Funny Names tocall Someone Named Brandon
First Karen. Then Ken. Now Brandon. The Internet, and some people, can be unforgiving if you happen to have a name that goes viral.
Brandon is the latest name to show up in internet memes — in an insulting way. The internet's strong enough to (unfortunately) bring fame to your name for a little while.
Here's background on each meme and what they mean.
'Karen'
"Let me speak to the manager" has been deemed a "Karen-esque" phrase. The name has come to mean a white woman perceived to be entitled or demanding. The meme typically shows up during incidents that are racist or when a woman uses her privilege to get her way. It also applies to a woman sporting a particular bob hairstyle.
'Let's go, Brandon' secretly insults President Biden. 'Thank you, Brandon' just means thanks
The exact origin of Karen is unknown, but the meme gained steam during 2020 in the early stages of the COVID pandemic and among Black Lives Matter protests.
To all the Karens out there cringing when your name is used as an insult, fear not, you have some company. The "Karens United" private Facebook group — 1,700 members as of Nov. 2 — is a group of women named Karen who want to support and encourage each other amid the negative use of their name.
According to the group's bio, "the 'Karen' meme is no longer a harmless internet joke. In 2019, the memes were often funny — a typical meme featured a cute cat complaining that 'Karen' had forgotten to buy cat treats. But now, some people are using the name 'Karen' as a serious term of abuse, and it's having harmful effects. Some of the women in the group have experienced harassment in public places or in the workplace. Others are simply tired of seeing their name hijacked and used as if it were a dirty word."
"Karens United" doesn't tolerate bullying, explaining that the meme insults "vulnerable people: senior citizens, young children, and low-paid retail workers, as anyone named Karen (and even the children and grandchildren of women named Karen) can become a target for bullying."
The group is specifically for people named Karen — including variations of the name like Carren or Caryn. For those not named Karen but sympathetic to this cause, there is another Facebook group, Karens United Against Karen Memes.
A Facebook group of "nonbullying" Karen memes exists, too. This group's bio outlines its rules: "Make sure everyone feels safe. Bullying of any kind isn't allowed, and degrading comments about things like race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated."
Thanks to DeSantis, 'Brandon, Florida' (and secret Biden insult 'Let's go, Brandon') is trending
'Ken'
Years ago, "Ken" used to mean "Barbie's boyfriend" or "Barbie and Ken." These days, the name Ken refers to a male version of "Karen," or a white man perceived to be entitled or demanding.
A "Let's go, Brandon" message made it on a Sarasota Walgreens sign
'Let's go, Brandon'
Since Oct. 2, the trending phrase "Let's go, Brandon" has spread like wildfire on social media, pop culture and among politicians. But despite its cheery sentiment, the phrase is actually a coded insult to President Joe Biden. It's really isn't "let's go, Brandon," it's meant to be "(Expletive) Joe Biden."
Last month during the Xfinity Series NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, driver Brandon Brown was being interviewed by NBC Sports after he won. The NASCAR crowd was chanting something in the background that the sports reporter assumed was "Let's go, Brandon" to cheer on the 28-year-old NASCAR driver. The crowd apparently was chanting "(Expletive) Joe Biden."
Since then, the meme has made the rounds on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, with politicians like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, and State Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, sharing or posting "Let's go, Brandon" messages on their social networks.
Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge closed a House floor speech with the phrase and a fist pump: "They want you to help put America back where you found it and leave it the hell alone. Let's go, Brandon!" (You can see a clip of Posey in the video at the top of this story.)
The name itself isn't an insult. But if you're a parent with a child named Brandon, and you want to encourage your kid with that common motivational phrase, it's probably best to avoid it — for now. Same goes for anyone you know that's named Brandon. Husband, boyfriend, brother, father, colleague, classmate, teammate, etc.
Source: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2021/11/02/lets-go-brandon-insult-joe-biden-joins-karen-ken-internet-memes/6249709001/