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Embracing the Basic

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As most people know, I am a huge reality TV fan. Not in an "oh, yeah, it's guilty pleasure that I watch when nothing else is on!" way. Like, in a "Lisa Vanderpump is my role model and I love Vanderpump Rules and The Real Housewives more than I love anything else right now" kind of way. So much so, that I recently bought Vanderpump star, Stassi Schroders book, Next Level Basic where she talks about taking the narrative of being basic back from haters and embracing it. This is the art of the basic bitch, and I am here to discuss how it is a counter-narrative to hating things that predominately women have made popular.


According to Dictionary.com, "In slang, basic characterizes someone or something as unoriginal, unexceptional, and mainstream. A basic girl—or basic bitch as she is often insulted—is said to like pumpkin spice lattes, UGG boots, and taking lots of selfies, for instance."


Now, I trade in the pumpkin spice lattes for hazelnut lattes. I go to Starbucks so much my bank account is actually appalled at my addiction. I have worn UGG boots before, leggings as pants are my go-to, and Taylor Swift and Halsey are my two favorite singers. I have been to every Taylor Swift concert since her "Speak Now" tour with the exception to "1989" because I was too poor and waited too long, It is truly my life's biggest regret and the time I touched her hand is still the greatest day of my life. Sometimes Sunday afternoon brunch consisting of bottomless mimosas with my two closest friends is the only thing that gets me through the week. I LOVE romantic comedies. The cheesier the better. Retail therapy is actual therapy. Astrology is hella cool. Fight me on this.


Here's where I stop telling everyone how basic I am and start taking the definition and word back. I used to hide my interests and hobbies from people because I didn't want to seem too mainstream. Not in a hipster "I'm way too cool and unimpressed to unironically know every word to every TSwift song" way, but in a "I am not going to be taken seriously as a woman and academic if I admit this" way. I consider myself to be a literary scholar in training so I can't possibly like things that others see as "unoriginal" or "unexceptional," right? I was so wrong. You see, that's the problem with not admitting to liking mainstream or popular things. They're popular for a reason and you shouldn't be ashamed to like something just because it's "unoriginal." The truth is, nothing is really original in the first place, so who even cares? Like what you like and be proud of it. Being basic is not an insult. In fact, it is my humble opinion that hating on other people for liking things and using their interests as insults against them does not make you cool or original. It just makes you a jerk.


So, this is my counter-narrative. I realize it's not life changing or really that important in the grand scheme of the mess that the world is today, but hey, I've learned to take the word basic back and evolve into the most basic bitch I can be. I'm here to say you can be basic and be an academic. Intelligence is not exclusive from the mainstream.


Here's to my fellow humans that unashamedly blast the top 100 in their cars at full volume, watch reality TV, say "like" way too much, and love a good latte from Starbucks. Here's to my humans that can do all of this and still talk politics, defend their thesis, and engage in intellectual debate.
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Comments

  1. AlexisApril 21, 2019 at 11:47 AM

    I was going to write about something similar and you've said it so well! P.S. The New Girl gif is perfect.

    ReplyDelete

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