An American late night talk show parodied “Jolene”, by Dolly Parton and made it all about “Karens”. (Screen capture via YouTube)
If there’s one person who can get the Karens of the world to put down their hair spray and comfortable footwear and actually put a face mask, it’s Dolly Parton.
Face masks have become almost shorthand for the coronavirus itself. A small change to daily life, a small act that saves countless lives, a small act that some feel is simply too much to ask from them.
And on Wednesday (July 22), The Late Show with Stephen Colbert roped together some wild encounters with Karens who refused to cooperate with supermarket staffers or security and wear a mask.
Dolly Parton’ hit ‘Jolene’ parodied to poke fun at Karens: ‘I’m begging you, please just wear a mask.’
To the tune of Parton’s “Jolene”, the Karens are wryly poked fun at for their adamant refusal to wear masks.
Honestly, we’re ready to have the song as our ringtone.
With Black Lives Matter protests inspiring people, businesses and authorities to reckon with racial biases, a steady drumbeat of encounters with Karens (no, it is not a slur) have been reported across the US, as citizens use mobile phones footage to expose (largely) white women perceived as entitled or discriminatory.
Karens have been seen in quiet, secluded areas of city parks, in bustling farmers markets and clinging to the barriers of Black Lives Matter protests. All wielded their privilege like a club to compel someone to back down.
It’s prompted some state lawmakers to even consider aptly-named legislation which would impose criminal charges on people who file false, racially-charged police reports. California’s CAREN act tactically stands for Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies.
Flattening the curve has emerged as one of the most contentious issues in politics, with pockets of Americans spilling out onto streets in protest against stay-at-home orders roiled, in part, by US president Donald Trump.
All the while, face masks – which have become a sort of shorthand for the pandemic itself – have seized the nation. Becoming the latest cultural flash point, with the act of wearing one, or not wearing one at all, often resulting in dirty looks and side-glances.
Or, in the case of the Karens in the video, violent confrontations. Or just licking windows.