Oversized sweaters. Leggings. Skinny jeans. Boots. BOOTS! Scarves. Beanies. Cozy blankets on the couch. Crock-pots full of savory goodness. Knee high socks with crazy patterns. Halloween candy. That’s what Fall means to me. Oh, and pumpkins. Mustn’t forget the pumpkins. What does that make me? A basic white girl? Do I care? Or am I just a regular human being who enjoys it when the seasons change? Why does loving a certain season mean you’re “basic” anyway? When did loving all things Fall become a joke? Something to make fun of like tribal tramp stamps? I have no idea, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one. So, here begins my quest. My mission. So let’s all sit back with a grande *skinny* PSL (holidays are coming up ladies!), tug our infinity scarves tightly rounds us, and take a moment to figure out why it is that loving a particular season makes a person “basic”, and whether or not we should even give a care.
So if you don’t live in a hole or somewhere way down south where it stays hot until January, it’s Fall y’all. Some people think it’s the best season ever. Other people think it’s the best season in which to make fun of people who think it’s the best season ever. You’ve probably seen about a hundred lists/memes/vines/youtube videos going around pointing out the different characteristics of being a Basic White Girl (or a BWG, because it sounds just a shade cooler, which just might make it a shade more basic). I’m going to break down the four major points of these internet easy click baits: Clothing, Pumpkins, Autumn, Friendsgiving.
Sources: Basic Clothes Basic PSL T-Shirt Basic Leaf Sniffer Basic Group Of Friends Who Probably Trade Clothes
First of all, I hate labels. I hate them partially because I don’t know what mine is. But also, because I don’t like feeling as though I am stuck within a certain set of rules. I don’t like being told what is expected of me, what to do, or what I can’t do. I guess really, what I should say, is that rules suck a big one. I like riding a very thinly labeled line. I am not quite hipstery enough for the hipsters, not quite nerdy enough for the nerds. If I was a little bit more hardcore I could maybe be considered grunge? Maybe. I’m honestly not quite sure what grunge is, but I feel like I might be considered that at times. My hair is purple and I am one more tattoo away from making my mother cry (sorry Mom, I love you). I own more heels than tennis shoes, and more boots than flip-flops. I like getting super glammed up and going out looking like I’m on a catwalk. If it was any other time of the year, I would definitively say, “hell no, I am no BWG!” But it’s becoming Autumn, and rocking that skinny jean, oversized sweater hanging off the shoulder look, with a messy bun, and giant boots is a fave of mine. So why the shade?
I went on urban dictionary a deep internet search and figured out pretty quickly that being basic is the equivalent of being a panda bear: uninteresting, uninspiring, dull, and zero personality.
So here’s my first challenge. It’s in my clothing. My hoodies. My skinny jeans. My dreaded FUGGs (Fake-UGGs, because HELLO I am not spending that much money on such an ugly pair of boots. But they are soooo comfy! And warm! And easy to wear! Damn them.) My new Doc Martins with the purple roses all over them (so cute). The tall brown boots. The ankle boots. The leggings. THE LEGGINGS. The oversized sweaters. The oversized long sleeved t-shirts. The scarves. The beanies. The jackets. I love them all. I want them all. I want to wear these clothes year round. Sadly for me, I live Maryland. A state that insists on having all four seasons, sometimes all within the same week.
Honestly though, this just seems stupid to me. As much as you want to, you really cannot tell ANYTHING about ANYONE from how they are dressed. You can, of course, make your own suppositions, but be prepared to be proven wrong right quick. If you think I’m basic based off my clothing, oh honey, you have no idea the depths of personality I hold back on the daily in order to maintain my job (sorry job, I love you). So cross clothing off the basic list. My FUGGs won’t make me basic; they’ll just keep my toes toasty warm whilst sitting around the bonfire and partaking in s’mores.
I love pumpkins. I like the way they smell when they are mixed with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. I like them with whipped cream and a crunchy bottom. OK, basically, what I am saying is that I really like pumpkin pie. If someone told me, that I could only have pumpkin pie for the rest of my pie life, I would miss my peanut butter cream pies, but ultimately, I would be thankful I wasn’t stuck with cherry.
Screw you Cherry! You’ll never win my heart!
I love going to pumpkin patches and picking out the “best” one. But then, I always buy way too many because for some crazy reason, I turn into a purple haired Martha Stewart and start dreaming up all these ambitious ideas of what I am going to do with all my magical pumpkins.
