Avril Lavigne Defined Your Early '00s Rebellion

We tend to know Taylor Swift as the Queen of Loving Fans, but, when it comes to Avril Lavigne and her fans, it's a bit more complicated. After Swift liked a post comparing her fan base love to the more reserved stylings of pop stars like Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Lavigne, the pop punk tart spoke out. "Comparison is judging and judging a person does not define who they are it defines who you are. We all love our fans," Lavigne tweeted, following up with a collage of fan love. Which made me revisit a time that had long been buried into the furtherest corners of my mind: a time back in the early 2000s when I was a big Lavigne fan. And, chances are, you were, too.

See, among all the blonde bubblegum turn-of-the-millennium singers, there was an influx of pop punk, and Lavigne was the wristband-clad mermaid masthead of that ship. And, during the gross harshness of being a oily skinned preteen, it was nice to turn to someone who rejected this sort of mainstream over-sexualized femininity that no 12-year-old should be looking up to. Comparisons can be stupid, but, let's be real... she was a breath of fresh air.

Personally, I moved quickly on from my Lavigne phase to my mallgoth phase to my riot grrrl phase, and now cultivate an eclectic blend of "Morrissey and more Morrissey" on my iPod. But let's just take a moment to flashback to a simpler time, and reflect on what made up the average Avril Lavigne fan, circa 2003.

1. All Black Make-Up

It was definitely your first foray into the big bad world of eyeliner, and, boy, you did not, by any means, skimp.

2. Necktie Stolen From Your Dad's Closet

Mine was pink, and I wore it over an Eeyore shirt. What?

3. Dickies Cut At An Unflattering Length

They were kind of like capris?

4. Out-Of-Nowhere Angst

It's just that none of the preps at school understand you, you know?

5. "Mom, Can You Drive Me And Maddie To The Mall This Weekend?"

"I really want this Happy Bunny wallet from Spencer's."

6. A Sk8er Boi

Or, rather, an exciting three week relationship with the one guy in middle school who wore a studded belt.

7. A Sk8 Board

That you, like, very debatably learned how to use, despite getting all the best gear at Zumiez.

8. A Resistance To Spelling Sk8 Properly

It's important to live dangerously and worry about grammar later. Sorry, l8er.

9. Impeccable Flat Iron Game

Or at least a valiant effort to mastering a flat iron was made, before you realized you're in 6th grade and no 6th grader can master a flat iron.

10. No Real Understanding Of Punk Rock

Mary Grace Confession: It is VERY embarrassing when your dad has to tell you that Sid Vicious wasn't the lead singer of the Sex Pistols.

11. And Of Course, A Livejournal That Boasts You're Just One Of The Guys

"I'm not like other girls." Oh, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Now, it's time to go back to playing "Complicated" on repeat and lamenting my lost childhood.

Images: Giphy (11)