Today’s generation never fails to start something new every day, and just like that, a new TikTok trend, ‘very demure, very mindful,’ has taken the internet by storm.
This trend started in August 2024, when the TikTok influencer Jools Lebron posted the video for the first time.
In the video, she instructed viewers how to be “demure, and modest, and respectful at the workplace.“
@joolieannie #fyp #demure ♬ original sound – Jools Lebron
Emphasizing her modest makeup and clothing, she said she didn’t do too much and is very mindful while she’s at work.
She satirically urged her followers to avoid disrespecting their employers and be mindful of why they were hired. The video has already garnered 1.1 million likes, 5K comments, and 143.6K shares on TikTok.
The trend spread like wildfire and even attracted the RuPaul Drag Race winner!
The very demure, very mindful TikTok trend has become a satirical way to instruct people on how to act modestly in everyday activities.
Following the first video, Lebron and other creators started using the phrase in several contexts, adding layers of satire.
She has instructed people to act ‘demure’ in random situations like boarding an airplane or taking an antidepressant, where she stated she was mindful of why she was prescribed the medication and others.
@sh4_n1c3 be mindful 😚 #chipotle #verydemure #bemindful #fypã‚·ã‚šviral ♬ original sound – Aiyanna🪸
Likewise, one of the users also posted a video of a half-eaten and still perfectly stacked Chipotle. She instructed that she eat her bowl nicely so it would maintain its composure and structure. She even captioned it, saying, “Be demure, Be mindful.”
As the trend went viral, it reached Bob the Drag Queen, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner. Bob created a TikTok video using the sound from Lebron’s posts by applying makeup while lip-syncing.
Other users created their own demure-themes content in diverse situations, such as eating a sandwich at the airport, writing emails, and others.
A user claims she coined the word demurely and that Jools Lebron stole it!
Not long after the term ‘very demure, very mindful’ started spreading, the term ‘demuremaxxing’ began to trend on social media.
Furthermore, TikTokers and other meme fans use the suffix ‘maxxing’ to describe the action that takes a trend to the extreme.
Not just that, Lebron made another video where she explained how to be ‘demuretsey,’ and it gained 1.8 million views. It combines the words ‘demure’ and ‘cutesy.’
@joolieannie #fyp #demure ♬ original sound – Jools Lebron
While everyone credited Lebron with this trend, another TikTok creator, Selyna Brillare, has some accusations.
Sharing a video, she believed that Lebron might have stolen the phrase from her content. She stated she had been the first to use it in 2020 and 2021.
In the video that has already been deleted, she stated that this was an idea of hers that had been rearranged and regurgitated.
Most users appeared to be on Lebron’s side and even stated that Selyna wasn’t being ‘very demure.’
While no matter who started the trend, it has definitely become the way to express one’s satirical take on modesty and traditional feminity.
Additional Information
- The word ‘demure’ means affectedly modest, serious, or reserved. There are many videos of people using the terms ‘demure,’ ‘mindful.’ and ‘cutesy’ on several social media platforms.
- According to TikTok analytics, the views for the hashtag #demure spiked within a week of its first post. It had thousands of videos in the first week.
