Weekend: Good News, Snooki — The Pouf Is Back 👀

After a very green, very “brat summer,” the internet is officially in its “very demure, very mindful” era. Well, for this week, anyway. For those who haven’t fallen into the TikTok black hole: Earlier this month, TikTok creator Jools Lebron (aka @joolieannie) posted a video offering advice on how to look “very demure” and “very mindful” at the office. And while Merriam-Webster would have you think otherwise, Lebron isn’t talking about being reserved or modest. For her, being demure is more about being cutesy, respectable, and considerate — an attitude that, as Lebron has demonstrated, can be applied to all sorts of situations, from attending a drag show to applying deodorant to curing the midnight munchies. Calmly walking through the airport with a portable fan? Very demure, very mindful. The increasingly messy It Ends With Us press tour? Not so much. 

It was only a matter of time before demure took on a life of its own, with creators demure-ifying all aspects of their lives (see: the most demure way to eat McDonald’s and do the walk of shame). Celebs like Lindsay Lohan (alongside Jamie Lee Curtis) and Kim Kardashian have also hopped on the trend as have brands — we see you, Chili’s and Netflix. All of which has led some to suggest that Brat Summer’s natural successor is Demure Fall. It’s probably too soon to tell — though, if this Instagram post from the NYC Department of Sanitation is any indication, demure’s demise may be even quicker than brat’s. No matter how long the trend lasts, Lebron — who says the success of her viral catchphrase will finance the rest of her gender transition — has made a point to credit the “demure divas” who have “paved the way” for her, including fellow trans creators Selyna Brillare and Devin Halbal, and ballroom legend Venus Xtravaganza. Very demure behavior, indeed.