‘Gen Z Boss and a Mini’ and How Gen Z Inherited the Millennial Cringe Curse
Words: Sihaam Naik
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On the 29th of July, history was made. The weather was humid, the skies cloudy, as we followed our three heroines trudging up a hill in Margate. Swaying slightly on their way home from a night out, they pressed record and never looked back. Such is the setting of Maisie Isobel’s TikTok, which now has over 1.1 million likes and originated the “boots and a slick back bun” trend. Just three girls hitting the town and slurring a catchy chant that correlates to their outfits. We’ve got boots and a slick back bun girl with a sporty racer jacket, cowboy boots and a blowie grasping a G&T tinnie, Sambas and a little red bag ending the video with a jovial “hey!”.
The video was met with a lot of positive buzz, with a notable comment stating, “Women are so creative and fun.” It’s true. These women crafted their post-sesh musings in the form of short, snappy slogans that personify the online girl experience - was Girl one (Ellie Lord) subconsciously commenting on the never-ending cycle of the hair wash, deciding to slick her hair back and forsaking the extra arm workout of wrangling a blow dry brush. Girl two (Maisie Isobel) came armed with her cowboy boots, representing the rise of the Midwestern princess. Girl Three, with her Sambas, satirises the popularity of the shoe and its inevitable fall from grace. It's a perfect clip, encapsulating what it’s like to walk home from the pub, a few drinks in, with your friends, when you feel powerful, and like nothing could possibly stop you.
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Naturally, the concept blew up with many iterations of the trend being found across the web. The rules are simple — point at the items you possess while the rest of the group chants their names. Far surpassing the original in views, TBH Skincare posted the definitive “Gen-Z Boss and a mini” on July 8. This replication has become a super meme, garnering over 3.4 million views.
However, with this new wave of influence comes the same unfair criticisms that their predecessors faced, particularly directed towards women. The pattern is clear: when young women engage in online activities that bring them joy or express their creativity, they are often met with derision and scepticism. Whether it’s participating in harmless TikTok trends or simply sharing moments of their lives, the backlash is always disproportionately harsh. The “boots and a slick back bun” trend is a perfect example - what started as a fun, light-hearted moment between friends quickly spiralled into a broader debate about the value and appropriateness of such content.
The internet has only amplified the scrutiny of women’s habits, but when men post content about their interests or humorous takes on daily life, they are often celebrated for their creativity and wit. In contrast, women frequently face accusations of being attention-seeking or shallow.
“The ‘boots and a slick back bun’ trend is a perfect example - what started as a fun, light-hearted moment between friends quickly spiralled into a broader debate about the value and appropriateness of such content.”
It’s clear - generation z is the new millennial. Millennials were once at the forefront of internet culture, shaping trends and influencing societal norms before being usurped by gen z at the start of the 2010s. Being ahead of the curve in the years since, now it seems like we’ve run out of steam and are doomed to inevitably be labelled as cringe in the same way as our predecessors. It makes sense - gen z has long bullied millenials on the internet for their love for Eminem, side-parts and skinny jeans - but what about us? How long until the gen z infatuations with half-painted cow-print wall, chunky plastic rings and micro-bangs are painted as cringe?
The criticism of gen z women’s interests on platforms like TikTok directly mirrors the backlash received by millennial women from sites like Buzzfeed and Tumblr. Remember the ridicule aimed at millennials for their so-called “obsession” with avocado toast and duck-face selfies? Gen z women are now experiencing similar pushback for their unique forms of expression: It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that our adoption of bows, Sambas, cowboy boots and using TikTok like a search engine will come back to bite us in the arse someday - and that maybe that day is inching closer than we think.
As gen alpha inches closer to ruling the internet (the oldest of which is 14 right now), I can’t imagine an internet remaining the same when they take the reins. The older generation fell prey to the Millennial pause, and gen z are already being ridiculed for the head bop towards the camera when they lip-sync. In comparison, Gen Alpha’s Skibbiddi-rizz-toilet-addled riddles remain shrouded in a secret code that will soon be the language of the zeitgeist.
Ask any child born after 2012 what ‘Fanum tax’ means, and they’d probably gleefully smile in knowledge or scorn at you for bothering to be in the know. The future of the internet dangles in syllables and deep-fried lore, with brain-rot being the focus of content consumed and made by gen alpha. Of course, a skit where 20-somethings point at their overpriced shoes and Dyson-Air-wrapped hair, the video would appear cheugy compared to an ironic, self-aware AI-generated cat video. Is cringe an inevitability for every generation? ‘Gen z boss and a mini’ ushers in a recontextualision of generational divides.
