Karin Schimke and Karen Jeynes know better than anyone what it means to be a ‘Karen’. Their name has become synonymous with privileged, white women memes about entitlement and abuse of social status. But while Schimke and Jeyne’s first name has placed them on the receiving end of numerous jokes, they don’t take offence. Rather, the South African writers see it as an opportunity for growth. That’s why Schimke and Jeynes teamed up to help other Karens, using a skill crucial to disarming those on the defensive – humour.
In 2020, the writers released The Karen Book of Rules, unpacking the complexities of identity with a healthy dose of parody. While ‘Karen’ is a stereotype, beneath it lies an element of truth. Caricatures may spread about angry Karens demanding to speak to the manager but real-life events of entitled women going as far as calling the police on people of colour, for innocuous activities, are not isolated incidents. “We hope that our satire helps our message about socio-politics and privilege go down a little bit easier,” Jeynes says.
With quizzes to determine whether or not you’re a Karen, tips on how to apologise, and tables differentiating between Karen and non-Karen behaviours, the book provides an avenue for white women to understand their position and use it for good. “This book will make you laugh, but more than that it’ll make you think,” Schimke says.
The Karen Book of Rules is not simply a call to taking personal accountability, but to strengthening society. “What’s important is having awareness of the way in which your life bumps up against the lives of other people,” Schimke says. Giving readers the chance to recognise and laugh at themselves, these two writers are building empathy and unity. “Karens can use their power to change the world for the better,” Jeynes says.
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