“Ya basic! It’s a human insult.
It’s devastating.” If you want to burn someone
so badly you dismiss their entire identity,
you call them “Basic” . “Honestly, I resent
being called basic.” It’s an insult leveled
at someone unforgivably bland; whose interests are dictated
entirely by what’s trendy or in mainstream fashion, “Those are so last season!” and whose personality
is no personality at all. “Hi everybody,
my name is Stacey. Um, my hobbies include
cuticle care and E! network.” In the peak of of the label’s
popularity in the early 2010s, being a “basic” suggested
a recognizable constellation of mainstream likes, such as
Pumpkin Spice Lattes, “I’ll have a trenta, no foam,
five shot, half-calf, no foam, pumpkin spice latte with
no foam at 210 degrees.” yoga pants, or the
TV show Friends. “I can’t believe we
ignored the signs. All the Zumba classes,
the inspirational quote in my email signature.” “Paninis from Panera bread.” But since the main identifier
is an adherence to whatever’s popular, the
signifiers of “basic” change with the times and the trends. “A basic bitch is just
someone who likes what’s typical to like.” Today for example,
the embodiment of 'basic' is the VSCO girl --
named after the photography app -- who is a modern update
to the basic girl of the 2010s and faces much of
the same belittlement. Whatever she may be into
at any given moment, the “basic bitch” is disdained
for being (as various Urban Dictionary definitions put it)
an “extra regular female”, “overly generic,” or “typical
and a dime a dozen.” “Fatin, the true basic bitch.” Onscreen, we can spot the Basic Girl
in movies and shows old and new, through her love of
“trendy” fashion, brand-name items, “Oh no, you don’t understand,
this is an Alaia!” “An a-what-a?” “It’s like a totally
important designer.” or pop culture. “Oh my God, I have
so much to tell you!” “Really?” “Yes! Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes,
they had a baby and they named it Suri.” She’s conventional,
and cares about how others perceive her --
a trait that today can materialize in a
borderline-obsessive love of social media. Stories about this
kind of character have long reinforced
a common message: being The Basic Girl is bad. "Look, we don't 'hate'
basic people, it's just that their taste is
defined by whatever everyone else is into.” More recently, though,
stories are starting to question this assumption. “You’re right. I am a basic
bitch with a bag charm.” Is unselfconsciously
enjoying mainstream interests really as terrible
as pop culture has long made it out to be? Here’s our take on why it’s time
to embrace being basic -- if that’s who you really are. “I'm super basic. I give into
all my base instincts, and I've never felt
more like myself.” If you're new here, be sure
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start exploring your creativity. “You basic.” The “Basic Bitch” term
was first added to Urban Dictionary in 2009,
attributed to comedian Lil Duval and Youtuber Spoken Reasons,
who painted this figure as fake or inauthentic. “If you bend yo ass over
in all yo pictures just to make it a lil bigger
knowin' you ain't got one... you's a Basic Bitch.” To be basic wasn’t necessarily
female to start -- rappers like Tyga and Lil Wayne
declared that they were not basic. “Don't compare to no basic bitch.” “I thank God that I am not basic.” In 2011, Kreayshawn’s song
“Gucci, Gucci” cemented the “basic bitch”
in the popular vocabulary as someone who was obsessed
with popular brands: “Gucci Gucci, Louis Louis,
Fendi Fendi, Prada. Basic bitches wear that shit
so I don’t ever bother.” And in 2012, teen internet star
Lohanthony, known for his viral video on the subject, “Calling all the basic bitches!” defined the basic bitch as: “someone who does what
everyone else is doing and isn’t their own person at all.” The early to mid 2010s were
peak “basic,” with searches for “basic” hitting an
all-time high in 2014, the year of the popular
College Humor video, “How to Tell If
You’re a Basic Bitch.” “You probably contracted
your basic bitch-ness from a sorority sister.
Borrowed some Ugg boots here and there, experimented
with North Face.” and the Vogue article
in which Emma Stone embraced being called a
“Bland Basic Bitch.” “What’s the first thing
you did this morning?” “Hmm...Meditated?” In these years, an online obsession
grew with defining “signs” of the basic bitch
and how to tell if you were (or knew, or were dating) one. “You’re into scented candles,
you order your bagels scooped and you own a picture frame
that says family on it.” While the concept originated
in the Black community, “If you’re a Black girl
and your weave is red, green, purple or blonde,
you’s a basic bitch.” it evolved to take on more
white preppy connotations, being associated with a
fondness for brands like Hollister and Abercrombie,
and of course, Starbucks. “Two years later, you’re
tweeting about Starbucks, hashtag caffeine.” As The Cut identifies, other
“basic” characteristics included: “Reading Jodi Picoult,
wearing pink Red Sox gear, drinking Skinnygirl Margarita
drinks, watching The Notebook, [and] citing faux
Marilyn Monroe quotes.” In 2010, Celebrity gossip blog
“Oh No They Didn’t!” released the post “Basic Bitches 101”
which compiled a list of “basic” female actors and musicians and defined basic traits
as things like looking “virtually interchangeable,”
being famous for “doing something else than what
they originally entered the entertainment business for”, or using “someone else's success
as a catalyst for their own.” “People call me my sister's name
all the time... and I'm like, my hair is very different than hers!” In 2013, Ms. Not Right Now
wrote that ““basic” is an uncanny ability
to aspire to mediocrity.”
