Why Being ‘Very Demure, Very Mindful’ Is the Internet’s Latest Obsession!

Let’s set the scene: I haven’t been on TikTok since India banned the app, so now all the latest trends reach me through Instagram Reels or Youtube Shorts! So when Penn Badgley dropped a video about his last day on the set of You, and everyone was freaking out about how “very demure, very mindful” he’s being. My initial reaction? What on earth is happening? Naturally, I dove into the rabbit hole of social media trends, and guess what I found? Jools Lebron—yes, the demure queen herself—was behind it all.

So dive in with me to understand what the trend is all about and why it has even brands hooked on!

Demure, Traditionally Speaking

Before we get into Jools Lebron’s version of “demure,” let’s take a step back and revisit the traditional meaning. Demure typically conjures up images of someone who is modest, reserved, and a bit shy. Think of a 19th-century heroine, all prim and proper, clutching her pearls and avoiding eye contact. The word carried connotations of being quietly elegant, almost invisible, and never the life of the party.

But then, in classic Gen Z fashion, a word with deep-rooted meanings got flipped on its head and became something entirely different.

Enter Jools Lebron

Jools Lebron, or @joolieannie on TikTok, casually dropped a video in early August that would soon take over the internet. In the now-iconic video, Jools says, “See how I do my makeup for work? Very demure, very mindful. I don’t do too much. I’m very mindful while I’m at work. See how I look? Very presentable. A lot of you girls go to the interview, looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma, not demure.”

What started as a tongue-in-cheek take on workplace makeup soon snowballed into a trend that had people rethinking their entire online personas. But Jools wasn’t just talking about makeup. For her, “demure” became a statement—a blend of self-awareness, subtlety, and a dash of satire. She wasn’t advocating for modesty in the Victorian sense; she was championing a vibe that said, “I’m here, I’m put-together, but I’m not trying too hard.”

The Trend Takes Off

As with most TikTok trends, Jools’ “demure” philosophy quickly spiraled into a full-blown phenomenon. People started lip-syncing to her video, quoting it, and remixing it with their own demure moments. Whether it was someone showing off their understated work outfits or someone being “mindful” while sipping coffee, the internet was flooded with people embracing their inner demure diva.

Naturally, brands and celebrities were quick to jump on the bandwagon. United Airlines posted a TikTok about demure boarding, and Google chimed in with a demure out-of-office email notification. Even Penn Badgley couldn’t resist, giving us his own take on being “very demure” and “very mindful.”

Why Social Media Can Actually Be Fun Sometimes

Here’s the thing about social media—it can be a chaotic, overwhelming place where trends rise and fall faster than you can say “fyp.” But every now and then, it gives us a gem like this. A word like demure, which once belonged to the realm of dusty old novels, is suddenly the talk of the town thanks to a clever TikTok creator. It’s moments like these that make the internet a place where creativity and humor thrive.

Gen Z has a knack for turning traditional concepts into something fresh, fun, and a little bit irreverent. And in a world that often feels heavy and serious, sometimes you just need to laugh at the absurdity of it all and embrace your inner demure diva.

So, will I be “very demure” from now on? Maybe. But let’s be real—I’ll probably hang on to this trend just a little longer than socially acceptable. After all, if we can’t laugh at ourselves on the internet, what’s the point?