However, I would like to know when loving a particular fruit made someone basic (yes, pumpkins are fruit, I had to look that stuff up). I love all kinds of fruit. Does that make me extra basic? During the summer months I pretty much live off of watermelon, peaches, strawberries, melons, etc. Do I get judged for that too? No? Ok then, take pumpkins off the list. Last time I checked, there are a ton of strawberry, watermelon, peach flavored things in the world. Lucky for the people who happen to love those fruits, they are more readily available than the elusively shy pumpkin. If I don’t get judged for making a strawberry-peach smoothie, you cannot judge me for enjoying a pumpkin flavored coffee either. MOVING ON!!
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Autumn. Ok. I really don’t get it. Why the saltiness for loving a certain season? I mean, I’m being real honest here, Autumn is NOT my favorite season. It just isn’t. Summer is my favorite season. My birthday is in August, and like I said before I live in Maryland; we have the Eastern Shore and we have mountains and beaches. There is so much to do in Maryland, and if you run out of fun outdoor activities, D.C. is right there and so is Virginia. It’s pretty great. That being said, Autumn lasts for about forty-five minutes in Maryland. It was ninety six degrees last week. This morning on my way to work it was fifty four degrees. Last year it snowed on Halloween (all those poor Elsa’s really were Frozen. Plus side, their costumes were even more on point). But seriously, saying it’s basic to love a season and the traditions that come along with it is like saying getting birthday presents is basic. You know damn well EVERYONE wants a birthday present. You’re not going to be like, “Oh no, I can’t accept this present, that’s too basic of me”. Please. By the way, what else are you supposed to do during Fall? You go on hayrides, pick pumpkins and apples, make s’mores (or flaming balls if you’re super cool), carve pumpkins, and take fancy-stupid pictures of half molded leaves. Is some of it lame? Maybe. But you know what, so is eating your Great Aunt Nancy’s dry stuffing every year at Thanksgiving, but you do it anyway. Because it’s tradition, it’s something to do. If you don’t like it, find something better to do, but don’t hate on those of us eating the stuffing.
Wait, where does stuffing go again?
There’s this thing called Friendsgiving. I hear it’s amazing. I wouldn’t know. I have never been to one. Don’t cry for me, That’s Normal, it’s not because I haven’t been invited. It’s because I, for one reason or another, am always busy or sick. It has become a life goal of mine to make it to SOMEONE, anyone’s Friendsgiving. The whole idea of it sounds amazing to me. The people that you actually WANT to spend time with getting together for a mutually agreed upon made up holiday. What a novel idea (sorry family, I love you). In fact, some may argue this is the ONLY way to spend the holiday season. Think about it, you could totally bypass all the yearly drama. Old Great Aunt Nancy is in the kitchen knocking back the brandy and yelling at the turkey. Granddad is wandering around with no pants on, and for some strange reason your cousin Whitney has decided to be called Bottle, and will only speak in the third person. Not this year pals. Friendsgiving is the wonderful beautiful escape we have all begged for at one point or another. Personally, I think this is a case of it’s honestly not at all basic, but maybe someone is a little jelly they didn’t get a certain invite. Still not a reason to make it basic, it’s an amazing idea. STRIKE IT FROM THE LIST!
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My life for the last 3 years
To be honest, I really don’t understand “seasonal basicness.” Now, don’t get it twisted, I know some basic…ladies. I don’t judge them for being exactly like the stereotype. Well, OK, I do. I can’t help it; sometimes it’s just too funny. But the laughter is in jest; trust me there are plenty of things to laugh at me for (my penchant for lacking a filter: sorry elevator full of Hydra Cosplayers. I’m sure you’re all not really a bunch of assholes, I love you). Also, I just used the line, “don’t get it twisted”. So there’s that as well. Laugh away friends.
I am declaring my Fall Freedom! Freedom to wrap my neck in unnecessary layers of infinity scarves, sip an over priced skinny PSL, and rock my FUGGs with a sense of irony that I totally recognize (but they are SO comfy). I encourage you all to do the same. Besides, we have much more important battles to fight. Like viciously fangirling over fictional characters, known for their strength, that need our constant defending. So, let’s gather our various fandoms and get to work ladies, we have serious business to attend to.
Written by Laura
Current Obsessions: Outlander, GoT, Doctor Who, AoS (well really, anything from the Marvel universe), Dubsmash (She’s like a connoisseur of bad lip syncing), Bitten, terrible paranormal romances, all things sci-fi, Sharks, Hardcore Disney fan since ’84, traveling this country for Comic Cons and Concerts, and last but never least terrible Syfy movies are her lifeblood.
