In a world already packed with insults, being called a Karen is probably not the worst thing someone can hear. Still, the term has stuck around for more than five years now, after first taking off as a meme in the late 2010s and then becoming unavoidable during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The label really took hold after a video showed a white couple, later nicknamed Karen and Ken, pointing guns at protesters walking past their house. Another moment followed when a woman went viral for calling the police on a Black man who asked her to put her dog on a leash in a park.
Over time, Karen became shorthand for white middle-aged women, often imagined with a questionable haircut, who were seen as obnoxious or racist. Because of that, it is not shocking that the name Karen has dropped in popularity when it comes to naming babies.
Gen Z, however, seems convinced that one name is not enough, especially since they believe these behaviors will still exist decades from now, assuming the world is still intact. So naturally, they decided it was time to pick a new name to use alongside Karen.
Many people feel like they have had their own run-ins with a Karen at some point, which probably explains why the debate took off so quickly online. And even without a formal vote, TikTok users seem to have landed on a clear alternative.
According to a large chunk of the platform, the new name is Jessica. That choice has not gone over smoothly with everyone, especially for those who know plenty of Jessicas who are perfectly nice, normal people.
Still, the internet appears committed, helped along by viral TikTok videos and thousands of comments supporting the idea. Some users also suggested Ashley, but Jessica kept coming up far more often in the discussion.
One comment read: “I’ve never met a pleasant Jessica.”
Another said: “Ashley and Jessica. Been traumatised by both.”
A third wrote: “Ashley and Jessica. Haven’t met one that doesn’t fit as a Karen.”
So if your name happens to be Jessica, the internet seems to think you now have something to prove. Whether that is fair or not, the message is clear, nobody wants to be remembered as the next Karen.