Onscreen stories about the Basic Girl
tend to suggest that basicness is a condition to be overcome -- a waypoint on the road
to some realer, more worthy individuality.
Typically, if the Basic Girl is pitched as the protagonist
or a likable supporting character, she outgrows her basicness. “Yes, love that journey for me!” In Leap Year, the protagonist
Anna begins the movie embodying the more negative
aspects of basicness. She's kind of boring, “You know I don’t like surprises.” rigidly conventional, “No-no-no-no.
That's not gonna work for me.” and obsessed with superficial
ideas of feminine success. “I’m not gonna die
without getting engaged!” Her story centers around
becoming more “interesting,” as she comes to realize
she wants something more original out of life than the perfect
apartment with the perfect, rich doctor husband. “I had everything
I ever wanted, but nothing I really needed.” Another character who shows
the deep connections between basic-ness and privilege
is Schitt’s Creek’s Alexis Rose. “I’m expensive sushi
on a cute huge yacht, I’m a little bit single
even when I’m not.” When we meet her, money and
status are the foundations of rich girl Alexis’ whole identity,
so she hasn’t learned to prize “individuality”
or genuine self-knowledge. It’s only when she loses
her comfortable lifestyle and is forced to suddenly
survive “regular life” “Lots of doors open up
for pretty people.” “Mhm! Clearly, as I register
for community service!” that she can discover
who she really is and journey out of the condition
of being basic. “Part of me feels like...
I’m almost glad that we lost the money.” Outgrowing Basic can sometimes
be accomplished by simply choosing a love interest
with perceived depth. Bianca in 10 Things I Hate
About You starts off as basic, “There’s a difference between
like and love. Because I like my sketchers, but I
love my Prada backpack.” until she demonstrates growth
by falling for a guy who isn’t popular or shallow. “You know, just 'cause
you're beautiful, that doesn't mean that you can treat people
like they don't matter.” Torrance from Bring It On
likewise outgrows her basicness by leaning into her creativity
and becoming aware of her white privilege. “Y'all have been coming up
here for years, trying to steal our routines.” while also choosing
a love interest who’s seen as deep and “alternative.” “So, is that your band
or something?” “[Pausing in shock] The Clash?” In stories like these,
basicness is a flaw that needs fixing.
It can’t just be a normal or neutral aspect of
a character’s personality. And characters who don’t outgrow
their Basic-ness are shown in a negative light. “He’s all yours.” “Very generous, princess.
And just so you know, Joey only liked you
for one reason. He even had a bet going
with his friends.” But if you look more closely
at these characters, it’s not actually their
basicness that’s the problem; it’s that their basicness
is painted as entwined with a host of truly
negative qualities -- like being privileged, “Over my rich, hot, dead body.” vain, “I cannot wait to visit Ryan in prison.
I'm gonna wear my hottest tracksuit, and get my hair done
and then be like, 'Hi Ryan.'” gossip-obsessed, “We cut out girls' pictures
from the yearbook, and then we wrote comments.” or cruel: “Most people are losers.” There isn’t necessarily
an actual correlation between any of those traits
and basicness, though. Take The Office’s Kelly Kapoor--
a model Basic Girl. Her basicness is reflected
in her bubbly extroversion and obsessive knowledge
of pop culture. “Beyonce, pink the color,
Pink! the person, hot dogs, basically anything that is awesome.
Snow cones...” Meanwhile, she’s also
manipulative, “Basically no one does anything
for me anymore unless I threaten to kill myself.” self-involved, “My resolution was to
get more attention.” and hooked on drama, If I was you, I would just
like freak out and get really drunk and then
tell someone I was pregnant.” but these qualities aren’t
a result of her being basic. Eleanor Shellstrop is a bad person
at the start of The Good Place, and she’s basic -- “I’m gonna sit alone
in my house, watching wedding fails on YouTube,
drinking margaritas through a Twizzlers straw.” so we might be tempted
to associate her basicness with her amorality.
