I don't like the word “basic.”
It’s one of those words which everyone knows what it means when it's said, but no one could really give you a precise definition. Noreen Malone, an editor at "New York Magazine," laid out some defining characteristics of this “white-girl-on-white-girl insult,” including: doing yoga, loving Starbucks lattes, using Pinterest religiously, and owning Uggs, North Face, or leggings (if you wear any combination of these last three I’m pretty sure you’re automatically awarded the insult)…the list could easily continue.
But what combination of these characteristics does a girl have to possess to be deserving of the label “basic”? A couple? All of them? I don’t think anyone could really tell you, and many young people are quick to throw the insult at the sight of just one or two of these qualities.
So let me reiterate: I hate the word “basic.” Because guess what? At its core, it’s just another way for girls (and maybe guys too) to shallowly criticize other girls on silly things.
I’m not sure why I’ve been seeing so much of the word lately, because I feel like we’ve already passed peak usage of the word a year or two ago, and it has lost some of its novelty. Maybe I’ve just reached my breaking point and am hyper-aware of it.
But come on.
Trends are called trends for a reason—sometimes people like to follow them. Girls follow trends, guys follow trends. Hipsters follow trends.
If a girl likes wearing North Face, or leggings, or dyes her hair pastel ombre, does that really give you enough insight into her personality and character to pass so much judgment on her?
The issue goes deeper than just being overly critical of people who might be considered “too mainstream.” It’s indicative of how we as girls often fall into the sad trap of cutting each other down. It begs the question: what are girls even allowed to like anymore?
There's an even more insidious use of the term, according to urban dictionary, not only talking about appearance or tastes, but “used to describe someone devoid of defining characteristics that might make a person interesting, extraordinary, or just simply worth devoting time or attention to.”
First of all, ouch!
And second, that has to be one of the most arrogantly judgmental things I’ve ever read. Of course I take it that definition with a grain of salt considering the source, but I think many young people would mostly agree on this secondary meaning. Maybe we should strive to be much less quick to judge other girls, especially based on superficial things like appearances and tastes, and remember that when you call someone “basic,” it probably says more about you than it does about them.
I personally am tired of seeing and hearing this insult in my network. And I think you ought to be, too.
