I am sick of the “I am not like other girls narrative.” It’s questionable if this is a hot take, but I wanted to give my two cents on the subject.
There is so much stigma around being “basic,” from clothes to music artists to makeup and really anything that a woman can do. If you like Harry Styles, you’re basic. If you wear flare leggings, you’re basic. If you enjoy a little treat from Starbucks, you’re basic.
I feel as if this is a trick to make women feel bad for liking the things that they enjoy. There is a reason these things are popular: a lot of people enjoy them. I don’t think we should be putting women down for liking these things.
My problem with the term “I’m not like other girls” is that it is inherently negative while putting down other women in the process. So you prefer watching a sports game to reality TV? Or you consider putting on makeup too much effort? So what? What any interest comes down to is just preferences and the things you like to do.
At some point, the term turns into a small attempt to distinguish yourself from the masses to an internalized misogynistic take. Oftentimes, these things that are seen as “basic” are really just perpetuating stereotypes about women. From the barbie to the bimbo, these “basic” tropes have been putting women down for decades.
I think these narratives stop us from enjoying things we like, but the reality of the situation is that its okay to like these things! The idea of the girl who is “not like other girls” is someone who is one of the guys or someone who is laid back, and I think it is one-dimensional to make these things mutually exclusive. We are complex people and our personalities are multifaceted. At the end of the day, your interests don’t solely define you as a person. You have other values, hobbies and special skills and liking popular things doesn’t take away from that.
What is most important is enjoying the things that make you happy, and there should be no reason for someone else to put you down for that. It is worse to be inauthentic to yourself and pretend to like things that aren’t basic than to fully enjoying the things you like. Blast that Taylor Swift album and watch Mamma Mia because they’re fun!
It is International Women’s Month this March and International Women’s Day is on March 8th. Let’s spend more time celebrating each other and our unique and complex personalities, rather than putting down one another, even if it is not meant to be in a rude way. We are all strong, beautiful and powerful, so let’s appreciate that.