In the Fall 2014 edition of Legacy Magazine, writer Logan Anderson gave LSU ample opportunity to discuss the “basic bitch” epidemic.
But instead of seeing this as an opportunity to critically analyze our application of the term, we laughed at the use of Kreayshawn lyrics and shrugged it off.
But Anderson’s look at the Nike-shorts-wearing sorority girls known for traveling in packs and Instagramming every moment of their lives has a massive effect on how seriously we take this demographic in social and political settings.
In 2014, we can’t be naive enough to believe that the media’s portrayal of any demographic is harmless. When propaganda portrayed members of the African-American community as dirty, unintelligent animals circulated during the Civil Rights movement, it made it that much more difficult to desegregate the south.
A well meaning friend showed me a Youtube video titled “If Guys Acted Like Basic White Girls” last week. In the video, two white males in their early-20s acted out getting dressed before going out, drunk texting ex-boyfriends and a walk home ending with a drunk rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop.” While it can’t have the same impact as pro-segregation propaganda, it’s making it hard to be taken seriously as young female.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve smiled through a family member calling me “little girl” during a debate over something that, frankly, I am more educated on. I have been dismissed without consideration because of my gender and age. This condescending attitude toward females attempting to have important discussions hinders progress that could be made in our world.
When you walk into the LSU Bookstore and see a line of girls in oversized shirts, it’s easy to make assumptions, write them off as “basic” and use them as a scapegoat. After all, they can’t possibly have troubles in their lives ­— they’re too busy posting photos on Instagram. But think about the words we’re using to describe them: basic, non-complex, implying simplicity.
But no one can make it through the first 20 years of their lives without facing adversity, troublesome times or dealing with loss. There isn’t a single person, male or female, Greek affiliated or not, that hasn’t lived through something difficult.
Those girls standing ahead of you in line aren’t one-dimensional. They have fears, hopes and goals. They dress the way they want, and they consume the amount of coffee that it takes to keep them productive. When we write them off as “basic,” we dehumanize them. It makes it that much easier to treat them as if they aren’t worthy of the same things as you.
We see it all the time when older generations talk about the millenials. We’re teens and 20 somethings who are written off for our age, reliance on technology and our increasingly left-leaning political activism.
Those generations don’t understand what it’s like to be in our shoes. They don’t understand using social media to keep up with what’s happening in the world. The same way I don’t understand why someone would pay thousands of dollars to live in a house with 20 or 30 other women who dress the same.
But my understanding of those girls shouldn’t take away from their humanity. And fleeting jokes about those “basic bitches” shouldn’t either.
Jana King is a 20-year-old communication studies junior from Ponchatoula, Louisiana. You can reach her on Twitter @jking_TDR.