
When you read the name, "Karen," you might think of viral videos of middle-aged white women berating an employee and demanding to speak to the manager. It's become somewhat of a meme because of the viral videos, but its intentions are to point out the privilege white women can use to get what they want or weaponize it against people of color.
The image of the "Karen" has evolved into the "Coronavirus Karen" since the pandemic has begun.
What you might not be realizing is these "Karens" are mothers (or even fathers) who may be embarrassing their kids, or even treating them with the same manipulation at home.
Redditor MinionofThanos asked:
"Children of a 'Karen,' what is it like?"
Here are some first hand accounts of what it's like to live with a "Karen."
Reformed "Karen"
"My Mom is a reformed Karen. When I was a kid she used to treat people in customer service like trash. When I was a teenager and in customer service positions, it finally dawned on her what a terrible human being she was being. She's turned around and been great ever since. I'm proud of her to recognize her faults and fix them."
"This makes me think of parents who are full on fire and brimstone against homosexuals until their kid comes out as gay and suddenly woosh 180."
"I guess it's great that people change their views but it's quite crazy how insular we are (often as a species at least) until something directly affects us."
"Half the problem with society is people's lack of empathy and inability to give a sh*t about anything unless they're directly affected by it. It's a damn shame."
"Yeah, I think a lack of empathy is a big problem. But something I've always thought was responsible for a lot of Karen-like behavior is the fact that it's effective, particularly when it come to retail establishments like stores and restaurants. If you have a little 4 year old kid and he yells and screams for his goddam candy bar in the grocery store, so much that he's embarrassed the crap out of you, and in your desire to get him to STFU, you cave in and buy him his goddam Kit-Kat bar, well, you've just taught him a very valuable lesson. He's learned that by making a huge public scene and keeping it up, mommy will eventually cave in and give him what he wants."
"That's what Karen's learn when they learn on the poor store clerks and food servers, DEMANDING to see the manager and complaining loud and long until management, just like mommy with her 4-year-old, caves in and gives her what they wants."
"If the management of these places would just firm up, stop giving in to these people, they'd eventually learn. A bad Yelp rating isn't going to kill you."
"Also, it would also help if the people around them would speak up when this happens: 'HEY! You figure your food server makes restaurant policy or sets prices? She doesn't. So stop being such a cheap-a**ed bully and leave the poor girl alone!' We gotta stop silently tolerating bullying behavior."
"As a former restaurant employee I agree with this 100%. Rewarding sh*tty behavior only ensures future sh*tty behavior."
Recovering Karen.
"My sister is a Karen in recovery, and her teenage kids are mortified by her. They had a Karen intervention with her a few months ago, and pointed out that about one out of every 3 visits to a restaurant results in a meal or a drink sent back, and about 1 in 10 results in a conversation with the manager. Unresolved complaints over the phone practically have a pre-written script: 'This is unacceptable! Poor customer service, etc.'"
"She's trying to be more self-aware because she now recognizes that not only can her behavior be embarrassing, but she's a Karen caricature. If someone described the typical Karen by looks, age, race, tone of voice, social standing - they would be describing her to a tee. Sure, it's Karen Shaming, but we're living in a society here."
Dads can be Karens too.
"My dad is a Karen. Also in restaurants. Complains about every meal in attempt to get a discount. Asks for them to send out another steak because his wasn't perfect."
"I just pretend I'm going to the toilet and apologize to the waiter or waitress, I tell them I empathize with them and I know it's frustrating. Luckily I'm older, and I don't go out for meals with him so much anymore. When I was young, I'd do chores for him and he'd complain the same way at me. Like 'you're not washing the dishes right!' and other nonsense. His worst was when I swept the floor, I never got it exactly how he wanted it."
"He had three different sponges for the dishes. You needed to use the right ones for each dish. He would get mad at me for my technique and watch over my shoulder every time. With sweeping the floor, he would treat me like I don't know how to sweep. He would attack my technique and watch over me. He would make me sweep the carpet in a single direction so all the fibers of the carpet bent the same way. Sweeping carpet is hard af anyway, but he said I couldn't use a vacuum because it would damage the carpet (lol). I always washed the dishes perfect, and got every crumb off the floor, but he was madder about technique than end result."
