Gen Z says “Karen” is out — and a new name for rude, entitled women is going viral
The “Karen” era is ending, but a quieter, more digital form of entitlement is taking over customer service nightmares.
For a long time, everyone seemed to agree on one name for a certain type of entitled behaviour: “Karen.” If a woman argued with a manager, tried to enforce rules in a public space, or lost her cool in a café, she was often labeled as a “Karen.” The name became the default way to describe aggressive behaviour in public. However, as trends change, so does language. According to Gen Z, the “Karen” era is over. A new term is emerging to describe similar behaviour, and it offers a radically different approach to identifying rude women today.
The new name
While the stereotype of the “Karen” is fading, the behaviour it represents is still very much alive, just under a new name: “Jessica.” Though the name has changed, the way she expresses her entitlement has evolved.
The “Karen” was known for making a scene. She was the woman yelling at a barista or standing in a parking lot to block a car from moving. She used her voice as a weapon, and she fought her battles in public, physical spaces. The “Jessica” persona is much quieter and operates mainly online. Instead of causing a ruckus in a store, she prefers to address her grievances from behind a computer screen, where she has more control.
Instead of asking to speak to a manager in person, Jessica takes to social media to publicly express her thoughts. She crafts carefully worded emails that land in someone’s inbox early on a Monday morning. Instead of threats to call the police, she creates detailed documents outlining every little mistake someone made. It’s a more organized form of entitlement, with a desire to damage a reputation through her online efforts.
Public reactions
As soon as the news about the name change spread, people had a lot to say. For women who actually have the name, it made them feel bad. “I’m Jessica, and I’m super nice,” one person pleaded in the comments. It is an unfortunate side effect of these trends. Thousands of nice women named Karen had to put up with years of jokes, and now the Jessicas of the world are on defense. They have to hope their personal reputations are strong enough to survive the new slang.
However, some people refuse to accept this change, insisting that the name “Karen” is too well-known to be replaced. One user commented, “It’s been Karen and always will be Karen. 2003 baby btw”. One person shared a personal experience with dealing with Jessica with rude and entitled behaviour, “Omg yes!! I recently dealt with the worst Jessica over email”, expressing frustrations many people face in customer service or office jobs.
In addition, there’s a growing sense of weariness about these ongoing changes in language. One critic said, “I think Gen Z needs to stop coming up with things, they aren’t that good at it.” While many Gen Z individuals are embracing these trends, Millennials are feeling worn out by them. They emphasize bringing about meaningful change in how we communicate and treat each other, rather than labeling women by specific names.
Why it matters
This new labeling raises questions about how society labels and reacts to women’s behavior. We rarely see male equivalents receive the same level of attention or be called out for their behaviors. While we’ve seen terms like “Kevin” or “Kyle” from time to time, they haven’t gained popularity like “Karen” has. This disparity shows that society tends to label and stereotype women when they express discontent, regardless of how valid their concerns might be, as one person put it on Reddit, “Terms like ‘Karen’ can definitely feel like a weapon to silence women, turning legitimate concerns into a label for any woman expressing discomfort or frustration.”
The introduction of the name “Jessica” also signals a generational shift in target audiences. The “Karen” meme aimed initially to call out obvious privilege. “Jessica,” conversely, was one of the most popular names for girls born in the 1980s and 90s. By choosing this new name, Gen Z is directing its criticism toward entitled Millennials. The name change is a way of redirecting frustration upward, toward people they see as controlling or out of touch.
However, it’s important to recognize that these labels can harm women who share these names, dragging them into jokes and stereotypes they didn’t ask for.
While the names may change over time, the way society judges women for showing frustration remains the same. As long as women voice their concerns, whether loudly or quietly, society seems to find a name for it. For now, that name is Jessica, at least until the internet finds a new way to tell women that they are complaining the wrong way.
