The Brief: Some members of Gen Z have started calling Gen X the "Karen Generation," referencing a stereotype of a white mom who's always demanding to speak to the manager.

Bluesquiggle
DEEP DIVE

Ok, Karen.

According to a Buzzfeed News article by generation is safe from intergenerational rivalry and name-calling. Baby Boomers call Millennials and Zoomers snowflakes, who in turn respond Ok Boomer, or occasionally, Ok Trumper. While Gen X had preciously caught a break from ridicule from the other generations, the Karen moniker proves otherwise.

The Buzzfeed article “Gen Z Is Calling Gen X The ‘Karen Generation'” cites several instances in which young people have labeled their parents’ generation as a group of “Karens,” due to their perceived close-mindedness, acceptance of the status quo, and the fact that Karen is a fairly popular first name of people born between 1961 and 1981.

Karens React

While some Gen X-ers are clearly upset with this label, others point out that Gen X-ers’ tendency towards apathy mean they won’t be shaken by this insult. The Karen title has become a badge of honor for some Gen X-ers who have crowned Karen Walker of Will & Grace as the ultimate Karen spokeswoman and heroine.