[Ads-l] Karen out, Jessica in

[Jesse Sheidlower]

I'm with Jon here; this immediately hit me as being off.

_though_ should introduce some kind of contrast: "Though X has changed, Y is the same." Here, the name has changed, "but" the way she acts has...also changed.

The article is arguing that Karens and Jessicas are similar; but this sentence goes in a different direction.

Jesse Sheidlower

On Wed, Feb 04, 2026 at 08:29:10PM -0900, David Bowie wrote:
> Okay, I'll bite: What's weird about the use of 'though' here? It feels
> bog-standard normal to me.
> 
> David
> 
> 
> On 2/4/2026 8:00 PM, ADS-L automatic digest system wrote:
> > Date:    Wed, 4 Feb 2026 09:22:50 -0500
> > From:    Jonathan Lighter<wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject: Karen out, Jessica in
> > 
> > https://www.yahoo.com/creators/lifestyle/story/gen-z-says-karen-is-out--and-a-new-name-for-rude-entitled-women-is-going-viral-152958311.html
> >   :
> > 
> > While the stereotype of the “Karen” is fading, the behaviour it represents
> > is still very much alive, just under a new name: “Jessica.” Though the name
> > has changed, the way she expresses her entitlement has evolved....
> > 
> > The “Jessica” persona is much quieter and operates mainly online. Instead
> > of causing a ruckus in a store, she prefers to address her grievances from
> > behind a computer screen, where she has more control.
> > 
> > (Note weird use of "though.")
> > 
> > J.
> > -- "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org