Jessica's viral punchline wins over Gen Z—here's why

If you have thought the Karen era was finally wrapping up, think again—the internet has something more devastating in store for you. Gen Z has found a replacement.

TikTok users have declared “Jessica” as the new viral slang replacing “Karen” for labeling entitled or rude behavior.

Why is ‘Jessica’ replacing ‘Karen’?

For over five years, "Karen" has ruled as the undefeated champion of online insults, though the term still has its presence on platforms like TikTok, after the meme first went viral in the late 2010s, before it became a viral sensation amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Background of “Karen”

The “Karen” became an internet trend when, during a protest, a video of a white couple surfaced, who were later identified as "Karen and Ken," aiming guns at protesters passing by their house, sparking the term, while another woman went viral after calling the cops on a Black man who had asked her to put her dog on a leash in the park.

For the unversed, the name "Karen" is associated with a stereotype of an entitled or racist middle-aged white woman and has seen a decline in trend for newborn girls.

Gen Z argues that since white privilege isn’t going anywhere, Gen Z is already looking for the next “Karen”—a name for entitlement in the decades to come.

Why "Jessica" won the crown

Now much of the internet has decided to stand with “Jessica, for the very primary reason of the large number of Jessica-related names out there.

One viral TikTok video attracted over 23,000 comments from users, many of whom seemed to think that Jessica was the perfect name for this, although a few did also suggest Ashley, but Jessica clinched the crown.

Netizens react

Netizens have shared their opinions, with one user noting they had never met a pleasant “Jessica,” wrote “Ashley and Jessica, haven’t met one that doesn’t fit as a Karen.”

While another quipped that both Jessica and Ashley were equally traumatizing, "Ashley and Jessica. Been traumatized by both."

A third user wrote, “Ashley and Jessica.” To which another user jumped in, commenting, “ok but listen I’m ashley and my sister is Jessica bit I promise we’re cool. We mind our business."

A fifth user commented, referring to herself as a Gen Z with a millennial sister, and vouched for "Jessica," writing, "I know im the wrong gen but as a gen z with a millennia sister named Jessica...it's Jessica."

This wave of online comedy and criticism has made it an awkward time to have the still-prevalent name Jessica.

So, the internet has announced the verdict: “Karen” is getting a Gen Z update, and her name is “Jessica.”

Whether it lasts is yet to be seen, but the viral trend is already racing across feeds. To every Jessica out there—conscience has never been more in style.