I am the stereotypical white girl.
I drink Starbucks like it is water, and yes, my order is one of those obnoxiously long ones. "Yes, I'll have a venti double shot cold brewed coffee with light soy milk and extra ice." What sounds like a tongue twister to some rolls right off of my tongue.
I have been wearing Uggs and The North Face since middle school. Throughout middle and high school, I wore the typical Ugg snow boots (you all know what I'm talking about, the big puffy ones). Since then I have upgraded to more stylish and functional winter boots, but they are still Uggs nonetheless. Also in middle and high school, I wore the basic Denali jacket made by The North Face. While I no longer wear this exact style, I do still greatly appreciate my fleece pullovers made by the same company which I have in a multitude of colors, I might add. No matter how stereotypical these brand names are, I wear them because I do not skimp on quality.
Everyone knows the stereotypical white girl loves yoga pants. I wear them... even when I'm not at yoga *gasp*. They are comfortable and stretchy. They come in a multitude of colors and patterns. And, in my unpopular opinion, they are more modest than showing your entire legs in short shorts.
Sometimes, I take photos of my food before I eat. Or my books before I read them. Because I want my followers on Instagram to catch a brief glimpse into my life. I then hashtag my photos with things like #foodporn or #bibliophile.
I freak out when fall is coming. I rummage through Bath & Body Works like nobody's business. Opening this body lotion, squirting this hand sanitizer, and sniffing the marvelous scent of the cinnamon pumpkin candle.
I sometimes speak in acronyms. Embarrassingly enough, I have caught myself mumbling the literal letters "IDK" in a casual conversation. My personal favorite though to use IRL (in real life) is BRB. Say I'm at a table in a restaurant, and I tell my sister, "BRB, gotta go to the restroom. Order me a Diet Coke." I do this shamelessly.
I've tried a tea detox program I found on Instagram. Their page was pretty appealing, so I ordered it. It turned my stomach inside out, and I then understood why people lost weight drinking this tea. But, hey, it came with a cute mug.
That brings me to the next cliche actually. I spend a good deal of time on Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. I can express myself here. I can see other people express themselves here. I find beautiful images and enchanting music.
I would eat Panera Bread on any given day (and possibly take of photo of it). Aside from the fact that you can get a pastry for 99 cents after ordering a meal, it is pretty healthy, right? And, oh goodness, their tea! Oh, bless those Panera Bread iced teas. I will sit in the dining room for thirty minutes after I finish my meal just to continue refilling my cup.
While I do fit into all of these stereotypical aspects of the "basic white girl," there are plenty of cliches to which I do not comfortably fit into. For the most part, I skip the makeup. I don't color or straighten my hair. I don't watch "The Bachelorette." I'm not really into crop tops. Or bikinis. I don't like Katy Perry, and One Direction makes me gag. I don't have an iPhone. I don't quite understand the adoration of Marilyn Monroe. But most importantly, I rarely use the word "literally" figuratively.
So yes, I am the basic, stereotypical white girl. But you know what? My black friend may very well relate to all of those things I just listed about myself. And my Asian friend, and my Hispanic friend, and my Middle-Eastern friend, and so on and so on. The basic white girl stereotype is one that is either strongly embraced or strongly rejected. Prior to this article, I rejected the idea that I could possibly fit into this annoying category of the basic white girl, but then driving home from Starbucks today, I realized... stereotypes exist for a reason. A copious amount of young white women do enjoy or participate in some of the things I've mentioned. The sad part about stereotyping, though, is that young women of all races can enjoy these things. We need to stop putting labels and stereotypes on activities that make young women happy. Simultaneously, white girls need to stop taking pride in the stereotype. Hashtagging your Instagram photos with #whitegirlpost or #basicwhitegirl is senseless and quite honestly, offensive. Stop trying to set yourself apart because of your race. We all like Starbucks, okay?
