Tis' the season of “basic bitches” and getting made fun of for doing something trendy. Apparently, ordering Starbucks’ most popular drink makes you a basic white girl, but people are just as quick to call someone out on being basic as they are to say someone is ‘trying too hard’ when they branch out past the norm.
The other day I was just chilling, eating a caramel apple lollipop, which is a fall favorite of mine. A girl I was with critically asked me, “What’s up with you and lollipops?”
“I just like them,” I replied.
“Haha, you do you, girl,” she said, disapproving of my actions.
I’m lucky enough to have friends who think I’m cool, even though I’m usually wearing flower printed Doc Martens and have alien tapestries on my wall. Yet there are still girls out there who will judge me for eating a lollipop.
All of this has me wondering why it is normal nowadays to be so judgmental. I hear people judging each other around campus every day. Half of the vines and tweets I see are just people getting made fun of. When did humor become laughing at people for being themselves? It’s like no one approves when you are different from the crowd, but they judge you for trying to blend in, too.
I am always so shocked when I wear clothes that make girls tell me I’m brave or say they could never pull that off. If you like something, you should wear it. If you enjoy doing something, you should do it. You do you.
We are all different and have our own flavor to add to the mix of things, but trends are trends for a reason. If a lot of people like the thing, why wouldn’t I also like the thing?
There’s nothing wrong with being a ‘basic bitch’ or a ‘hipster,’ or anything else along the spectrum. You should really just be yourself. Back in high school, being yourself could get you shunned, and even though the college crowd is more accepting, people still unfairly label and judge the people around them.
I’m not perfect, and I’ve done my fair amount of shit-talking too. But I’ve made it a personal goal to always check myself by stepping back and looking at things from another perspective. Something that seems strange to me could be the coolest thing in the world to someone else. So who am I to tell them they’re wrong?
In the words of Drake, know yourself and know your worth. You are an awesome human with your own tastes and preferences. Whether you are digging what is trendy right now or you are into something more unique, you gotta own it.
Last year my friends and I developed the catch phrase, “Damn right I support it.” When my friends tell me about something they did or a new thing they are getting into, I always tell them I support them. Even if you don’t agree with something, you can still support people for doing the things that make them happy.
So whether you are in line at Starbucks ordering a PSL in your leggings and Uggs or you are in your room listening to underground bands, damn right I support it. You deserve to be happy and do the things you love. Keep doing you.
