A TikTok mom is going viral for her 'Karen' dance featuring moves named after entitled behavior

• TikTok user @tn_tonya is going viral for jokingly embracing her "culture" and creating a dance called "The Karen."
• In the clip, Tonya demonstrates several original dance moves named after behavior associated with the "Karen" meme.
• In just two days, the video has racked up 4.6 million views and been liked by millions.
• The term "Karen" itself has become controversial, with some arguing it's sexist and racist.

So-called "Karen" content is spurring a larger discussion about white womanhood, entitlement, and accountability. It's also inspiring quite a few memes and touchstone moments online.

The latest viral moment is a TikTok dance called "The Karen," created by TikTok user @tn_Tonya (who goes by Tennessee Tonya on the app). In just two days, the video has racked up nearly 5 million views.

While Tonya previously won over viewers with her parenting advice, positive videos, and takes on TikTok trends, her interpretation of the "Karen" phenomenon has made her a viral sensation.

"I have created a dance inspired by some of the most high profile women of my culture," she captioned the first frame of the clip, adding that she calls her dance creation "The Karen."

As Eric Prydz's "Call on Me" plays in the background, Tonya demonstrates her dance moves, including the "I want to see the manager," the "I'm the victim here," the "Everyone owes me," and the "Hello, my life is being threatened" — a reference to Amy Cooper, a white woman who now faces charges after calling the police on a Black bird watcher in New York's Central Park.

@tn_tonya

My tribute. ##karen ##okkaren ##karens ##karensgoingwild

♬ original sound - cvandrunen20

The dance moves all reference behavior associated with the "Karen" phenomenon. What first began as meme shorthand to describe white women acting in an entitled way has become a part of the vernacular — a succinct way to clock white women behaving badly, especially when that behavior involves racism or another form of discrimination.

In just two days, the video has been viewed 4.6 million times and received thousands of comments. Since posting the clip, Tonya has reached 220,000 followers on TikTok — and she thanked her new fans with another video.

"Karen"-spotting has become a way of confronting the complicated space white women occupy as victims of misogyny and gendered discrimination, possessors of privilege, and perpetrators of racism. Instagram meme accounts are racking up millions of followers by documenting "Karen sightings" and teenagers are alleviating their quarantine boredom by roleplaying as "Karens" online.

The "Karen" meme is not without controversy. People have criticized the term as sexist, noting there's not a similar trend around white men who have committed similar trangressions. Some worry about the impact of mass outrage over video snippets that flatten a person's life into a single recorded moment, leaving them vulnerable to doxxing and harassment. And still others argue against using the name "Karen" because they say it gives a non-threatening and de-personalized moniker to deeply harmful behavior — effectively allowing these women to distance themselves from their actions.

Read more:

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