There is a new buzzword taking over social media thanks to Gen Z – and it all started with a satirical video about workplace makeup.
TikTok user Jools LeBron posted her first video using the word “demure” on August 2, where she talked about her work look.
“See how I come to work? Very demure, very mindful,” she said, pointing our her natural makeup look and straightened hair.
“Let’s not forget to be demure, divas.”
Demure is often a word used to refer to women who act reserved, modest and shy.
It’s not the only video where she has used the word – in fact it’s almost a series where the influencer talks about her “demure” acts where she jokes about how well-behaved she is.
LeBron also showed her “very demure” attitude with her behavior at a Cirque de Soleil, saying the fact she didn’t rush out of her seat like everybody else to leave.
Although there has been debate over who started the trend, everyone agrees that it was Ms LeBron who made it explode.
Many believe it’s an attempt to poke fun at previous trends, such as the clean girl aesthetic which saw women do their best to appear clean-cut without a single hair out of place.
Now, other social media users have adopted the trend in a big way with almost 10,000 videos using the hashtag demure in the past week.
Singers Lizzo and SZA have lip-synced to Lebron’s original sound, while television programs such as Gilmore Girls have picked scenes from the show and described them as “very demure”.
But, it’s not just the big names who have gotten behind the satirical trend.
Whitney Simmons, who posts fitness content on the social media platform, posted a video of herself checking that a workout bench wouldn’t move before she started her workout.
“Do you see how I triple check the bench,” she said as she put the device in place, before cutting in clips of people getting on the bench and it collapsing on them.
She then repeatedly pushed down on it.
“Very mindful, very cutesy, very demure,” she said.
Meanwhile, fellow social media user Campbell Puckett shared a video on how to eat a croissant in a “demure” way.
“See how I eat this,” she said as she cut up a small piece of the baked good.
“It’s very modest. It’s very cutesy, very demure. I have the perfect bite – not too big, not too small. I’m not messy.
“I don’t like crumbs.”
Another social media user, @hauskris, posted a video of herself using her fountain soft drink machine in her house using Lebron’s voice over.
“Having a Diet Coke fountain in my house is very demure, very mindful and very cutesy,” she said.
But some people have been left very confused by the trend that has quickly gone viral.
“Would someone care to tell me what the f–K this demure trend means,” one X, formerly known as Twitter, user wrote.
Another added: “What does demure mean and who taught yall that word of the week.”
Others have claimed the trend has already “run its course”.