Knitted scarves. Autumn leaves. Puddles on the sidewalks. Ugg boots. Yankee Candles. Pumpkin spice. 

You probably know exactly what I’m getting at here – when summer ends and autumn begins, there is a certain color of orange and spiced scent that becomes practically unavoidable.

Apparently, pumpkin spice flavoring is overused and needlessly added to foodstuffs for people to enjoy, according to an Aug. 28, 2019 USA Today article.

I understand that sentiment to an extent because we now have pumpkin spice Oreos, milkshakes and cookies – But this overuse doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. 

I don’t hear complaints about seasonal peppermint or watermelon flavors, so why does the pumpkin-tinged trend get so much flack? 

It has to do with the season itself.

For many, including myself, Thanksgiving isn’t exactly a favorite holiday.

Halloween is a time to celebrate creativity and eat really good candy. Christmas is a time for gifts, showing  the people in your life how much you care about them.

Thanksgiving, on the other hand, has dry turkey, awkward political discussions and not enough mashed potatoes, all while waiting for the night to end. 

The only thing worthwhile about Thanksgiving is the pumpkin pie. It is simply an unbeatable dessert with its amazing taste and perfectly balanced sweetness of cinnamon and pumpkin.

A warm pumpkin spice latte on a cold, rainy day is like taking a liquid pie with you. 

But in recent years, that simple concept has exploded in popularity, making many think it has become overused and oversaturated.

Pumpkin spice has become somewhat inescapable since the mid 2010’s. Since 2015, “pumpkin spice” search queries skyrocketed every September, according to Google Trends data. 

Companies including Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Peet’s Coffee and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf roll out their own versions of the lattes every fall. 

Memes including “Christian Girl Autumn” are closely tied to the humble pumpkin spice latte, making fun of people who are “basic.” 

You’ve probably seen memes that make fun of the latte-sipping, earmuff-wearing girls that mostly consume popular media and follow common teen fashion trends.

It has become common to mock women for their interests simply because they’re popular. 

As someone who’s often been identified as one of these girls when ordering or talking about my love for pumpkin spice, I don’t care if it’s basic.

It’s time that we stop caring about what is “basic” and just enjoy these simple pleasures. 

Pumpkin spice is a damn good flavor. 

Put it in coffee, donuts and cream cheese – in fact, add it to anything you desire, because it is that good.

I don’t care that it’s overused. I think we should all be able to enjoy pumpkin pie in all its ridiculous forms. 

We all live in the endless consumerist hellscape of late stage capitalism, so I think it’s okay to enjoy Oreos that taste like pumpkin pie.

I love autumn and I love pumpkin spice flavored foods and drinks. I am basic, but I’ve never felt more free.