"He's a narcissist, most likely, as there are many more negative things he's done that scream narcissistic personality disorder."
Chefs Share Major Red Flags To Look For While Out To Eat | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
"I dated a girl for three years during high school. When we started dating, I went out to dinner with her family (pizza, iirc). After we ate, her dad just started yelling at the waiter and eventually, the manager. He was raising a complete fuss and it was really embarrassing to me. Later, I asked her about it because I thought the meal was fine and she said he always does that to try to get the meal for free."
"The thing was that they were definitely not hurting for money. He just did for grins. Just one of the guy's many a**hole traits. It was the only time I went out with her family over the three years."
"My dad is a male Karen."
"I always hated listening to him call customer service on the phone, because he's such a complete ahole to whoever is just trying to do their job."
"My dad used to 'help' obvious first-time food servers who messed up by lecturing them, telling on them to their boss, and then stiffing them on the tip. He always justified it with a story about how once in the 90's he actually had a boss thank him for doing it because his staff sucked (it was a very unique situation). I always felt so bad for the servers who were humiliated. Because of that I always tip well as an adult, out of this childhood guilt I carry."
Karens in Restaurants.
"My mom is somewhat of a Karen (mostly in regards to restaurants) and I have an anxiety disorder. It's a combination made in hell."
- ASzinhaz
Accountability.
"I knowwwww every restaurant has messed with our food, and for good reason. I'm in my 30s now and I won't go out with my mom in public. She doesn't want to either, because I'll give her sh*t for whatever she did to some poor teenaged cashier until she cries. Two can play this game and no one wins."
"This! I respect you so much for not letting her get away with it and not letting her have that chip on her shoulder of accomplishment like she did something that had to be done!!"
"The fact that she gets called out on it, and gets a taste of her own medicine until she cries...and then repeats the behavior the next time anyway is something, innit?"
"The abuse of staff is likely manipulation to get her way. Same for the crying."
A realization.
"When I was a child everything was someone else's fault. We'd speak to managers in stores/restaurants/etc."
"When I came of age, I joined the military and moved away as fast as possible. As an adult, my relationship with her was terrible. I was so frustrated by her asking me to come back to visit her area every time we talked, that I just stopped talking to her."
"Something particularly interesting had happened this past year. I went home to see my grandma on dad's side as she was passing. I called my mom and told her I was taking an emergency trip and would be in the area but wouldn't have time to see her. Her response? 'That's fine, I understand your family needs you.'"
"I was beside myself. I had known that she was working on herself for a while, but living so far away and speaking so little I hadn't witnessed it. Five years ago, she would have demanded that I leave my dying grandma to come see her. I came back to the area the next month and we discussed it more."
"She said that she realized that a lot of problems in her life and a lot of the unhappiness stems from selfishness. I am incredibly proud of the changes she's made in her life. And it has forced me to reevaluate my own actions pertaining to our strained relationship and my life as a whole. And I've come to a conclusion."
"I'm just like her."
"I relate to this on a spiritual level."
"My mother has the same issues with her mother that I have with her. And I know if I have kids, I'm just going to repeat the cycle, so I refuse to have children just in case I'm never able to exorcise that demon."
"You are very brave to take such a candid look at yourself and your mother. And if you are that courageous, you are not like your mother."
How to end an argument.
"I learned to end argues by saying 'you're right.'"
"Doesn't give them the satisfaction of 'winning' but also gives them nothing more to feed off of."
It's not fun to be the kid of a Karen.
"Frankly its embarrassing. You have to sit there while they shriek at a manager and cause a big scene. If you try to chime in you get yelled at, then they are in a bad mood the rest of the day. I've sat through hour long debates with managers over 11 cents disparity on a bill. Everyone is looking at you and you are just kind of trapped there."
"I once had a customer storm into a store with her daughter in tow, pissed off at me because I processed their purchase as Amex, which had a 2% surcharge. I'd told them about the surcharge and they said 'okay' and switched the card out when I wasn't looking. It was a Visa. So twenty minutes later, this woman storms back into the store, shoves the receipt under my nose, and snarls, 'explain this.'"
