As if girls weren’t already getting judged enough, the world seems to have come up with a brand new way to fall victim to even more judgement — “basic.” Things as simple as drinking an iced coffee or wearing a pair of leggings will have girls criticized because they like what’s popular, and the list doesn’t end there. The music we listen to, the way we choose to pose in pictures, and the media we consume is all bound to elicit judgement from others if our interests align with what’s currently in style.
It might seem harmless, but calling someone basic might cut deeper than you think. It instantly labels a person as unoriginal or tells them that they lack individuality, which is already an insecurity for a lot of people. In reality, every person has a unique and valuable perspective to bring to the table regardless of what interests they choose to pursue!
If everyone loves a new song, you’d expect that song to be pretty darn good. So why do we sometimes tear people down for liking what is popular, and in turn, something that is likely to be appealing? I almost feel left out if I don’t like what’s popular at the moment. For example, I’m not the biggest fan of the Marvel franchise, but everytime a new Marvel movie comes out it seems that every conversation revolves around it. I can rarely participate in those conversations because I don’t share the interest that most people do, and honestly it creates a feeling of detachment. There’s not many benefits that come from disliking what the majority of people are incredibly fond of.
People tend to disregard the fact that it’s possible to have interests on both sides of the spectrum. I drink iced chai lattes almost daily and I even dressed up as an angel for Halloween this year- it really doesn’t get more basic than that! At the same time, I love reading 19th century poetry and I can probably name every bird in the state of Florida. Liking basic things does not mean you can’t also have other more unique interests, too!
Promoting the narrative that ‘basic’ is bad forces people to stray away from their interests for fear of being judged. I’ve even tons of people actively try not to be basic, only to be labelled as a try-hard who’s too desperate to deviate from the norm! Either way, whether you call yourself basic, alternative, or anything else, judgement will occur. So let’s empower others to do whatever it is that makes them feel happiest and most confident and never live worried about what someone else might have to say!