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This Redditor's Story Of A Baby Named Karen Proves The Name Needs To Dissappear Completely
There's a pretty rough interpretation of the name Karen nowadays. While it was once a wildly popular name, nowadays, it's falling out of favor. It's pretty clear why this is happening, since Karen memes and meltdown clips can be found everywhere. So, what happens when someone close to you tries to name their child Karen? Do you warn them against it, or keep quiet?
A Redditor named /u/LightningStr grappled with this dilemma and shared the results on /r/AmITheAsshole, starting the thread in 2019. After she decided to tell her cousin about the bad reputation of the name Karen, the new mother did not heed her warning, and the consequences of the name became clear in baby Karen's life by 2022. Here's the whole story, which has gone viral on Reddit.
How It All Began
So OP started this topic in 2019 on /r/AmITheAsshole. She told the story of her cousin's poor choice in baby names, and explained that her cousin (and her husband, who also consented to the name) are not familiar with memes and online culture. OP was more aware of the problem, as were the other many people who sat through her baby name announcement but didn't bother to speak up.
Bringing Up the Subject
I appreciate the Know Your Meme mention in here. Good to know OP is well-educated.
Stephanie Was Not Happy
Stephanie got a lot of hate in the comments for her behavior, but as OP mentioned in a later update, she holds no resentment towards her cousin because the pregnancy hormones were wreaking havoc on her, citing an example of Stephanie crying while watching a cat food commercial. So I guess this reaction isn't that surprising?
Reddit Decided OP Was in the Wrong
OP was given the distinction TA, meaning she was judged by a jury of Redditors to be the one in the wrong in this situation. Honestly, nowadays, many of us would absolutely be on OP's side. But keep in mind this saga started in 2019, when Karen was still a fairly popular name even though it was also a viral meme. Honestly, if I were OP, I wouldn't be able to not say something, though.
A Wholesome Twist
It's always good to see a reminder once in a while that not all Karens are…well, you know, Karens. It's great that OP was able to find a new meaning to the name despite all the Karens out there who have ruined it for others.
Then, Stephanie Had Regrets
So Stephanie probably should have listened to her cousin when she was warned, right? Now, she's in disbelief over how negative the name's connotation is, but OP tried to tell her and she refused to even let her explain. Baby names are probably something you should give a little more thought to than this, since if she'd Googled "Karen" beforehand she'd know her cousin was right.
Then, OP Posted Another Update
This update came in late October of 2022. It's good to know baby Karen is doing great! Unfortunately, there's still something standing in the way of her life being perfect. That name isn't going away, and her family soon realized their mistake.
Things Got Rough for Baby Karen
I wasn't aware that daycare children were old enough to even know what a Karen is, but if they are, then certainly everyone else who encounters this girl for the rest of her life will cringe at the name as well. It's sad that she was bullied, and hopefully changing her name to Karrie will help prevent this nightmare from continuing in the future, even though it's not a full legal name change.
A Final Note from OP
So, moral of the story: don't name your kid Karen. Just don't do it. If you're thinking of ever naming a child Karen, perhaps you stumbled upon this article for a reason. Despite your best efforts, your child will be associated with the hive mind of middle-aged white women who hurl insults at retail workers and people of color while also demanding to speak to the manager. I'm glad baby Karen, now Karrie, has a family who's finally realized this needs to stop. Hopefully, more people will, too, because the internet is full of people who never forget a meme, especially one as huge as the millions of Karens among us.
