MINISTRY OF MEMES

New Zealand Leader Jacinda Ardern Roasts Opposition Leader as a ‘Karen’

The New Zealand prime minister caused howls of laughter in the chamber with her jibe.

The slightly tired “Karen” meme has had some new life breathed into it inside New Zealand’s parliament. During a Wednesday debate over new laws governing hate speech, the nation’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, caused howls of laughter in the chamber by suggesting that the opposition leader fitted the derogatory description. Judith Collins has argued strongly against the law changes, writing in a tweet this week: “Will calling a middle-aged white woman a ‘Karen’ now be a crime under Jacinda Ardern’s law?” Responding in parliament, Ardern joked: “I... disagree with [Collins’] statement on Twitter, that somehow it will become illegal to call someone a ‘Karen.’ That is absolutely incorrect, and I apologize, that means these laws will not protect that member from such a claim.” Collins tried to raise a point of order to respond to the roast, but then backed down.