Everyone loves a good “Karen” TikTok, myself included. If you are unfamiliar with the term “Karen,” it is used to refer to a middle-aged woman who causes a scene in public because she presents unrealistic demands or rude behavior. Additional implications include her white, cisgender, conservative identity. And who doesn’t love watching a ridiculous white woman meltdown? After all, doesn’t that account for the success of the Bachelor franchise?
But as I said, I have seen it and enjoyed it quite a bit, especially on TikTok, and I will shout out some specific creators who deserve credit for their comedy. Theresa Van Dam (@theresavandamstylist) and Siiri Parks (@siiriparkss) provide wonderful content about real-life scenarios in their hair salons. With the former being hard of hearing and the latter identifying as lesbian, their identities also allow them to show how they can be discriminated by their own clients. Waitresses with the usernames @marianne.la.mesera and @agirlnamedcarson1 also share their negative customer service experiences, which include more than just a stereotypical Karen role. Yet, there doesn’t seem to be a common trend for problematic public behavior from men. And that’s not due to a lack of instances.
Some creators have even addressed why they create “Karen” content: because it’s in demand. People love to gawk over this ridiculous behavior. But why can’t we make this content, more … I don’t know … gender-inclusive? In other words, let’s not forget the men in question. And some of these creators do a great job creating content that centers around men acting problematically. But this male figure has not yet been assigned a name.
Maybe the “man Karen” is just old news. Maybe we have accepted his behavior as normal, or even acceptable. Because studies have shown that women often do not receive the same amount of approval for engaging in the same behavior as a man does. I’m not saying that I have the qualifications to make such content, nor am I in a position where I work in customer service. I don’t even know what his name would be. But for those who do and are listening, let’s level the playing field.