They didn’t take too kindly to this Karen-cature.
A Washington town was forced to dismantle a Karen-themed Halloween display after — wait for it — residents complained that it was offensive.
A photo of the troll-y decoration is currently blowing up on Reddit as posters rip critics for their perceived lack of self-awareness.
The inflammatory display, which was erected by the City Hall of Prosser as part of a local decorating contest, entailed a mannequin dressed as a Karen. The now-viral term is shorthand for an entitled white woman who complains to authorities over a minor offense, such as children operating a lemonade stand without a permit.
As such, the schoolmarm-y straw-ppelganger boasted googly-eyes, a name tag scrawled with “Karen” and a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Can I Speak to the Manager?”
Needless to say, offended residents did indeed speak to the manager.
Lifelong Prosser resident Maricela Sanchez, who helps lead the community group Friends of Prosser, claimed that the dummy was erected to ridicule her over her group’s opposition to an upcoming $16.8 million bond package to replace Prosser City Hall and Police Station, the Yakima Herald reported.
“This past weekend, City Hall entered an annual Halloween decorating contest with a ghoulish scarecrow dressed up to look like me,” Sanchez complained in a statement. “Several people who understood the context behind the display immediately complained to the city.”
The physician declared the Kare-crow a form of “targeted, public harassment of a private Prosser citizen on public grounds.” “They created a grotesque effigy to publicly humiliate a city resident as retaliation for opposing a city bond proposal on the upcoming ballot,” she fumed.
In light of the complaints, the City Hall took down the Karen-cature.
“The City of Prosser removed the Halloween display at City Hall and has withdrawn its entry into the Historic Downtown Prosser decorating contest,” a Prosser representative wrote in a press release. “City officials acknowledge the display was inconsistent with the spirit of the competition.”
Meanwhile, city administrator Thomas Glover claimed that the display was not intended to be a jab at Sanchez, explaining: “This was in no way intended to be a political statement, a likeness to any individual or community group.”
“We have investigated the issue internally and found that no one who participated in creating the entry intended any malice,” he insisted. “These actions were regrettable, but unintentional.”
Suffice it to say, Redditors had a field day with the mannequin’s cancellation, which they deemed ironic given the nature of the display.
“Lol the Karens got upset and had it removed. Priceless,” chortled one bemused Redditor, while another mocked, “The residents are probably all Karens.”
“They’d like to speak to the city manager,” quipped one Reddit wit.
“Karens acted like Karens over a Karen display? No way!” snarked one critic. “The idea of people being self aware enough to be offended by a Karen display but not seeing the irony in complaining to the city manager about it is amazing.”
This isn’t the first time a Karen-themed Halloween display has sparked outrage.
Last fall, bouffant blond wigs modeled after the notorious umbrage-takers were slammed as tone deaf and racist on social media.