I'm Basically Not Basic...

Alright, world.

I jumped on the YOLO bandwagon with enthusiasm.  

I still sarcastically say 'LOL' on a semi-regular basis.

And even though I never say 'on fleek' or JK; I subdue the grimace when people around me use it.

However... It is seriously time for us to get rid of our new twisted definition of 'basic'.  No, I'm not referring to the Basic Principles of Physics. I'm talking about the demeaning adjective we're using to describe people's interests, likes, dreams, and lifestyle.

I know exactly what you're thinking... "She's really not writing about this is she?"

You better believe it, dude.

via GIPHY

Because I'm not a full-time student working two jobs and an internship to be called 'basic' when I want to go to Starbucks every other day to get my caffeine fix.

Because wearing flannel and boots to a Shania Twain concert doesn't make me 'just another basic girl', it makes me freaking adorable.

Because my blog posts and rants don't just make me another 'basic whiney feminist', they also make me a woman standing up for my basic human rights.

Let me explain to you what I hear when someone says "You're so basic." (or something along those lines.)

"You're exactly like every other woman (man, person, dog) out there."

"It doesn't matter that you have feelings too, someone else feels the same way 
and they've already complained enough as it is."

"You're dream is irrelevant because everyone else in this world wants to do that too."

I get it.  You don't mean 'basic' in a bad way; but at its core, 'basic' puts that person in a generalized population of people where, to you, everyone is the same and ordinary. We might not want to be the center of attention, but no one wants to feel like they're not special or unique. Defining someone's behavior or interests as 'basic' is, in simple terms, objectifying them and putting them into a tiny box.

Would you call people 'simple', 'unimportant', or 'nonessential'? Because that's basically what you're doing.

Women, Men, Children, Dogs:

We need to stop tearing each other down because we are our own worst enemies.  I'm ashamed to say I've called other women 'basic' (as well as other men), and I've heard my own friends use the same phrase when referring to other people.

We all need to start treating each other as actual human beings.  It's as basic as that. 

In the words of Tina Fey in Mean Girls (slightly changed for the post): We need to stop treating each other like shit because it just makes it okay for everyone else to treat us like shit.