A ‘Demure’ Domination
Gen Z can reclaim and redefine words for them to fit their needs and descriptions.
(Jools Lebron )
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Demure as “affectedly modest, reserved or serious: coy.” That was the past, now thanks to Chicago TikToker Jools Lebron (@joolieannie), a noted figure in the beauty sphere of the TikTok community with 1.9 million followers, the word has become a massive buzzword within Gen Z and Millenials.
The first video that launched Lebron’s “How to Be Demure” series was uploaded on Aug. 2 referring to her makeup and style for work as being “very demure and very mindful” to be respectful and modest in the workplace amassing 4.8 million views.
‘’Let’s not forget to be demure, divas!’’ Lebron urges viewers.
This phrase soon entered the app’s lexicon and traversed throughout social media with many Gen Z and Millennials echoing Lebron’s sentiments by showcasing how they are practicing being ‘’demure.’’ Lebron’s series has become a viral sensation with the videos reaching up to millions of views gaining crossover appeal as many fellow influencers, brands, celebrities, and even ourselves are flexing their demureness in various ways. Lebron has also obtained lots of sponsorship, brand deals and also is teasing a Netflix project and was on a segment of “Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel”, thus showcasing how the word has taken on a life of its own, with Demure considered as a “state of mind” or lifestyle.
Summer 2024, deemed ‘’Brat Summer’’ in response to British pop artist Charli XCX’s hit album, was the first massive buzzword that caught on due to the ubiquity of the album and upon the announcement of Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for the presidency, Charli XCX posted, “kamala is BRAT” on X. Even as the definition of brat may be negative, this new generation has reclaimed the word and reinvented it to become more of a positive term, showing one’s wild side.
Demure on the other hand, is the antithesis of brat, showing feelings of modesty, classiness, and reservation. This creates an interesting dichotomy where now Gen Z must choose to either be demure or brat, be more coquette, soft, and sweet, compared to the freaky and wild “party girl” nature of brat. Even though it is the opposite of brat, it is also a reclamation and satirizes the stereotypical take on femininity that some people have.
Either way, even with these two rival camps, it shows how Gen Z can reclaim and redefine words for them to fit their needs and descriptions. This trend has also become so popular that Jools Lebron has said that due to the virality of the video, she can get the gender-affirming care she needs to become even more demure, even though she sadly couldn’t trademark the word.
Zipporah Pruitt, (she/her) is an L.A. homegrown journalist, who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on X and Instagram: @zippzine.
Edited by Nykeya Woods