The recent “Gen Z boss in a mini” viral video, originally from Instagram skincare company TBH Skincare (@tbhskincare_), depicts Gen Z women in a circle singing.
The video plays off of a popular TikTok trend where those being filmed describe what they’re wearing, and has reached a whole new level of cringe behavior once it broke out of the misogynistic X / Twittersphere it had found itself in.
The original “Gen Z boss and a mini” video came from a beauty and skincare company on Instagram, TBH Skincare (@tbhskincare_) which starts with a group of young women chanting, “Gen Z boss in a mini.” as they dance around in a circle.
The video doesn’t end there, and shows various clips of other young people who presumably work for the company chanting about other things, like “itty bitty titties and a bob” and “secret product and a trench.”
The origin of the “Gen Z boss in a mini” trend comes from a TikTok trend called Boots and Slick Back Bun that has been going viral to the extreme at the moment. In the original video posted by TikToker @maisieisobel_ at the end of June 2024, the TikToker and two of her friends, who seem to be having a night out on the town, chant to a particular beat what they are wearing, from "Boots and a slick back bun" to "Cowboy boots and a blowie" and finally "Sambas and a little red bag."
It’s cute and fun, and a lot of people are getting on the trend since it’s one that anyone can emulate without fancy setups and transitions. Even celebrities are having a bit of fun with the trend, like Amy Poehler with her "Hoops and a black short dress” video, with Parks and Rec and SNL costars joining in the video, with Rachel Dratch and Rashida Jones actively participating while Seth Meyers pace-lurks in the background of each clip.
Okay so if everyone is having so much fun with this TikTok trend, why is the “Gen Z boss in a mini” iteration so cringe to watch? The video was reposted on X (formerly known as Twitter) by Twitter user Alkibiades_, who wrote in his repost, “Is this the longhouse?” to mock the Gen Z cosmetics workers.
The vast majority of reactions to the video on his account were, of course, misogynistic to the extreme (and some even add in a dash of racism…you know, for flavor.)
When the video finally broke away from the haters hiding behind their computer screens and turned to the broader scope of the internet, where while the misogyny left the table, the cringe most definitely left a lasting impression.
The reason why this take on the meme trend is so cringe (and completely taking gender out of it, since you can’t tell a person’s pronouns from their gender presentation) is that it feels extremely forced, especially given that these employees were recording the video for the company they work for rather than for their personal social media platforms.
The basic gist is: it doesn’t matter what generation you are, we are all cringe and should embrace the feeling, even if others don’t quite know what to do with us when they witness our silliness…unless you’re a corporation trying to latch onto popular trends to boost your products. Those are the most cringe of all.
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