Karen: An easy target or a woman of many faces and outbursts

Critics and feminists argue that the Internet's female archetype of white privilege is in itself sexist, part of an age-old effort to shame women who speak out. Why does the guy standing next to Karen usually get a pass? Photo: Pixabay

Karen is a woman of many faces.

She's the furious shopper who pitches a tantrum - and her grocery basket - at Trader Joe's (grocer) employees when they ask her to comply with state regulations and wear a mask. She's the dog walker who erupts when a Black man requests she leash her pet, weaponising her 911 call to make a false claim: "An African American man is threatening my life!" She's the defiant grandmother who aggressively sits on another motorist's car to stop them from getting a parking spot she wants.