Pumpkin spice lattes. 

Taylor Swift. 

Stanley cups. 

If you like any of these items, regardless of severity or what they mean to you, you instantly become one of the “worst” things a person can be in this generation — “basic.”

Whether it’s a favorite drink, hobby or TV show, society defines certain interests as “too popular” to be well-liked anymore, and criticizes those who enjoy them. If someone walks in with Starbucks or Chick-Fil-A or sports clothing from Lululemon and a messy bun, everyone is quick to call them a “basic white girl.”

This mindset is toxic, cementing the idea that liking something popular makes you “boring” and going against the status quo makes you “quirky.” The far-too-narrow gap of socially acceptable things leaves girls to rid themselves of genuine passions and desires — the things that make them who they are — to fit the society’s expectations. 

Many of these “basic white girls” — who are called this, regardless of their race — buy the latest, “trendiest” item to fit in with everyone else, whether the product is good or bad. To be “basic” is to fit in: it is the default option and therefore unhateable. 

What is even more harmful, however, is the “I’m not like other girls” mindset, which pushes girls to be exactly like other girls: desperate to be different and dislike anything considered popular. This is not something new, either. From the 1950’s “Greaser Girl” to the “Grunge Model” of the ‘80s and ‘90s, this trend has been an ongoing one. In trying to become “quirky,” girls have been pushing away who they are in an attempt to become so “different,” and ironically becoming just like everyone else. 

Not only does trying to fit oneself into a single box force someone to become something they’re not, but it divides society. Girls become either “basic” or a “pick-me,” both extremes looked down upon by the other side. This further division is the most toxic part of the mindset.

The idea of a “basic white girl” creates a culture that changes which “type” of girl is superior by the day, shaming girls for genuine interests and implying that being oneself is something to be detested. What’s more important than “fitting in” is being oneself, whether that means getting a pumpkin spice latte and blaring Taylor Swift or rolling up your sleeves to play football.