"I had to ask my manager how to refund an 80c surcharge because... what else was I gonna do? Stand there and get yelled at? A customer comes up with a problem, it's my job to fix it, as politely and compassionately as I can pretend to."
"It turned into a whole thing. I was f*cking around with the POS trying to figure out how to refund surcharges. Couldn't, so I had to get my manager. So now the customer is standing there, watching, as I explain that she wants an 80c surcharge refunded, and you can see it dawn on her what exactly she's done. It takes half an hour for my manager to figure out a makeshift solution, over the course of which the customer's face went from 'f*ck you' to I have made a terrible mistake.'"
"By the time it was resolved, both mother and daughter looked like they wanted to crawl under a rock and die, and the mother kept on muttering, 'It's the principle of the thing.'"
"I once had a similar situation. Lady wanted like .65 cents back or something. We had one manager who refused to take any sh*t from Karen's, so I called him over for help. A line was starting to form. After arguing for a few minutes my manager literally dug 65 cents out of his own pocket, threw it on the counter and asked if she was satisfied now. She was tomato red."
"This speaks to me. I worked at a pizza place in high school. Had these regulars who came in every Sunday and ordered the same thing. Super specific orders. Always rude and never tipped. I am worked Sundays and would typically take their order."
"One day their order is '8 cents more than usual!' Karen starts in on me about how they're loyal customers and know what their total should be. I enter the order a few times, coming up 8 cents higher than usual each time. I say something like 'I might be doing it wrong. Let me get my manager.' Karen says something like 'Yes obviously!' and my manager comes out."
"He tries a few times. Same total as when I took the order. Karen is p*ssed."
"My manager calls the owner and we find out the price of ham went up, so every pizza with ham is now 8 cents more expensive. Karen is beside herself. Starts in about loyalty and customer service again."
"Owner makes us discount the pizza 8 cents. Karen acts like she won a god damn war. I don't care because I'm 16 and just want this to be over."
"Fast forward to the following Sunday. I'm not working. Some other poor soul is. Karen comes in and the same situation unfolds. Over 8 cents."
"Owner is called again. For whatever reason this time the owner basically tells the customer to f*ck off. He must have been having a bad day or was just done with the pettiness, because he got on the phone and told them to take their $15.75 order somewhere else."
- baysh
Though we may laugh at the "Karen's" in the viral videos because they seem so far removed from our everyday life, there are people out there who are dealing with their behavior all the time.
But like many have said, the behavior only continues if they get what they want.
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Everyone has their travel bucket list.
The list of places they absolutely must visit before they die.
There are those, however, who also have a rather different list of destinations.
The places that have no intention to visit.
Be it for safety concerns, language barriers, or simply that there's nothing at these places that calls to them, there are places some wouldn’t dream of spending the time and money to visit.
Redditor TrooperJohn was curious to hear which places were at the very bottom of the list of travel destinations for his fellow Redditors, leading them to ask:
"What is a popular tourist destination you have no interest in visiting?"
Oasis in the desert? No thank you.
"Dubai."
"Why and whats special about it?"
"Its a modern city in a desert."- Maximum_Calendar_791.
"Dubai."
"A fake city with fake people, no human rights, where the world's tallest buildings hide corruption and slavery in their shadows."
"It's like someone decided to take every problem of mankind and concentrate it in one spot."- PayNoNoticeOfMe.
"Dubai one i think it is ugly two I would die in two minutes of me being there I can't stand anything above 40 c°."- BookWormPerson.
One of the seven wonders is one too many for me.
"The pyramids. "
"Too many horror stories of Egypt."- Aemiom.
Landlocked.
"Not really a destination, but taking a cruise."- Shortbus_Playboy.
Mountains aren't really my thing.
"Everest."
"Just why."
"You use a bunch of money to get in there them come down."
"And trash your whole way there. It's literally a corner in the Earth insufferable for humans and we still made a way to go there to trash it."- ACLullaby.
It's in my own backyard... but still not interested.
"I have lived about 15km away from the Burj Khalifa ever since it was made."
