Behind the scenes of life and death: Karen culture exposed

The ‘Karen’ meme has exposed a common rage expressed by privileged white women through viral video culture

Despite the thinly veiled joke that appears on most videos of Karens, it has exposed the privilege of white women — usually in the USA — against people of colour, those working in low-paying jobs and young people in general.

The haircut is a stereotype but the attitude is a common feature of these viral videos that appear on news feeds on what now feels like a daily basis.

Before the readily available technology of smartphones, these events and vulgar displays of prejudice directed at ordinary people would have gone unaccounted for, in turn reinforcing the entitlement of Karens.

Now the collective exposé of Karen culture has entertained and brought to light the standard expected of a whole demographic of ‘well-to-do’ women who think ordinary people are beneath them.

More recently, some Karens have claimed that the use of the term ‘Karen’ is in itself a form of slander and a racial slur — but it has been widely dismissed as having any seriousness, similar to the UK slang term ‘Gammon,’ used for raging white men arguing about Brexit.

The Karen — and their male counterpart Darren — have been subject to a crusade of those on Twitter, Reddit, TikTok and Instagram holding to account this — arguably minor — part of the systemic racism and classism gripping the world.

It’s the tip of the iceberg of privilege that we would never see without the use of normal people.

These ordinary citizens are revealing what it’s like to be on the receiving end of an out of touch tirade from people who don’t question if their actions are a result of their privilege of race and class.

The current Karen climate has surfaced on the newsfeeds of potential or future Karens who might be now dissuaded from acting like this and not only embarrassing themselves but perpetuating the race and class divides.

Potential Karens in future might think twice before berating a retail worker on minimum wage or a child for having fun for fear of ending up as a viral video and being cancelled.