@Morgan first of all, carmen was the first edutainment franchise, really. the oregon trail predated it, but wasn't really a franchise. carmen SPRAWLED across multiple media and a crapton of merch.
she was also an early example of a strong female character in children's media, and one of the first (THE first?) latina main character in a children's show.
popularized by a Twitter account in 2010. It is named after the misunderstood giant in the 2003 film Big Fish. Older or alternative terms used locally include simply "the fog" or sometimes "Big Mama", Seasonal Names: It is often associated with the terms "June Gloom" or "Fogust" due to its prevalence in the summer months.