"I could not care any less besides the occasional pointing out the 'shiny tall building' to my nieces.- legolosss.
The pictures are enough for me.
"Mount Rushmore."
"Friends who've made the journey to Mount Rushmore mostly say it was no big deal and not worth the effort or expense to travel there."- Back2Bach.
Hustle and Bustle? No thanks.
"Anything busy.'
"Whether it's cities, structures, I don't care."
"I'd rather go to a boring empty quiet place than a place full of people."- TheSmeep.
They're watching us.
"That creepy a** place in Japan with all the realistic dolls."
"No thank you."
Some dream of paying a visit to these places.
Others hope they never have to set foot there, and will choose to leave it to the other millions of tourists.
To each, their own.
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When it comes to electing a leader, the choice is an easy one if a potential candidate shares the same values as yours.
And while a candidate is fit to lead remains to be seen, we rely on our instinct to choose someone with whom we can relate.
But sometimes, our options are limited and we inevitably go with someone who is the lesser of two evils.
Curious to hear from strangers online about a hypothetical, Redditor Cashmeresquid2309 asked:
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for an openly Atheist presidential candidate? Why or why not?"

Redditors were quick to point out the answer was a no-brainer.
We Already Know The Answer
"Asking Reddit if they'd vote for an atheist..."
"I feel like the answer would be obvious."
– sarahmagoo
Sci-Fi Analogy
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for a Star Wars fan who heckin loves doggos?"
– WitnessChemical
For The Atheists In The Crowd
"Atheists of atheistville, would you vote for an open atheist?"
– nixcamic
Others weighed in with a range of opinions.
About 45
"What's funny is how many of them would probably say no, even though they voted for Trump and would do so again. Say whatever else you want about him, but I seriously can't understand how anyone could genuinely believe Trump is a Christian. He's so obviously faking it and is undoubtedly the most atheistic president we've ever had or are likely to have for a long time."
"This is a guy who's never even so much as read the Bible or attended church, who told a conservative radio host his favorite Bible verse was 'an eye for an eye', who told evangelical interviewers that he's never asked God for forgiveness because he's never done anything wrong, and who routinely commits all 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth) without remorse."
– empfindsamkeit
From A Different Perspective
"Not an american but interestingly according to this survey on 1006 people from 2007, being atheist was the worst thing you could be as a candidate (of the things asked) with only 45 % of people saying they'd vote for one."
– ilovecatfish
An atheist candidate isn't necessarily a big strike.
Double Negative
"I wouldn’t not vote for someone just because they were atheist."
– HabitualEnthusiast
Credibility First
"This is it. If they’re running on platforms I support with a history to back up those campaign promises, I don’t care if they belong to the church of the flying spaghetti monster. They could literally be a member of the satanic temple and I, an actual practicing Christian, would give less shi*s than a constipated sloth."
"Edit: yes, I realize the Satanic Temple does not actually worship satan. I used it for that purpose. The Church of Satan has some…problematic views and I probably would not vote for someone who literally holds a platform of eugenics."
– Phoenix_of_Asclepius
Some view the role of religion in politics as important.
It Depends
"Religion can be relevant: I would have strong reservations about voting for a Scientologist, even if I agreed with the policies they proposed. I would have strong reservations voting for a member of an apocalyptic cult or, possibly worse, a follower of the (highly heretical) 'prosperity gospel,' which unfortunately includes more and more so-called 'evangelicals' — I didn't vote for George W. Bush, but it's not because he was an evangelical."
"It depends on the role: I'd probably be more flexible with a legislator than an executive (mayor, governor, president), as their character is IMO more important than for a legislator and their policy stances somewhat less important relative to a legislator."
"Satanic temple — well, that's just an organized group of atheists and humanists with an intentionally inflammatory choice of name. They're generally fine people."
– alyssasaccount
A Bad Rap
"The Satanic Temple is an excellent organization that every decent person should be able to respect. A Church of Satan member, not so much."
"There's a huge difference between them!"
– StarsEatArtBooks
And Redditor boganvegan said it best.
"Better an open atheist than a fake Christian."