But the problem isn’t her basic tastes -- it’s that
she lacks purpose, moral principles, and concern for others. “See that hot bartender over there?
He’s into me, and we’re going to bang it out.
The bad news is it means I can’t drive you guys home.” Even after she outgrows
her negative qualities and even adopts a few more
obscure interests like moral philosophy, “You think just because
I'm a straight hottie I can't read philosophy for fun?” Eleanor retains her love
of all things basic “Of all the human stuff
I've been able to experience in this neighborhood, nachos,
number one, easy.” as well as her basic-girl’s
exuberant self-confidence “It’s not a joke,
I’m a legit snack!” So she demonstrates that
a Basic Girl can even save all of humankind from
eternal damnation, without renouncing
her fundamental basicness. “Ya basic!” From the start, the appeal
of calling someone else basic seemed to be a pronouncement
of your own un-Basic-ness. “I called you basic,
but I coughed over it because I’m embarrassed for you.” As Buzzfeed writer
Anne Helen Petersen observed: “‘Basic’ is, at bottom, a stereotype.
And like all stereotypes, we fling it at others in order to
distance ourselves from them.” “Do you know how many
basic bitches would kill to have the same personality as me?” The opposite of the Basic Bitch
is the original and daring Bad Bitch. “You’ll never be a bad bitch.” And on screen, too,
the desire to be anything-but-basic has resulted in tropes such as
the “not like other girls” girl, who prides herself on
the sort of individuality that Basic Girls presumably lack. The film Miss Congeniality
challenges this mentality through its main character, Gracie,
who reflexively dismisses the kind of typically girly
and conventional girls who compete in beauty pageants. “I’m not going to parade
around in a swimsuit like some airhead bimbo!” In the end, Gracie comes
to appreciate that being “like other girls”
isn’t all that bad. “These women are smart,
terrific people, who are just trying to make a difference
in the world.” Whether you identify
as a Basic Bitch, a Bad Bitch, or a "Not Like Other Girls" Girl,
though, it can often feel like there’s no way to win. You’re perceived as either
mindlessly following trends, or “pretending” to be different
by rejecting them. “You’re trying to tell the world
that you take yourself too seriously to care about
what you put on your back.” -- damned if you do,
damned if you don’t. And while at first
the Basic label might just feel like a harmless joke. “[Laughs sarcastically]
That’s so funny.” it’s almost only targeted
at young women. The “basic guy” --
essentially, a “bro”-- mostly escapes heated criticism. “Doctor, that’s impossible.
Uh, only bitches can be basic.” And it so happens that basic traits
commonly coincide with traditionally feminine
characteristics. Urban Dictionary’s definition
of the “basic bitch” even describes her as
“upholding [...] the status quo and stereotypes of their gender,
without even realizing it.” In other words, contempt for
the Basic Girl may be rooted in sexism. “I get called a girly-girl
like it's a bad thing. So I'm double the amount of girl
and somehow that's *not* feminist.” The fear of being shamed
for having mainstream interests can restrict young women
from being themselves, during that time when they’re
figuring out who they are, what they like, and how they want
to express themselves. In a Teen Vogue article,
Jackie Veling recounts a story of deciding whether
to wear Ugg boots to work: “There was this unshakable feeling
that wearing these boots would somehow erode the
carefully cultivated image I had created for myself
as a smart, professional, serious employee...
I didn’t want to be seen as one of those girls.
You know, the basic kind.” “Any tips on what to wear?”
“Not that.” There are some upsides
to letting yourself be a little bit basic.
The Basic person’s mainstream interests allow her to find
bigger communities of people who enjoy similar things. “We’re cheerleaders!
We are cheerleaders!” And if there’s a great show,
movie, song or clothing item that everyone’s loving,
someone Basic gets to shamelessly enjoy that, without
overthinking it. “I’m a basic, basic, basic bitch
if there’s karaoke I’m singing Taylor Swift.” You might say the ability
to consume media without feeling the need to be critical
is one of the Basic Girl’s superpowers. Even more than the Bad Bitch,
perhaps the truest opposite of The Basic Girl is the hipster - the character who automatically
rejects everything mainstream, often going to unnecessary lengths
simply to be viewed as “different.” “I really only listen to, like,
German Death Reggae and Halloween sound effects
records from the 1950s.” Ironically, the hipster’s tastes
can be just as dictated by what’s popular. “So, you would never do
what a basic person does?” “No!” “Oh! So your taste
is also defined by what everyone else does?” But the Basic Girl can actually
be more content and confident in herself than the Hipster
or the “Not Like Other Girls” Girl because she’s not plagued
with self-consciousness. “The entire city
looks like Ratatouille.” One of the key traits
of the Basic Girl is often that she thinks she (and her life)
are pretty great. “You guys, I’m like really smart now.
