Don’t Be a Karen, Be a Jacinda

Last week, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern caused a kerfuffle when she hinted that the opposition leader was a ‘Karen’. For the uninitiated, a ‘Karen’ refers to an unreasonable and entitled (usually White) woman who gets upset and aggressive when ‘things don’t go her way’. Somewhat like what residents of Nandigram may call a ‘Mamata’ here. Ardern was responding to Judith Collins’ tweet against planned changes in New Zealand’s ‘hate speech’ laws. As is wont with those self-styled victims of political correctness gone overboard, Collins asked whether calling a ‘middle-aged White woman a ‘Karen’ [will] now be a crime’. Ardern replied ‘no’ in Parliament, adding that the new laws would not protect Collins ‘from such a claim’ — that Collins was a Karen.

Not to turn this into a Karen Johar nautanki, but despite the term being criticised as being sexist, ageist and racist — it has its origins among Black social media groups against White women — ‘Karens’ exist across gender, colour and age. A youngster digging her heels in until she gets what she wants, a left-liberal holding his breath until an ‘offending’ thing is ‘cancelled’, all careen towards Karenness. But what is laudable is Ardern’s ability to defuse matters. Perhaps we should all strive to be a Jacinda — a person who can disarm issues with a jokesy touch.