Creator of "demure” meme is heartbroken

Cheezburger

This is not very demure OR very mindful. Definitely not very cutesy.   See all our content on FAIL Blog: http://www.failblog.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FailBlog

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00:00You see how I do my makeup for work?

00:02Very demure, very mindful.

00:04If you can't stop hearing the phrase,

00:05very demure, very mindful,

00:07you've got one TikToker to thank.

00:09But just as the trend's originator

00:11tried to cash in on her big moment,

00:13a random stranger swooped in

00:14and snatched up her opportunity.

00:16I just feel like I dropped the ball.

00:20TikTok creator Jules LeBron

00:22seemed to become an overnight sensation

00:24earlier in August,

00:25after posting a series of videos

00:27on how to be demure.

00:28You see how I walk to the airport?

00:30Very demure.

00:31I don't do a lot like these other girls.

00:34You see how I enjoy the drag show?

00:37Very demure.

00:38Her phrase, very demure,

00:39very mindful, very cutesy,

00:41instantly became a meme

00:43among Jules' two million TikTok followers,

00:45who shared her quirky words of wisdom

00:47all across social media.

00:49While the phrase isn't particularly original,

00:51Jules' satirical take pokes fun

00:53at appropriate feminine and polite behavior.

00:55Her unique delivery and commitment to the bit

00:57had users giggling,

00:59and the trend's flexibility

01:00made it easy for others to jump on the bandwagon.

01:02Do you see how I eat this sub?

01:04Very demure, very mindful.

01:07Do you notice how I'm walking to the dispensary?

01:09Very demure.

01:10Do you see how I did Chloe's makeup?

01:12Very 90s, very sultry,

01:15very thoughtful, very demure.

01:17Just days after Jules' phrase

01:19became a sensation on TikTok,

01:20it spread to news headlines

01:22and brand marketing emails,

01:23even reaching celebrities like Lindsay Lohan

01:25and Jamie Lee Curtis,

01:27who posted a behind-the-scenes clip

01:28while filming the new sequel

01:30to their 2003 movie, Freaky Friday.

01:32Straight hair, very demure.

01:35Wearing a seatbelt, very mindful.

01:38The massive success around very demure

01:41overwhelmed Jules,

01:42who received an outpouring of love,

01:44support, and encouragement

01:46from netizens far and wide.

01:47Jules, a transgender Latina from Chicago,

01:50has been building her TikTok presence for years,

01:52sharing makeup tips and comedic takes

01:54working in customer service.

01:56Prior to her viral breakthrough,

01:57Jules would frequently share her ups and downs

02:00as a restaurant server and a gas station cashier

02:02with her devoted audience.

02:03Fans have shared their genuine delight for Jules

02:06and her achievements,

02:07especially once she revealed

02:08that the money she's earning from going viral

02:10will finance the rest of her transition.

02:12In a recent update,

02:13she told her followers

02:14that she's using her first big check

02:15to move herself and her best friend out of the hood.

02:17But then, tragedy struck

02:19in the form of a trademark application.

02:21Jules posted an emotional update

02:23in which she revealed a man named Jefferson Bates

02:25from Washington State

02:26had filed a trademark on the phrase

02:28before Jules could.

02:29Admitting she knew nothing of trademark laws,

02:31a defeated Jules cried about halting the release

02:34of her very demure products and branding,

02:36fearing her success was over

02:37just as quickly as it had begun.

02:39Like, I've just invested so much money and time into this,

02:43and I feel like I did it wrong.

02:44Like, I feel like I didn't try hard enough.

02:48When news of Jefferson Bates' trademark filing

02:50hit the internet,

02:51people were devastated for Jules

02:53and disappointed that an opportunistic stranger

02:55would try to take what she clearly deserved.

02:57But luckily, a trademark attorney caught wind of the story

03:00and posted a TikTok explaining

03:01that Jules still has a chance to trademark her phrase.

03:04The person who uses the trademark first gets priority,

03:07even if somebody else applied first.

03:09Jules' TikTok is very clear

03:11that she has been using very demure, very mindful.

03:14While the fate of very demure, very mindful

03:17will be decided by the trademark courts,

03:19Jules is taking advantage of her moment.

03:21From appearing on TV to a slew of brand partnerships

03:24with companies like Netflix and Verizon.

03:26And in a world where anyone can become rich and famous

03:28for a silly viral moment,

03:30it's refreshing to root for a social media star

03:32who deserves their success.

03:34Jules, how am I doing so far?

03:37Very demure, very mindful.

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