You don’t even know.” Returning to that
treasure trove of slang Urban Dictionary, there “Basic bitch”
is described as “tragically/laughably unaware of her utter lack
of specialness and intrigue. She believes herself to be unique,
fly, amazing, and a complete catch, when really she is boring,
painfully normal, and par.” “Do you have, like, gauzy curtains
and a sign that says ‘dream’?” “Yeah! How did you guys know that?” “[Snickering]” But who is this objective observer
that gets to declare the Basic Girl is not as amazing
as she feels? If her experiences feel
special to her, isn’t that good enough? Because to be basic
is to like what’s popular, often, basic is used as a shorthand
for lacking personality. But what if the Basic person
actually likes those popular things -- why should she hide that? “So what kind of music do you like?” “I don't know... Michelle Branch,
Matchbox 20.” “Jeez.” Following trends doesn’t necessarily
mean you’re mindless; it can just be a way
to discover new interests that come highly recommended
by others. And having common tastes
doesn’t automatically devalue someone, or mean
they don’t have depth. “I have other interests
beside shopping.” Indeed, in The Office,
Kelly has more personality than almost any other member
of the office. “Who am I? I’m Kelly Kapoor,
the business bitch.” Likewise, Cher in Clueless
is a textbook Basic Girl in that she likes fashion,
makeovers, believes popularity is a measure of worth, “I am going to take that
lost soul in there, and make her well-dressed
and popular.” and is at times quite shallow. “So, what did you do
at school today?” “I broke in my purple clogs.” However, she’s still compelling,
creative, and smart. “I’ve tried everything
to convince him of my scholastic aptitude,
but I was brutally rebuffed.” At the end of the movie,
Cher and her friends are still being totally basic --
talking about planning their weddings and fighting for a wedding bouquet --
but it’s clear that Cher has no shortage of intellect or personality
outside of her basicness. Likewise, in Legally Blonde,
another underestimated blonde Elle Woods may love shopping
and mani-pedis, but that doesn’t mean she can’t top her class at Harvard Law. “How did you know Chutney was lying?” “Because she's brilliant, of course.” “The rules of hair care
are simple and finite. Any Cosmo girl would've known.” In recent shows, we’re at last
seeing basicness incorporated as a neutral or even positive
trait in characters. “You’re basic.” “All day, e’er day!” Shows like The Characters
and Emily in Paris acknowledge a new phenomenon:
being proud of basicness. “Calling me basic is a compliment!” Emily in Paris’ main character
is initially marginalized for her love of brands,
her social media savviness, and her perceived basicness. “What does 'ringard' mean?” “It means basic.
He called you a basic bitch.” But it’s these same qualities
that allow her to save the day, winning her the respect
and affection of even her snobbiest French colleagues. “Almost 200,000 likes. Not bad!” This change in attitudes
is reflected in writer Daisy Buchanan’s article for The Guardian
about why she’s “proud to be a basic bitch.” Quote: “We've reached a tipping point
where there is something incredibly refreshing
about admitting that you love what is popular.” “In fact, do you want to know
why I got that bag charm? Because my friends and I
were obsessed with Gossip Girl, we all wanted to be
Serena van der Woodsen.” Both on screen and off,
it's time that we realize basic is nothing to be ashamed of. “Basic is beautiful!” Whether you love learning TikTok dances,
can’t help but keep Taylor Swift on your playlists, or keep a
spare pair of LuluLemon leggings in the back of your closet,
at some point or another, there’s something common and mainstream
you won’t be able to resist -- and that’s just fine. “You've got a thing
for Taylor Swift. And I know because my Mac
picks up your Mac's library.” “I was so careful...”
While popularity is of course
not the only measure of quality, it’s also true that certain figures
or creations become popular because they have genuine merit
or undeniable appeal. “Paris is romantic,
Christmas lights make small, depressing rooms feel warm
and welcoming, and live, laugh, love, is great advice for anybody!” The Basic Girl reflects a mindset
that we could all work towards: she does what makes her happy. “Do you know why people wear Uggs, Riley?
Because they’re super freaking comfortable!” Instead of needlessly
avoiding anything because of what others think, she’s happy to
open up her Candy Crush app, retake her favorite Buzzfeed quiz,
or sit down to binge Sex and the City for the millionth time.
At her best, the Basic Girl is true to herself,
and if that makes her boring, she doesn’t really care
who knows it. “Ya basic!” “No, mom, ya basic.
And that’s okay.” This is The Take.
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