Going to the gym today? That’s very demure. Taking out the trash later? Very mindful, very cutesy.
Maybe this makes no sense to you now, but if you’ve heard the word “demure” more lately, credit the latest online trend.
It took off when a creator, @joolieannie, who goes by the name Jools Lebron - a self-proclaimed “fierce diva” trans woman - created a satirical take on how people should act at work or in public.
In one clip, Lebron showcases her makeup for a day at work. “Very demure. Very mindful,” she says.
“I don’t come to work with a green cut crease. I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I don’t do too much. I’m very mindful while I’m at work. You see how I look very presentable?” Lebron jokingly says in a voice that reminds you of an office receptionist. As of Tuesday morning, Lebron has 1.2 million TikTok followers and millions of views on her demure videos.
This has led to a flurry of videos of people using the terms “demure,” “mindful” and “cutesy” on TikTok, Facebook and Reddit, as well as on podcasts. The trend involves satirical videos demonstrating exaggerated ways viewers can behave in a “demure” and “mindful” way in various situations. It’s meant to be funny, helpful, demure, mindful. People such as WNBA star Angel Reese and brands such as Sephora have hopped on the trend. There have even been political meme-type videos showing Vice President Kamala Harris appearing “demure” and Donald Trump not being “demure.”
Where did ‘demure’ and ‘be mindful’ originate?
The “demure” trend received significant attention primarily because of Lebron’s TikTok videos. She uploaded her first “very demure” video, about how to be demure at work, on Aug. 2.
“See how I come to work? ... I do my makeup. I lay my wig. I do a little braid. I flat iron my hair. … Very demure, very mindful.” The 17-second video has garnered more than 3 million views. Since then, Lebron has been posting videos of how to act “demure” in different scenarios, such as when applying deodorant or getting your nails done, as well as how to keep your hair at a demure length. United Airlines commented on a vacation video, “the art of demure travel.”
Over the weekend, Lebron visited Las Vegas, and, instead of vlogging the trip like other influencers, she amped up the demure content. Videos included how to leave Cirque du Soleil in a demure way, how to go to the Las Vegas Strip in a demure way and how to be demure at a drag show.
“I don’t do a water bottle with vodka and a side of lemonade. ... I do a very nice drink. I’m very cutesy with it,” Lebron said in a video holding up a water bottle and what appears to be lemonade at the casino.
In her final Vegas video, “How to thank the hotel staff when you leave the hotel in a demure way,” Lebron shows herself giving half a dozen doughnuts to the front desk staff. “I’m not like these other girls. I don’t leave my room a disaster. I’m very mindful and very demure when I leave the hotel.”