Karen is my Name

Oriel
I too admire your patience, I don’t necessarily understand where you are coming from, there we must agree to differ.
But I’m sure you have brought our attention to a lot of stuff we were probably unaware of.

FannyCornforth

Oriel
I admire your patience!

Yeah, I know!

I feel that, hopefully, if someone learns about what is going on it will be worth the effort.

If it’s prevalent in many circles, avoid those circles

Fanny
I know it exists!
I’m not saying Karen’s can completely avoid it, but avoid sights where you know you’re going to find this vile filth.

Sara
Op isn’t ‘searching for it’.
It exists and is prevalent in many circles.
Just because you or others ‘haven’t heard of it’, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

I’ve posted a link below outlining the history of the use of the name Karen as a slur if anyone’s interested.

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

I think I get the generator thing, I’m guessing it’s putting you into Karen’s shoes.
What I don’t understand, and I’m sure Oriel can enlighten me, is, yes it’s offensive, it’s vile, it’s disgusting, so why go searching for it. Ignore it.

MawBe

Whether you are a Sharon, Tracey, Barbie, Hyacinth or Karen
“ No one can make you feel inferior without your consent ."

Eleanor Roosevelt

Try it.

I don’t feel inferior.

I happen to object to being insulted by people using my name as a sexist and racist slur!

Some people are completely missing the point of the Generator!

Oriel
I admire your patience!

Barmeyoldbat

I must say I tried the site using different names, even used some rare names and ethnic names. All came out saying the same. So, if you want to change your name what the hell are you going to call yourself. Load of rubbish. Personally if I was named Karen I would ignore the insults, it’s just a trend and will go out of fashion at sometime

Hi Barmy

Did you enter your name in the box on the left above the bright blue line? If you use it with your name it will change every mention of the name Karen to your name. The calculator has shows real life use of the name Karen, those uses don’t change only the name changes.

The purpose of the generator is to give people an idea of how it would make them feel if it were their name being used in such a way.

Hope this helps

Hi Lesley

I’m in the UK. It has been in the UK for a few years… sounds like the virus doesn’t it!

If you follow the link in my first post you can see how it is being used.

I’m just wondering what country you are from I’m from the UK and I’ve never heard the name Karen being described in a derogatory way although I have heard the names Mandy and Tracy used in that way

Oriel and nanna8, as far as I’m aware, this originated in America, not in the U.K. - another import we could well do without.

I always thought of Karen as a youngish person’s name, probably because the ones I have met were at least 10 years younger than me. Whoever thought up that nasty connotation must be really thick and have definite racist tendencies picking on one name like that. Hate to say it but it kind of fits with a certain American demographic ( hope that isn’t a racist comment!)

I dont know of anyone over the age of 30 who would use the name Karen in a derogatory way, but even then their Emotional Intelligence is low.

Why is it that anything which comes across the Atlantic is taken up so readily by the UK, they sneeze we get a cold.
Most of it is nonsense, we all make fun of It so why do we take so much notice . We are surely better than that.
Karen.

I've never heard of this detrimental use of the name. I only know one Karen and she's lovely.

I must say I tried the site using different names, even used some rare names and ethnic names. All came out saying the same. So, if you want to change your name what the hell are you going to call yourself. Load of rubbish. Personally if I was named Karen I would ignore the insults, it’s just a trend and will go out of fashion at sometime

Love that quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. It's so true!

There will always be ignorant and nasty people in the world but how they behave is about them, not about you- whether you're called Karen or something else. The Karen thing will die down I'm sure. It's already old and people move on.

Over time there have been other names used offensively, which have also died down. People get bored and stupid memes get old, so I'd say hold your head up high. It's not you, it's them.

Whether you are a Sharon, Tracey, Barbie, Hyacinth or Karen
“ No one can make you feel inferior without your consent ."

Eleanor Roosevelt

Try it.

OnwardandUpward

I didn't put my name into that page. This is an anonymous site and I don't choose to share my name online with people I don't know in real life.

It's a shame you got bullied into changing your name. I'd have kept it. Those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter.

You aren't sharing your name with anyone on the empathy generator. It is means of seeing how you might feel if it were your name used in a derogatory fashion. You only enter your first name.
___________________________
This is from the site explaining how it works......

Here we have a sampling of real-life uses of the name “Karen”. Enter your name and select your gender to adjust sex-specific vocabulary such as she/he appropriately. Press the Change Name button and see how everything looks.

A person’s own name produces a special response in the brain; take your time and notice what this is like. Imagine that the internet and mainstream media are full of examples like this, with your name. You can remind yourself that of course, they aren’t talking about you personally. Does that make it better or worse?

All quotes and images are reproduced exactly. Numbers of Likes, Shares, Views, group members, etc. are all accurate. Except where writers specify that they are speaking of “real-life Karens” etc., none of the people described or addressed here as “Karen” were actually named “Karen”.

kazziecookie

Oriel

Hi Kazzie, sadly your experiences mirror my own. You have my utmost sympathy.

My reason for posting on Gransnet was to find out if anyone else had changed their name and also alert people to what is actually going on. It simply cannot be right that a section of society is being abused as they are now.

I've been surprised at how many people haven't heard of it at all. I'm also surprised that some people are so dismissive. The empathy generator is absolutely reflects what Karens see regularly it is horrendous.

Do you think you'll change your name?

Thanks Oriel for getting back to me.
I absolutely hate my name at the moment (I used to really like it). I have considered just changing my name on social media as you cannot give an opinion on anything at the moment without getting the usual “oh we have a real Karen” or “Calm down Karen” the Kate Goslin meme “Karen intensifies” or their favourite “shut up Karen”
I don’t think I would go the full hog of changing it officially. My Dad and the nurses in the hospital named me 65 years ago. I was several months old when I left the hospital with my Mum as she nearly died after giving birth to me and spent the months in an oxygen tent. They are both gone now but even though at times I am tempted I personally would feel I couldn’t because of I was always their Karen.

Hi Kazzie,

I know what you mean about hating your name. Once I changed mine I realised that it was easy for me to use my new name. My old name had become almost more than a name in my subconscious.... the association with it was negative in the extreme, a bit like aversion therapy.

Unlike you I didn't have to take my parents into consideration - both being long dead. I know they'd approve of what I've done and I kept my middle name.

It must be dreadful to be in a position like yours. I don't know if this will help, but you can do a statutory declaration and get it witnessed at a solicitor's office without going through the Royal Courts of London. This will enable you to change any documents that you need to. Legally you don't have you have to obtain a Deed Poll. Could you swap your middle and first names?

Whatever you decide, you will always be their Karen.

I didn't put my name into that page. This is an anonymous site and I don't choose to share my name online with people I don't know in real life.

It's a shame you got bullied into changing your name. I'd have kept it. Those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter.

It's the person inside the body - not a person's name-.