Internet memes are generally blunt, sweeping and mean. But it is also not without widespread consensus. So, the derogative names to describe entitled women, yoga momma’s and latte queens can be particularly apt. I don’t typically have run ins with this demographic but unfortunately and occasionally, I’ve experienced more than my fair share to believe that this meme is very much alive and well.

The Karen. I was driving eastbound on a fairly busy street one day and about 200 meters ahead, I saw a minivan pull out from a parking lot intending to go eastbound as well. Except they were waiting to enter the packed left turn lane and as a result, wound up blocking the through and right turn lanes. The traffic light had already turned red, and so the minivan blocked not only me but an entire 2 lines of cars behind me. This middle age Karen felt indignant and refused to acknowledge the bottleneck she’d created and dismissed all the car horns. As I was the first car, I was close enough to ask if she realized what she was doing. She had the audacity to say I was speeding. As I was particular combative that day, so I barked back, “Your ass is in the middle of the road blocking the world and it’s someone else’s fault? You’re a pretty righteous female, aren’t you?” I didn’t mean to shut her up. Actually, I did. Few things offend me more than righteousness. It signals a lack of empathy and just the general collapse of basic courtesy on the part of this woman. I could have been patient and waited for her to haul ass. But I’m sure she’s used to people bending to her whims in silent simmer. She’s probably seldom heard the word ‘no’ being used at her.

The Becky. I was tending to my lawn and I must have had some garden tools and a leaf bag on the sidewalk. I didn’t realize it until a couple with a baby carriage walked by wanting to pass. I apologized. The man smiled and simply said it wasn’t a problem and steered around the obstacles. His wife, a younger version of a Karen, felt indignant that I had the balls to lay obstacles in her path inconveniencing her privilege ass. She made a point of kicking the bag out of the way and the contempt on her puss was actually embarrassing, even for her husband. I felt sorry for her. And it is really unfortunate for everyone when she knows no other reality than subjugated male partners who dutifully bow to her impulses.

 

We don’t tolerate poor behavior in children and often call it out. Where it makes sense, we should do the same for adults—especially adults—as their behavior can be mirrored by impressionables.

 

Then there’s the Stacy. This is a younger Becky in training who feels everything and everyone is beneath them. Unfortunately, their stereotyped white, blonde, porn-star body has origins from incel cultures where dysfunctional white males blame them for their lack of a sex life. I typically don’t run into this group of young women except as servers at restaurants and bars. They hustle for tips but aren’t mature to realize that the amount of tips they can shake out of a middle-aged guy like me, doesn’t depend on showing more skin—as I’m not skirt chaser fueled on testosterone. I’m a man who appreciates authentic banter and respectful service. If I wanted to order something off the menu, I wouldn’t have chosen to sit at a restaurant and gawk at attention seekers whose self-worth is tethered to physical attributes but anchored in fear of loneliness and abandonment.

While all of these labels are used to describe white females, it should not be viewed as racist and misogynic. The terms encapsulate privileged and entitled behavior often exhibited by a demographic, not the other way around. And despite the fact that this article may seem to be a venting of frustrations, it was written to tell of our current reality; a mirror held in front of us giving all an opportunity to improve our own experiences.

We don’t tolerate poor behavior in children and often call it out. Where it makes sense, we should do the same for adults—especially adults—as their behavior can be mirrored by impressionables. These memes aren’t kind. But they also don’t have to be eternal. The only people who hate the meme’s more are the real-life Karen’s, Becky’s and Stacy’s themselves and their real partners and possibly, their kids.