Over the past two years, the term “Space Karen” has been thrown around quite a lot. In a period of 2020, it was a trending term on Twitter, and now, it’s back again on the same platform, this time for different reasons (but referring to the same person). Here’s why this nickname’s been coined and what exactly it refers to.

Who Is Space Karen?

Space Karen is one of many nicknames for Elon Musk. It’s likely that this is a name he does not appreciate, unlike Elongated Muskrat. It became a trending term in 2020 after a tweet calling Musk out for making workers return to working at Tesla despite significant COVID-19 restrictions in the area.

Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX and has a known infatuation with space, leading to the two terms being linked together as a way to mock Musk’s actions during the pandemic (which some considered Karen-like), while also looping in one of the most common aspects of his persona (space).

Musk’s behavior during the pandemic was sometimes compared to that of a stereotypical Karen, which is generally a middle-aged white woman who acts extremely entitled and essentially throws tantrums whenever she can’t speak to the manager.

Musk might not fit the Karen profile very well, but people have found ways to ensure that he is perceived as one. For example, Karens tend to have the same notorious haircut, which some people photoshopped onto Elon Musk’s photos as this term started to trend.

Why Is Space Karen Trending Again?

Space Karen is back again because Elon Musk is now in charge of Twitter, and a lot of people aren’t exactly thrilled with the way he’s been running things. One of his more recent moves involved reinstating some banned users to Twitter, including Jordan Peterson and Donald Trump.

Those who disagree with this (and some other recent changes Musk has made to the platform) are spreading Space Karen around again, likely in the hopes that it’ll trend and annoy Musk himself as he sorts through what Twitter users are talking about each day.

Ultimately, Space Karen is just a way to mildly annoy Elon Musk. For the many Twitter users who aren’t happy about his takeover, this is a small thing they see as a way to get back at him — since Musk is very well-versed in online culture and knows what a Karen is.

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For the full details on Space Karen, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.