What comes after going viral on TikTok? Creators face challenges trying to figure that out

Jools Lebron struck gold with her ‘very demure’ TikToks—before someone else trademarked her catchphrase. Social media experts weigh in on the pressures that come with viral stardom.

Just as aging Americans and youth-obsessed brands finally sort of wrapped their heads around what is and what might not be brat this summer, a new viral descriptor also became household vernacular. In early August, Chicago-based creator Jools Lebron began using the phrase “very demure, very mindful” in a series of TikToks, which quickly exploded all over the internet.