If you recently just got out of your self-imposed digital detox this week, chances are you would feign a blank expression when you open your trusty social media app.
Lo and behold, right there in your FYP are linguistic mentions of the latest pop culture buzzwords: Very Demure, Very Mindful, Very Cutesy.
Of course, you know what those words mean because these are not the usual slang that a handful of Gen Z peeps would say.
Probably, but NOT in the same breath as how this trend goes.
Who started this?
Enter Jools Lebron, a career woman who oh-so-casually dropped a Tiktok video where she was describing how she did her makeup, laid her wig, did a little braid and went on to remind the “divas” to be demure. And, like bushfire, the world caught up. Algorithm dictates the far and in between bandwagon jumping from the likes of NSync’s Lance Bass and a local McDonald’s ad.
LeBron was even invited to appear in a special Jimmy Kimmel episode hosted by RuPaul where she dished about the trend rather demurely.
To take advantage of her new-found virality, Lebron has already made several videos reminding the casual viewers to stay demure, mindful and cutesy.
The original material, as of this writing, has amassed a total of 42.4M views, 4.2M likes and 18.9k comments. This could clearly catapult her into a household name status because there has been no clear indication of that popularity from ever stopping. In fact, it is going on and on enough for Lebron to laugh all the way to the bank with brand collaborations pouring in.
In order to stake its popularity claim in the fabric of pop culture, publications such as The Cut and Buzzfeed listed down some of the online iterations that run the gamut from a ‘cutesy’ iced latte to a Gilmore Girls deepcut.
And with the American election campaign trail on its way, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris could even take advantage of this trend to finally coax young voters who made social media their refuge to support her candidacy. @underthedesknews edited this proposition where Harris was touted as ‘very approachable, very considerate, very demure’ when compared to Donald Trump, her arch-nemesis, on the road to the White House.
An Instagram post by the nation’s girl group BINI described their latest single, “Cherry on Top,” as “Very demure. Very sweet. Very mind blowing.” The song surpassed 25 million views with a clear manifestation of its universal appeal. To explain its universality, look no further than that particular post’s comments section where the majority of the Blooms – BINI fans – all echoed the same sentiments.
Even Senator Risa Hontiveros joined in the fad when she posted reading the controversial Isang Kaibigan children’s book by Vice President Sara Duterte describing the manner as “very mindful” and “very demure.”
But as it is, the slang is the product of the times and often changes. The rest of the year could figure out if Very Demure, Very Mindful, Very Cutesy is in it for the long haul since these crazes come and go rather mindfully.
The nonchalant and OA of the world would like a word please.