Fall is the time of year for crunchy leaves, cozy sweaters, and pumpkins galore; however, it also the time of year when girls are stereotyped more than ever. If you’re sipping on a warm PSL, you’re basic. If you’re seen with your gal pals taking adorable candid photos at a pumpkin patch, you’re basic. And please, don’t get caught in a pair of leggings and brown leather riding boots, because then, you’re basic. Since when did keeping up with current trends become such a bad thing, and why does loving fall make you less complex than the average female? This has got to stop.
According to Urban Dictionary, basic can be defined as, “lacking intelligence and unable to socialize on even an elementary level.” BuzzFeed even has quizzes and guides to measure how basic a white girl is, according to society. Recently, BuzzFeed posted a list of what basic white girls do in the fall. The site lists the following:
· Get on that Pumpkin Spice Latte grind
· Filter the shit out of the trees as they change color
· Buy some ~fall~ candles and burn them until the entire house smells like an autumn walk.
· Take a picture with a pumpkin they spent all day searching for.
· Buy anything that says the words “pumpkin spice” on it.
· Wait in line to buy the newest iPhone.
· Wear their fave’s football jersey.
· Coordinate Halloween outfits with other basic white girls.
· Express their excitement for the season with Photoshop.
· Make cookies with their KitchenAid.
With this stereotyping list, the recent argument is that a basic white girl is one who conforms to society. However, I’d like to argue that these girls are just adapting to the changes of the season, and since when is it a crime to adapt to your surroundings? When an item is only sold during specific seasons, of course people are going to get excited about it. Yet, girls specifically get shamed for their excitement.
Now let’s put the shoe on the other foot- Say a guy displays his excitement for a PSL, will he automatically get labeled as basic? No, his friends will just brush his interest as if it was no big deal, if they even notice. This sure sounds like gender stereotyping to me, and that is revolting. Men do not receive backlash for being obsessed with the latest version of GTA, so why are girls getting labeled so harshly?
Girls should not be getting criticized for being current and trendy, and by no means, should their seasonal interests be a refelction of a lack of intelligence. So ladies, next time someone calls you basic, take it with a grain of salt, because I believe we can have our Pinterest-inspired cake, and eat it too.