this current "Karen" usage

[darkoshi]

I object to the current trend of referring to a certain kind of person as a "Karen". Karen is a common name. Just because a few people with that name have done objectionable things, is no reason to besmirch everyone else who happens to have the same name by associating them with that particular group of people. The same would be the case for referring negatively to any other group of people by any other common (or maybe even uncommon) name.

Besides being a common English name, Karen is also the name of an ethnic group of people from Mynamar.

I've known several people named Karen and it bothers me to think how they would feel reading these things. Imagine your name being used in place of "Karen". How would it make you feel? Please don't do it. Find a better word or phrase if you must.

Brought on by this:
https://twitter.com/Steve_R_Walker/status/1286400379266228227

Comments

[darkoshi]

I'm thinking of it from the perspective that, if my name is Cathy, and someone else is called a Chatty Cathy, that wouldn't necessarily feel like it applies to me because I might not consider myself to be chatty. Ie, Chatty Cathy is a subset of Cathies, not all Cathies (or a subset of people, not all people). But as there is no explicit modifier used with Karen, then if my name is Karen that usage automatically includes me in the group. But I agree that both usages are bad and should be avoided.

In general, I don't think that insulting people is good or useful anyway, and that calling out / discussing the objectionable actions is more useful.

[marahmarie]

I don't know why I support the usage of Karen/Ken/Becky as much as I do, so should probably think about it some more. "Because everyone does" isn't a good reason; "everyone" does a lot of things no one should do.

I think I'm getting hung up on the fact that everyone against calling people by these real names in the narrowly proscribed instances that they are because it's hurtful or mean (or [insert similar word]) is taking name usage literally, and I'm used to being nearly the only *literal* one in any crowd, so a) my mind's kinda blown and b) I keep circling back to my other bad argument, as described above.

Maybe it'd be better to use generic descriptors rather than real names but I guess to the internet that's "been there/done that/got the t-shirt already" - doesn't go as viral/get as many looks or as talked about.

Which makes the usage of real names kind of helpful for spreading info about what these very similar people have and do in common, which is the one thing I find truly useful about it, even at the cost of some hurt feelings among innocents - it's probably the best verbal shorthand anyone's had in a while to describe a whole range of nasty behaviors that only a certain group of people ever indulge in.