A history in memes: how Jennifer Aniston became the Queen of Karens

Jennifer Aniston has long been a beloved star of the small screen, winning hearts over for her portrayal of Rachel Green on the 90s sitcom Friends. However, the star’s legacy has been marred by a recent viral moment she had with Oscar-winner, Jamie Foxx.

The latter actor posted an image on his Instagram stating “They killed this dude name (sic) Jesus ... What do you think they’ll do to you?”

In an apology post, Foxx shared that it was in reference to a former friend of his but Aniston misunderstood it as a swipe at Jewish people. When she shared on her Instagram stories that Foxx’s post was anti-Semitic, a number of social media users noted that she had incorrectly inferred its meaning when it was actually AAVE, African American Vernacular English.

The issue has since spiralled into Aniston being mocked for her reaction and some users calling her the “Queen of Karens”.

As the Karen term continues to be divisive, it has a long and rich history that precedes Aniston’s blunder.

According to the Know Your Meme archive site, it all began with Mean Girls. The scene in particular features actress, Amanda Seyfried who plays Karen asking why someone would be white if they came from Africa. While that line was quite popular, one of her besties who reprimands her for asking people about their racial identities. The scene has been referenced in a number of scenes, first appearing in a Harry Potter meme in 2010.

While fans of Will & Grace might make the mistake of thinking the show’s acerbic Karen Walker might have something to do with the meme, the next pop cultural contribution to the name’s descent into internet stardom would be American comedian, Dane Cook, who did a bit on an annoying woman named Karen who could be found in different social groups.

Nearly a decade later, in 2015, Jay Pharoah shared the same sentiment in his own stand-up show. 

According to Insider, the memeification of Karen was cemented in 2017, when a misogynistic Reddit forum on hating Karen-type women emerged. It would use reality TV star Kate Gosselin, who sported an asymmetrical bob during the heyday of her series Jon and Kate Plus 8 that followed the couple and their octuplets. While Gosselin did not have the haircut too long while in the spotlight, she told People magazine that she went for the style due to her “very thick hair” that many have since adopted. This succeed the groundbreaking chop named “The Rachel” that was made famous by Aniston and has similarities to the “Afrikaans teacher hairstyle” memes that seem to marry both with Aniston’s volume and Gosselin’s highlights.

The Insider reported that the meme would travel with Gosselin, whose 10-year divorce battle would conclude in 2019. The same year that the Karen trope was attributed to a woman looking to walk away with her children in a divorce. A number of viral moments followed during this time which spawned a number of nicknames for the women in them. This culminated in the name being given to Amy Cooper, a woman who argued with a black man in New York’s Central Park. While calling on the police, Cooper lies to get her way. An incident that coincided with conversations on white privilege and police brutality in the US.

Online users dubbed her the Central Park Karen for her behaviour that directly matched the meme lore and the name caught on like wildfire when a series of other women were caught being belligerent in public during the pandemic’s harsher restrictions.

While Cooper would get the crown as Queen of the Karens for the reactions that were elicited for her behaviour, Aniston’s ascent into getting the royal title comes a short while after Foxx recovered from an unknown medical emergency that left many of his fans perturbed.

While it may not be her 90s hairstyle, Aniston landed in hot water due to a previous viral moment with her and other white Hollywood stars who took a selfie while dining with no other people of colour in sight. To make matters worse, the star did not respond to the corrections sent to her but removed comments from her Instagram. 

Whether she faces the threat of ultimately being cancelled in a situation that makes her look like a villain of a man in recovery, only time can tell just how long the new Queen of Karens will last.