in particular, but nothing like what I've seen in America. 

Being on a cruise ship with mostly Americans was an eye-opener to the way that some of them treat people they presumably consider beneath them. Exceptionally rude is probably underplaying it.