The Problem With Calling A Female Basic Is Its Negative Connotation

Basic bitches are ruining the simple joys of fall for the rest of us.

I mean, now I can’t enjoy anything that a basic likes, like Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Lauren Conrad, for fear of being labeled as such. Since I’m incredibly concerned with the opinions of others, I’ve gotta make sure that never, ever happens.

I decided to read up on what exactly a basic bitch is. I’m in my mid-20s, after all, and I’m already losing track of all this new slang the youths are using. I wanted to make sure I had all my bases covered. One can just never be too careful. I didn’t want to miss anything.

Unfortunately, this proved way more difficult than I anticipated.

Everything I read on the topic was quite varied. As far as I can tell, no one actually knows what a basic bitch is. They all think they do, but everyone has something different to say.

Beyond “a girl who enjoys simple things,” definitions vary. Regardless, one thing I noticed as a constant is that the term is always used in a negative context.

Being basic is a bad thing.

Clearly I had only cracked the surface because that logic didn’t make sense. Liking simple things isn’t bad. There had to be something else, otherwise people wouldn’t be making such a big deal over this fall-loving creature. I delved further into the mystery.

This part was a bit more difficult, I’ll admit. It’s based solely on my interpretation of others, so I could be totally wrong. That being said, it seems to be the way in which the basic bitch goes about her life that’s worthy of scorn.

It isn’t just the seasonal fall beverage she buys every morning, it’s what that drink represents. By buying that delicious latte, the basic bitch is communicating that she doesn’t expect a lot out of life. She’s satisfied with what she’s told to like -- with what she believes she's supposed to like.

She’s the reason popular brands are popular. She does what she's told, and she doesn't think outside the box. In a society that allows women so many opportunities -- where women supposedly can have it all -- any woman who is satisfied with a cookie-cutter life is worthy of scorn.

Our generation grew up believing we were all special; we can do anything. In a world full of unique snowflakes, a person would have to be particularly basic to be anything less. At this point in my discoveries, everything started making sense.

The basic bitch is inferior; of course, that means she deserves to be mocked. I was still left with one question.

What’s the point?

What is the purpose of pointing out this girl’s inferior consuming habits? Why do we care about what she enjoys? None of this affects me personally, and as far as I can tell, it doesn’t affect anyone else, either. She’s just living her life.

From my research, I've gathered that the basic bitch is just the butt of our generation's current "inside joke," more or less. Basic bitches are the most recent group worthy of scorn. Before the basic bitches, it was the hipsters; before that, who even remembers? It’s just supposed to be funny; it's not supposed to mean anything.

It's not like it's hilarious or anything, but it gives us a good chuckle. It’s at the expense of someone else’s feelings, but that’s fine because the rest of us are laughing. Anyone who gets offended is being sensitive and needs to chill out, right?

Yeah, see, that doesn't really work for me. None of this sounds very nice or constructive. I'm not really the sort of person who just sits back, so I guess I’m just not so chill. Maybe I don't "get it" because it does mean something.

Since the basic bitch is viewed as inferior, others seem to feel the need to make sure they aren't classified as such. By making fun of her, we're letting others know that we would never be associated with someone so simple. By recognizing things that are deemed basic, we're in no danger of being labeled as such ourselves.

The basic bitch is different, and we just can’t understand why she would make the choices she does, so we make fun of her. She chose to be subpar while the special snowflakes are off doing special things. And we have to make sure everyone knows we’re better than that.

Somehow, I doubt this is the thought process anyone actually has when pointing out a basic bitch spotted in the wild or when calling out a friend for making basic choices. Regardless, it's still harmful.

It's a harmful attitude for our generation to maintain. It's an attitude that marginalizes others. Even if you really, truly don't mean anything by it, by participating in the trend, you make it okay for others to say the same -- others who do mean something by it. The intention doesn’t matter, the perpetuation does.

Oh, but sometimes they deserve it, right? Those basic bitches who think they’re actually better than other people because of their material desires and lifestyle choices, plenty of them aren’t nice themselves. So why should we be? I mean, in comparison to some of their attitudes, calling them “basic” is positively complimentary.

Fighting fire with fire just increases the flame, and an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Being mean to someone who is already mean solves nothing, but if you're intent on keeping up your attitude, then nothing I or anyone else says will convince you otherwise.

But categorizations like this normalize nasty behavior. It’s not nice; it’s not okay. Plus, it's preventing way too many people from enjoying the comfort of Uggs and leggings, which is really the biggest problem of all.