The reality is that anyone, regardless of gender, can enjoy a pumpkin spice latte. But women bear the brunt of the criticism.
The pumpkin spice misogyny is just one of many examples ofis used to condescendingly stereotype girls who enjoy traditionally feminine hobbies, from listening to Taylor Swift's music to watching"The Bachelor," as boring, frivolous and superficial.
Rather, the outdated and one-dimensional version of femininity being mocked with the"basic" insult is"the kind where women are always happy, wholesome… satisfied with simple pleasures." Like many microaggressions, the pumpkin spice latte jokes aren't as harmless as they seem. Experts say calling girls"basic" may seem innocent and playful, but in reality, it's more serious.. In contrast to hostile sexism, which includes sexual harassment or physical violence against women, benevolent sexism is"more subtle." For instance, it's when men say women are worthy of their protection in an attempt to seem"chivalrous and superior.
"You may mean it as a casual one-off joke, but you're still reinforcing a system in which women are defined as less worthy of respect, especially in a society where women are dismissed or not taken seriously," Williams adds. "I’ll happily indulge in copious amount of pumpkin spice lattes, wear blanket scarves relentlessly and burn my 'Sweater Weather' or 'Leaves' candles freely."