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It seems that with every season comes a new trendy word or phrase. That word or phrase tends to start as an internet fad that spreads like wildfire and then everyone gets slightly annoyed with it and it slowly fades into the background making room new slang to be born.
I would say that the trendy word of the fall season has undoubtedly been “basic”. I’ve used it, my friends use it, even my fellow Xavierite staff members have used it, joked around and played with the idea of writing articles about it.
Well, as arguably the most basic member of The Xavierite staff, here is that article.
Before I stated any thoughts or opinions about this new word, I figured I should determine exactly what being “basic” entails. As it turns out, the staff of Buzzfeed was wondering the same thing.
First of all, if you don’t follow Buzzfeed, stop reading this article and go look it up right now. They do a lot of interesting social experiments and social commentary in the form of hilarious videos and articles.
In the Buzzfeed video titled “What does it mean to be basic?” staff member Keith Habersberger interviews several women with the hope of discovering the true definition of basic and who might qualify as basic. In the end, he determines that while there may be several acceptable definitions for the word basic, the root of it seems to be “someone who likes really popular stuff.”
He ends his video by commenting that he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with the term basic, but it is wrong when we use it in order to demean someone else. He explains “After all, when you call someone basic you’re judging a book by its cover. You’re saying that someone’s character is defined by the material items they possess.”
And that my friends is what I found to be the clearest and most accurate definition of basic. If you tend to like things that are popular…guess what…you’re basic! And if we’re evaluating everyone by that standard…we’re all basic! For some reason that term has been directed more towards women, probably because as Habersberger explains, we use it to demean people.
We’re using it to remind women that they’re nothing special, they need to make an effort to be more unique and interesting rather than just be themselves, whoever that may be.
But the reality is we could say the same thing about men. If you like to play video games on a regular basis, you’re basic. If you like to watch sports, you’re basic. If you like to wear plaid button downs, jeans or Nike running shoes, you’re basic.
I guess my overall take on the term is that popular things are popular for a reason.
Ultimately, if you’re wearing, doing, saying or eating something because you like it, no need for justification. I wear yoga pants and Ugg boots because they’re comfortable and I drink Starbucks because it’s delicious. And if that makes me basic, then so be it.
When it comes down to it, we are probably all a little basic, it’s called culture. After all, if my predictions are correct, within a month or two no one will be basic, we will all be something else because we will come up with another word or phrase to define and demean people.
So for now, if you think you might be basic, you’re probably right. And if you think you’re not basic, you are probably just a different kind of basic. Own it, at the very most it means you like popular things. And do you know what that says about you? Nothing.
Bridget Goedke
Senior Viewpoints Editor
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