We asked you if you liked being called a ‘basic bitch’

‘Basic bitch’: you get called it, you call your friends it, and it’s the patriarchy’s new favourite insult. According to Glamour Magazine, a basic bitch is someone who: orders a pumpkin spiced latte, reduces all words to abbreviations, listens to nothing ‘edgier’ than Sam Smith, and is on first-name terms with their Starbucks barista.

Alexis Wilkinson, the editor of The Harvard Lampoon from Harvard University has cleared up some of the misconceptions around ‘basic bitch’ — and they aren’t great. She describes the ‘basic bitch’ as someone with “a complete lack of self-awareness and a vocal inflection that makes statements sound like questions”, and we all know what that means.

Being ‘basic’ means that we lack intelligence, that we aren’t sure of anything and we have nothing going for us in terms of personality. It defines the female species as a homogenous group of stupid girls that all like Starbucks. In light of this, I spoke to the girls of Sussex University to see how they really feel about being called a basic bitch.

Ruby McGonigle, 19, English Language and Linguistics

Being called a basic bitch would anger me. I would feel like I was being sneered at and belittled for perfectly innocent and harmless personal choices, like the clothes I choose to wear or the music I choose to listen to. I do think the label has a negative impact on girls because it implies an assumption that everyone should be confident enough to be outlandish and individual twenty-four seven. It puts pressure on us and makes us feel hyper-conscious that we’re being too ‘generic’. No one should be made to feel inferior just because they dress a certain way or buy certain types of coffee.

 

Sofie Jackson, 19, Art History

I feel that basic means plain and I don’t really want to be considered as plain. I would like to be unique. Basic just means the same as everyone else. In an ideal world, girls would all form a badass sisterhood and not out each other down. In reality, the term ‘basic bitch’ does offend people and is just another way of categorising someone.

 

Lizzie Samms, 19, English

It’s not fair to group people together just because they all like similar things. You could argue it is the same for boys, although now I think about it I can’t think of an equivalent term for them.

 

Katie Bye, 19, Zoology

I don’t know where the line is with being called a ‘basic bitch’. Is it determined by the clothes you wear, or your personality? It is definitely stereotyping at its worst. It groups all women together and insults them at the same time, just because they follow a new fashion or a social media trend.

 

Julia Kozlowska, 19, Zoology

I personally have never been called a basic bitch but if someone was to call me one I would probably punch them straight in their uneducated face! I hate the phrase and wouldn’t use it. It is completely degrading to women. I think women should stop calling each other ‘basic bitches’. It gives other people an excuse to call us it and puts fellow females down for being normal.

 

Anishka Miller, 21, Law

Being called a basic bitch is actually so offensive! I feel it classifies me as the same as everyone when I am an individual.

 

Ellie Hobbs, 19, Geography

 

Nina Rhodes, 19, Psychology:

 

Leah Quinn, 19, English Literature:

It clumps girls together as a stereotype. It’s definitely negative for other girls to call fellow girls it. That’s the whole issue, we need girls to support each other without bringing each other down. By saying certain things are basic is devalues them, like certain pastimes,  interests or styles of clothing. I don’t think someone should ever devalue someone else. What even is basic?! You can’t be interesting unless you are something completely unique, stop trying to be something you’re not. Being a ‘basic bitch’ shouldn’t matter as long as you are happy!

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So the women of Sussex university have spoken. We are individuals, we are unique and we do not want to be categorised or labelled. It’s time to fight back and eradicate the term ‘basic bitch’, because no-one’s going to judge me for liking something as ridiculous as Starbucks.