It all boils down to trustworthiness. Without full transparency, how could anyone put their faith in a candidate who spews nothing but lies?
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Being home alone isn't always the most tranquil thing.
No one is there to help or protect you.
And things that go "bump" in the night... sometimes they do more than bump.
Redditor ag9910 wanted to hear about the times home felt like an unsafe place to be. They asked:
"What is the scariest, strangest, most unexplainable thing that has happened to you while home alone?"
I'm always freaked out when I'm home alone. Lights on. Yeah, my electric bill is high.
Dorothy?
"I dreamed the front door blew open at the exact time the house alarm went off... I hopped up and sure enough, the front door was open. No intruder."
fatowl
I See You
"Not home alone but only one in right side of the house. Went to my mom's bathroom to wash my hands and saw a pair of feet behind the half open door. Laughed and said 'very funny Ma, I see you.' then finished up and left. Bumped into my mother in the kitchen unpacking, nobody else was in the house. I'm glad whatever was behind the door didn't peek out."
SatanWithFur
“It’s Doug!”
"One night I had forgotten to lock my apartment door and woke up in the middle of the night. My bedroom door was about 2 feet from my front door, as you walked into the apartment. First a big dog ran by, then a person. Holy crap I was so scared and I screeched 'Who is it?!?!!'"
"A man said 'It’s Doug!' As I was thinking to myself, who the f**k is Doug, he said 'oh, crap.' He turned around to go back out the front door saying 'Sorry.' I asked 'Didn’t you have a dog with you?' He said 'Oh, yeah. Hey, c’mon!.' He left, his dog ran out after him and I locked my front door."
"Edit: glad you all thought this was funny, because I did too, once my heart quit trying to beat right out of my chest! The next day the girls at work thought I was crazy for not being upset, but eh, done is done. Peace!"
scarletohairy
Confused...
"My sister and I were home alone and we heard someone big running up the stairs. The stairs make lots of noise with slight pressure so when there’s someone big on them you can tell. I went out of my room to check but saw no one anywhere and my sister also came out of her room and she asked if that was me I said no and we both looked around to see if there was anyone but found no one in the whole house. We were confused and called our parents and just waited until they got back and that was that."
JtSudbury04
I See You
"I very clearly saw a guy walk into my room. But when I went after him there was nobody there. I checked in the closet, under my bed, everywhere one could hide in my room."
HighlyOffensive10
This is why home video surveillance is key.
"NO"
"My parents were on a road trip, just left, and I sat down at my desk. I thought 'Weekend alone by myself' and a voice yelled into my right ear 'NO' so loud it hurt."
Th4ab
Wild
"I managed to lock myself out of my house on my birthday during a tornado while trying to bring my cats to the basement for safety. I later found out that the tornado was approximately a couple miles or less from me at that exact time. The sky was green and it got weirdly calm and then I could hear what sounded like a train coming before I found an unlocked window to climb through. Wild times."
SilverGnarwhal
Saturday morning in the 80s...
"I wasn't home alone but I was awake by myself one Saturday morning in the 80s when I was around 7 or so. I believe my mom was the only one home because my dad went to the lake to go fishing that weekend, and I'm not sure where my older brothers were, maybe they went with him, idk."
"Anyways, my mom's sleeping in, and I'm in the living room by myself, watching Saturday morning cartoons and making a fort out of sheets and cushions. Something made me turn around and I saw my dad in his pajamas standing in the hallway entrance with his hands on his hips, looking the mess I was making and shaking his head."
"He then turned around and walked into my room, which was just off the hallway entrance. Dude. I didn't even look, I just booked it to my parents room and woke my mom up. I don't remember what happened after that, this was around 35 years ago. And yes, my dad was fine, nothing had happened to him."
smriversong
Get the Bat...
"I was at home by myself on a call with some friends when all of a sudden my dog begins to bark like crazy, which was odd since it was the middle of the night and he's usually sleep. I go downstairs to check on him and find him barking at our hall closet, terrified I grabbed my bat that I keep in my room just in case and open the door. There was nothing out of usual at first at then I look down and notice a familiar looking object at the bottom of the closet."
