‘They are turning up everywhere!’ The Project’s Peter Helliar laments the rise of the ‘Karen’ phenomenon while Carrie Bickmore admits she’s been known to be one at times
With the ‘Karen’ phenomenon gaining momentum, The Project’s panelists tried to shed some light on the viral nickname.
Host Peter Helliar explained that it referred to women who were ‘sometimes obnoxious, often aggressive and they’re demanding to speak to the manager’.
The 45-year-old comedian said it’s a generic nickname given to ‘middle-aged white women’ who try to ‘wield their superior self-ness to their advantage’.
Explaining it: With the ‘Karen’ phenomenon gaining momentum, The Project’s panelists tried to shed some light on the viral nickname. Pictured, Peter Helliar
Fellow panelist Carrie Bickmore argued the nickname was sexist, and made a surprising admission.
‘I have been known to be a Karen at times, I’m sure. First of all, no guy ever gets Karen,’ the 39-year-old said.
‘… it’s a thing we attach to women, the whingy, whiny thing. It’s definitely a female thing. It is.’
Sexist: Fellow panelist Carrie Bickmore argued the nickname was sexist. ‘I have been known to be a Karen at times, I’m sure. First of all, no guy ever gets Karen,’ the 39-year-old said
Guest panelist Liz Ellis claimed the nickname was being used as ‘a catch-all for women who are assertive’.
‘I would like to complain to the manager about this,’ the 47-year-old joked.
According to The Project, the phrase ‘Karen’ was coined back in 2005 by American comedian Dane Cook.
Talk to a manager: Guest panelist Liz Ellis claimed the nickname was being used as ‘a catch-all for women who are assertive’. ‘I would like to complain to the manager about this,’ she added
According to Urban Dictionary, a ‘Karen’ is ‘the stereotypical name associated with rude, obnoxious and insufferable middle-aged white women’.
‘They are turning up everywhere. Being racist. And point blank refusing to comply with authority,’ continued Pete.
Explaining how they got the nickname in the first place, Pete said ‘Karen’ was the number one name for baby girls in 1969.
Making the most of it: A ‘Karen’ who made news headlines recently is Jodi Grollo, aka ‘Karen from Brighton’, who now spoofs her newfound notoriety on Instagram
‘And now, 51 years on, Aussie Karens are on the march,’ he continued, before showing clips of recent ‘Karens’.
A ‘Karen’ who made news headlines recently is Jodi Grollo, aka ‘Karen from Brighton’, who now spoofs her newfound notoriety on Instagram, after claiming she’d been walking all over Melbourne’s Brighton amid the pandemic.
As of Tuesday evening, Jodi has 12,500 followers.
But after seeing how upsetting the ‘Karen’ nickname was to women who are actually named ‘Karen’, panelist Waleed Aly argued the situation had gotten ‘out of control’.
Spiralling: After seeing how upsetting the ‘Karen’ nickname was to women who are actually named ‘Karen’, panelist Waleed Aly argued the situation had gotten ‘out of control’