The Problem with 'Basic'

Even though the term's been around for a while, I've only recently started to hear the word 'basic' used to describe my female peers.  Apparently, this is short for 'basic bitch,' which, according to an urban dictionary entry from 2009, means 'a bum ass woman who think she the shit but really ain't.'  So.  It's derogatory.  Also specifically directed towards women (although I've heard it can be applied to gay men, as well).

Just in case you're worried, here's a rigourously scientific test to find out whether you fit the definition of 'basic.'  I checked 8 boxes out of the 119 qualifiers for being 'basic' -- I love bagels -- I do I do, yoga's changed my life, and what person doesn't own jean shorts?  I don't particularly like Taylor Swift's music, but guess what?  I have three sisters who do, three sisters who also love brunch, Instagram, have wedding boards on Pinterest, and -- that's right -- also own jean shorts.

And these three women, along with Mindy Kaling, are the most fascinating, beautiful, and sometimes perplexing women in my life.  So I have a problem with 'basic.'  Because feminism, and because love.

A fellow Wellesley sister said in her commencement speech this year that before she came to Wellesley, she said things like, 'I'm not like other girls,' 'I could never go to an all-girls' school -- too much drama,' and 'I might even have referred to other women as catty.'  This last bit was met by a resounding, disapproving 'Ooooooooo!' that made even our brilliant, lovely commencement speaker Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie laugh.  No one had to explain the humour, no one had to explain just why it was that we shouldn't be calling each other things like 'catty.'

The problem is, outside of Wellesley, we can't take that kind of knowledge for granted.  So why, exactly, is it that we women shouldn't be insulting each other with words like 'catty' or 'basic?'

Because these kinds of words reinforce negative stereotypes about women that give permission to dismiss at least and to hate and violate at most.

I feel like I could just end this blog post right there, because this is enough reason to curtail our judgments.  But, obviously, more can -- and should -- be said.

What's interesting to me is that the word 'basic' seems to be deprecating consumer culture, as well, and I'm all about conscientiousness in that arena.  I don't frequent Starbucks, for example (apparently, frequenting Starbucks is so 'basic').  But you know what?  When my friend Mardi wants to take me out to chat, and she wants to buy me a cup of coffee when she takes me out to Starbucks, I accept her gracious offer and (hopefully remember to) thank her.  Because there are things that trump my personal lifestyle choices.  Love, for example.  When my sisters want to show me the latest Taylor Swift music video, I acquiesce, because my love for them trumps my music tastes (although I can usually only get through five or so videos before I need a good, long breather).  When acquaintances invite me over for dinner, I eat what's set before me, meat and all, even though I've been a vegetarian for thirteen years now.  Because gratitude.  Because love.

When we're not willing to let love trump our preferences, our lifestyle choices -- even when we're firmly convinced that everyone ought to boycott MacWorld -- we become moral policers.  We become haters.  We women begin attacking our own, which gives permission for others to do the same.  And, most importantly, we fail in the human task of fostering a world propelled by love.

We should also note that 'basic' (not to mention 'bitch') is a term specifically deployed against women. Against that half of society historically subordinated, raped, abused, derided.  Red-flashing warning lights, people.

So, despite my convictions regarding consumer culture, I will not call a woman 'basic.'  I refuse to engage in the sort of behaviour that shames other women, that allows me to claim that I'm 'not like other girls.'  This is what we feminists call 'internalised misogyny.'