For the past four hours on my glorious layover in the ATL airport, I have been able to people watch, and I must say I have learned a lot. When I say I've learned a lot I'm not just talking about my perceptions of others, but also their perception of me, a random girl alone typing on her laptop with headphones in.
I should start by saying this all started while I was waiting in line at Starbucks and there was a group of girls in front of me joking that they were "basic" because they were getting Starbucks. I too have made this joke several times and have never thought much about it. After I got my coffee and sat back down I began to think, why am I described as "basic" just because I wanted a cup of coffee from Starbucks? My answer, I'm not, and I need to stop accepting the fact that people think that. So as I am sitting in this airport with my Starbucks, oversized t-shirt, Chacos and a monogrammed backpack, one would normally describe me as basic or a "typical sorority girl," and normally I would agree with that, but the fact is that I'm not. Just because I want to be comfortable, I like having my monogram on things, and want to drink a cup of coffee from Starbucks doesn't mean I should be stereotyped as "basic," whatever that even actually means.
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So sure, I may look "basic" or like the "typical sorority girl," which people always make sound like a terrible thing, but the truth is I'm not. Sure, I'm in a sorority that I absolutely love and am proud of. Sure I love my huge t-shirts and coffee, but that's not what defines me and that is what people forget. If someone hadn't even come up with the stereotype of being "basic" then I wouldn't even be judged for drinking Starbucks or for what I choose to wear. Just because society has chosen to define in one way does not mean they actually are and honestly there is nothing wrong with drinking Starbucks or choosing to be comfortable.
Stereotypically calling someone "basic" just because of what they choose to like is unfair because there is nothing wrong with how I choose to dress or what I choose to drink. Calling someone basic has only become a negative thing because of what society has built up around it and how people portray people they think are "basic." If you really ask yourself, "What does basic mean?" Everyone will have a different answer but one thing they will all have in common is that it's solely based on their opinion based on something that society has defined. If you're going to call someone "basic" or make a joke about them being "basic" because of their outfit or what they choose to drink ask yourself, "what does being basic even mean and what's so wrong with it." I'm sure you'll find that in the end there really isn't anything wrong with someone wanting to drink Starbucks, eat Chipotle or even someone wanting to wear an oversized t-shirt and Chacos.
man running in forestPhoto by 
