I will stop using Karen as a slur. It is unfair to all the wonderful Karens. Some words are not appropriate for our lexicon. Instead of perpetuating the cliché, I'd like to dedicate this entire post to Karen, a beautiful flight attendant.
Karen is a bad word for flight attendants like Karen.
In my recent United flight review, I mentioned Karen Braum. For a refresher:
She was so attentive, so friendly and such a joy.
Bad service in the air is something that always makes me wonder. I have seen flight attendants who are passionate about their work and take pride in providing excellent customer service. It was on my way to Chicago that I witnessed it. I was with the flight attendants who assisted an elderly disabled man to the lavatory. Karen had such joy, it made me smile.
United used to offer wine flights on Polaris Business Class. The wine flight included beautiful glasses and a three-glass holder that allowed passengers to sample different wines from the menu.
It was a very popular part of Polaris' soft product. However, United cut it in 2018. This was due to the fact that the wine budget was not only broken but also exponentially broken.
Karen brought three bottles of white wine, three plastic cups, and created a wine flight. After the meal, she offered to clean my cup (real glass) that I brought from home.
She offered to put slippers on my bed and a mattress pad, along with an extra water bottle. She would always appear in a friendly manner and was very polite. I remember her asking me if she could help me get something from the overhead bin.
I fell asleep, slept well and woke up to see that landing was in 34 minutes.
It was great, I slept through breakfast
Karens watch?
After I had stirred, she appeared magically and offered me breakfast.
According to standard protocol, breakfast service should begin at least 90 minutes before arrival. Although 34 minutes seems a long time, Karen brought my breakfast tray out and smiled at me. It was greatly appreciated.
Karen was a 10/10 (unlike the crew I have today, but that's another story). United's greatest asset is Karen's warm and caring service.
Reflecting on Karen Braum and the amazing friends and colleagues who were Karen Braum, I realize I must stop using the term pejoratively. I use it, even in jest to refer to a white woman who seems entitled or demanding above the normal scope of what is acceptable, and often bigoted.
CONCLUSION
Although I didn't have the Karen conversation, it is not unreasonable to assume that Karen would associate your name with a racist whiny.
Karen Braum, thank you! It is a great compliment to be a Karen like me.
