T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
to be done. I wouldn’t call her bossy; when it’s time to plan who brings what to supper club, somebody has to take the bull by the horns. Her name is Karen, but she isn’t a Karen. In contrast, the proverbial Karen thinks she’s in charge of much more than just appetizer assignments. She thinks she’s in charge of everything. She also has an opinion about everything, and we all know how irritating that can be. Most of us only want to hear another person’s opinion if it lines up precisely with our own. Not to belabor Facebook, but I’m always amazed that no matter how benign an opinion someone offers there, somebody else will disagree. If you post a review of the delicious burger you had for lunch, somebody is going to comment that they really don’t care for hamburgers. “It’s just my opinion; I could be wrong,” my husband is fond of saying. That points up another Karen trait. She’s never wrong, even when she is. The Social Security Administration, which keeps track of such things, reports that only 438 babies born in 2019 were named Karen. The name was no doubt in a slump following its heyday, but one has to wonder if the Karen phenomenon was its death knell. Come to think of it, one has to wonder about those 438 families who bestowed it upon their offspring in 2019. Mind your own business, Karen.
The name Karen ranked in the top five baby girl names in the United States from 1957 until 1966, peaking in popularity at number three in 1965. That definitely explains why I have so many friends named Karen. They spell it all different ways—Karin, Karon, Karyn, and even Kaaren—but they are, without exception, lovely women. They are not entitled, obnoxious or bossy; they vary in age, and they’re racially diverse. How do they feel about their name being dragged through the mud like this? Interestingly, one real Karen didn’t even know it was a thing. I warned her she might be called Karen for her lack of awareness. A second actual Karen expressed a bit of frustration. “When someone asks me my name, I’m almost ashamed to tell them,” she said. “They even have T-shirts that say, ‘My name is Karen.’ And one that says, ‘I’m married to a Karen.’ I’m upset that they’ve hijacked my pretty name.” Another Karen uses her sense of humor to cope. She won an ugly Christmas sweater contest with her “Nobody invited you, Karen” sweater. “I don’t think I really fit the profile,” one more genuine Karen said, “but I have been known to be bossy.” That comment made me stop and think. This particular person is good at organizing and will take charge when something needs
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