The history of the haircut Some people say it became popular when Kate Gosselin of the Jon & Kate Plus 8 reality TV program wore it. Karen's demanding demeanor was perfectly portrayed by Kate. Furthermore, the majority of Karen memes feature her sporting the look. However, this isn't entirely true; there are some photos of her out and about without her trademark flip. Another theory suggests that the haircut became popular because it allows women to show off their natural hair color. Before they got a dye job, Karen O and Kim Kardashian both had red hair. Yet another reason might be that the haircut is easy to replicate at home. It only takes a pair of scissors and some determination! Finally, some believe that the haircut is becoming more popular because older women are going natural with relaxers losing their power over time. This isn't completely true either - there are still a few old-school Karens around. Overall, we can conclude that the Karen haircut is popular because it's fun, flirty, and easy to recreate at home.