( Image credit : Netflix | The name Karen became shorthand for a specific stereotype: middle-aged white women with choppy haircuts, questionable political views, and a passion for demanding managers. )
Goodbye Karen, hello Jessica
For years, Karen was the undefeated champion of online insults. The name became shorthand for a specific stereotype: middle-aged white women with choppy haircuts, questionable political views, and a passion for demanding managers. But as memes evolve and attention spans shrink, Gen Z wants a fresher label. And Jessica has apparently been nominated as the successor.
( Image credit : Netflix | Karen culture stuck around for half a decade, fuelled especially by the pandemic era. But Gen Z believes it is time for a refresh. )
Does that mean every Jessica alive is doomed to side-eye and suspicion? TikTok says… probably.
The shift builds on the legacy of viral moments that solidified the Karen meme in the first place, from a gun-wielding couple pointing weapons at protestors, to a woman calling the police on a Black man simply asking her to leash her dog. Karen culture stuck around for half a decade, fuelled especially by the pandemic era. But Gen Z believes it is time for a refresh.
One viral TikTok post collected more than 20,000 comments debating the perfect new insult-name. Jessica dominated. A huge number of commenters insisted that Jessica should take the throne, with some offering alternatives like Ashley, but Jessica took the crown by popular vote.
( Image credit : Netflix | The shift builds on the legacy of viral moments that solidified the Karen meme in the first place, from a gun-wielding couple pointing weapons at protestors, to a woman calling the police on a Black man simply asking her to leash her dog. )
Multiple users shared their own opinions, with one saying they had never met a Jessica they found pleasant, while another joked that both Jessica and Ashley had traumatised them equally. Someone else claimed they have never met a Jessica who did not fit the Karen mould.
Of course, internet consensus is not exactly scientific, but TikTok rarely cares about accuracy.
The backlash and comedy have made life awkward for anyone called Jessica, especially since the name remains incredibly common. For every judgemental stereotype, there are hundreds of sweet Jessicas minding their business, definitely not screaming for middle-management intervention.
Still, the online verdict feels sealed. Karen culture is apparently evolving, not disappearing, and Jessica is the new Gen Z-approved stand-in. Whether it sticks long-term remains to be seen, but the internet is already running with the joke. Jessicas everywhere: this is your warning. Behave angelically, or risk becoming the new meme.
