Yes, we’ve got more adaptations than we can count, and that means that Hollywood needs to find new ways to spin the same old tale. This has left filmmakers to ask themselves a question uttered by their predecessors for decades: “What’s our current version of Ebenezer Scrooge?” For whatever reason, the bright minds behind two new films have both decided to replace the miserly old coot with the trope for privileged white women, who arm themselves with actual intent to harm: Karens.
It’s okay to shudder along with me. The “Karen” joke has been around for years, but it came to particular cultural significance in summer 2020, following a slew of viral incidents where Karen figures threatened police retaliation against people of color for simply living their lives. Since then, it has been co-opted by white people and devolved into Facebook memes and “comedy” videos posted by multi-billionaires. Needless to say, the Karen joke has not just lost its significance, but its humor too.
And that’s when Hollywood comes a-knockin’!
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