The Surprising History of 'Karens'

What do Alexa, Adolf and Karen have in common? They're all names that have plummeted in popularity. The most recent, Karen, is largely due to the meme-powered phenomenon of calling out white privilege by calling someone a 'Karen'. What is the history of calling out privilege in this way? Is this a force for good, or has it become sexist? Today Kate is joined by Senior Lecturer of Language and Linguistics at Leeds Trinity University, Linda Walz, who has researched this social phenomenon in great depth. This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT - sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe . You can take part in our listener survey here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.