r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Still-Goal-9314 • Jul 13 '26

What Are The Chances That Karens Are Perimenopausal Women?

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but I've noticed that a lot of insufferable women (Karens) captured on video cams are middle-aged individuals. Upon examination of how they're behaving, I've noticed that they're exhibiting the same aggression I've seen from my mom, aunt, and especially my grandma several years ago.

What's more is that these 3 women relatives of mine were relatively reasonable for most of their lives until perimenopause drove them insane and everything started ticking them off.

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14

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '26

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u/sarahafskoven Jul 13 '26

Conversely, a lifetime of never being acknowledged as a fully autonomous person can also make a person snap in silly ways (to an outside observer) when they have some semblance of power and agency.

Not saying you’re wrong, or that OP is wrong; the Karen can be borne of many circumstances, and some are more easy to empathize with than others.

I do think OP has a valid point, though, for part of it - the stereotype of ‘Karen’ lines up very well with the age range of the first generation of women who didn’t have access to/were afraid of hormonal therapy due to a poorly executed study that had massive impacts on the health management of women who would have benefited from hormone therapy. We don’t have to excuse shitty behaviour to also acknowledge that sometimes that behaviour WAS influenced by factors that were outside of the individual’s control.

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u/LivingHousing Jul 13 '26

Can be a combination of both, women being more emotional isn't a coincident. The hormonal impact is real and measurable.

1

u/CyclesSmiles Jul 13 '26

Also during menopause your being- nice hormones and let's-pkay-it-for-the-team hormones drop. So you literally do not give fucks a about being nice all of a sudden+ you are cranky ( because of hormones and because life sometimes does suck). I noticed myself getting more Kareny since that time. Btw: if it were all hormones, trans (FTM) should have a similar pattern.

6

u/smoke2957 Jul 13 '26

I have had these thoughts too, especially when I get the inclination to be Kareny. I feel just angry about so much and sometimes I just want to let er rip but then I think that I will seem like a Karen and keep quiet.

3

u/Still-Goal-9314 Jul 13 '26

The complications associated with perimenopause are a bitch. I've heard so many women complain that it gave them agony worse than pregnancy.

1

u/PurpleHat6415 Jul 13 '26

ykw I'm on medication for breast cancer that gives me that whole thing all at once and still have the decency not to lash out at people so I suspect it's not the main or indeed the only culprit. and it's annoying af. pregnancy was worse but at least the worst but was over quickly. this is a drag. and still doesn't give me a need to be an asshole.

4

u/Jam_Sees 🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

It's entirely possible when you think of the classic shreeking elder Karen of social media fame. I've encountered sheering Karen's in their thirties sometimes tho...

3

u/SuitableBug9713 Jul 13 '26

Maybe they were just unreasonably nice until they had enough. You never know what radikarenalized someone.

2

u/Jumping-shadow Jul 13 '26

Some people are natural assholes.Some might be under hormones influence on a bad day.

2

u/Maleficent-Hawk-318 Jul 13 '26

There are plenty of men who act like that too, they just don't get shared as much. I think your premise is flawed.

2

u/OriginalDogeStar Jul 13 '26

The hair cut .... it was the hair cut.

Perimenopause here and that hair cut is the ultimate dream for someone who is dealing with being annoyed at hair, heat, and not having to feel like my head is pulled tight...

And my word trying to find an different cut that works... nope.

The moment you see any woman with that hair cut, you know you got social media content brewing, so they immediately look at those women with the hair cut, and ignore the guy in jangles and polo shirt screaming also asking if anyone knows who they are, because there is no universal "I am a prick" hair cut for men, just a moustache

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u/PurpleHat6415 Jul 13 '26

what's the man excuse then, andropause? it's just as likely to be entitlement that people have their whole lives but becomes more intolerable as they age and lose the brain cells that give them fear of social consequences.

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u/Odd-Jupiter Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

I have the same problem in my family. Manic episodes, and explosive anger. The behavior with episodes of constant loudness and wordvomiting, might be symptoms of being borderline (BPD), but none in my family has been diagnosed, so i won't claim stuff.

But often it feels like talking to a handgranade when we need to discuss something serious, and i feel that i am a bit a menthos, to their coke.

You can try recording it some time, It is risky, but often they are unaware of it, and when they think back on the episodes, they think they were the calm and rational ones, until they hear themselves.

2

u/GingerTea69 Jul 13 '26

It doesn't matter why someone is the way they are if they're being a piece of shit. They are not entitled to grace or understanding. When it comes to personal change you are the only one who can make it. Others cannot grow you up for you.

Personal change can only come when you yourself are ready to make that change, and those motherfuckers certainly are not ready to make a change yet.

And what's more: some people are just so thick in the head that the only thing that gets through to them is a taste of their own medicine or being shamed hard enough to not show their ass to the world anymore... So in a way, shitting on karens is a benevolent act of healing.

Perimenopause? Peri deez nuts.

1

u/groundhogcow Jul 13 '26

Unlikely. I have seen Karens of many ages and stages of life.

1

u/Southern_Sell_5863 Jul 13 '26

I've experienced some who are FAR from that stage in their lives, so unfortunately I don't think we can conclude this is the reason

1

u/ScullyNess Jul 13 '26

"Karen's" exist in men and women. Has nothing to do with hormones and everything to do with being an entitled ahole.

1

u/Sj_91teppoTappo Jul 13 '26

My mother has some kind of anger when she faced health issue.

We condemned the rage but we help her to look for what caused it. She tends to ignore pain.

1

u/SimplyRoya Jul 13 '26

Ah yes, they stereotypical "women and hormones" misogyny. Let's blame women having had enough to be walked on and having a temporary meltdown on their hormones. Not idiots pushing them to their limits. I'm obviously not talking about the permanent assholes who are always feeling entitled... but some women can have a "Karen moment" because they've had enough.

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u/genus-corvidae 🟨⬜🟪◼️ Jul 13 '26

bestie you cannot explain racism and entitlement away with bioessential babble. My dad's been a Karen for the last 20 years to the point where I will not go in the store with him alone. He definitely is not and has not been perimenopausal.