"It was my mom's necklace she had lost when I was 9, (i'm 15 now just to put in perspective how long it's been). I showed it to my mom at breakfast and she was just as shocked as I was. I still have no clue how it got there or how my dog knew it was in there, definitely one of the oddest occurrences of my life."
SomeRandomIdiot14
Meow
"Many years ago, I was 14 or so, my first night alone in the house when my parents were out. Lying on the living room floor reading, my cat sleeping next to me."
"Suddenly, cat wakes up, stares intently into the dark corner of the room behind me, hair on end, growls and then bolts out of the room and upstairs. I look behind me and see nothing, but follow cat upstairs and hide under the covers. Freaked me out."
LairdofWingHaven
Thank God for alarms. I hate being home alone.
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The human body is still such a mystery.
How much do we really know?
Not a lot apparently. We're learning more all the time.
And most of it is gross.
Redditor BathNo7713 wanted to discuss the ick factor of anatomy. So they asked:
"What is the most disturbing fact about the human body?"
The body freaks me out. But it's all I've got. So teach me some things.
Minutes...
"The fastest killing virus takes around 4 days to kill you. That would be Ebola. Your immune system can kill you in 15 minutes."
will477
'locked-in'
"If your brainstem (the part of the brain that mediates most motor control for all of the body) is damaged, you can get 'locked-in' syndrome. That means you're fully conscious and aware of your surroundings but unable to move or speak. The only muscles that remain unaffected in most people are the muscles that move they eyes and the eyelids."
"You're essentially trapped within your own body with your only way of communication being blinking or moving your eyes It can be caused by toxins, blockage of the basilar artery which is the main artery of the brainstem, or other brainstem damage."
4oodler
Explosions
"Some people suffer from Exploding Head Syndrome, which causes them to hear a loud bang when they wake up."
ToraMix19
"When I was younger I believe I experienced this a few times. Sounds I heard were: about a million people talking and laughing all at once, a train that irl would've been about a foot away from me based on the volume of the sound, and a door slamming loudly."
aliaisacreature
Pain
"Not sure if this is by design, but I totaled my car once, almost completely uninjured somehow. Then I looked down to my right hand which I remember jabbing into my dashboard at 55mph. Luckily (unluckily?) only my pinky took the blow. But instead of a floppy-udder full of bone-sand, my pinky was 0.5 inches long."
"Broke no bones, but instead perfectly stacked my phalanges, or finger bones, INTO my hand. This is fixed by a muscular Russian murse grabbing your pinky with both hands and pulling very hard. God I wish they gave me more lidocaine."
TelevisionOlympics
Functions
"If you have a surgery where they need to move your organs around they might not function for a day as the body assumes that they are dead."
tonythebutcher13
Move things around? You mean that's not fake when it happens on "Grey's Anatomy?"
"The only reason you are not aware of it is because the ambient noise kind of drowns it out because your ears focus on it. If you go to one of those super-silent rooms that absorb all sorts of sounds, it is a really weird way to reacquaint yourself with your body."
Black_Handkerchief
The Mouth
"Idk about the most disturbing but how bad human teeth are. We’d think it’s our sugary and processed diets these days that cause it, but even Otzi the iceman discovered in Italy was found to have terrible teeth, mouth diseases and cavities. It’s odd that even with the most basic of diets our teeth are so bad."
Dorianisconfused
In the bowels...
"I noticed this after my abdominal surgery. When I turned over in bed my guts seemed to fall from one side to the other. Mentioned to my doc and she confirmed it was my bowels rearranging themselves."
squatter_
"Apparently the doctor just throws your intestines back in there higgeldy-piggeldy because there isn't a correct way to pack them neatly."
LostDesigner9
A Quick Burst
"There are a vast number of ways that your body can malfunction and kill you with little or no warning. An aneurysm can go undetected until it bursts and kills you. Getting hit in the chest just the right way can stop your heart. You can encounter an allergen that never previously provoked an immune response that freaks out your body so badly that you die. You literally just never know if your body will just... die."
Unsolicited_Spiders
The body is such a conundrum. Sexy and gross all at once.
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