What is TikTok's 'Gen Z boss and a mini' trend? Why is it facing backlash?

A video posted by TBH Skincare on social media platforms has sparked a heated debate about the behaviour of Gen Z and the concept of "cringe." The clip features a group of young women dancing and chanting in their office, taking turns to describe their characteristics, inspired by the recent "boots and a slicked back bun" meme that originated on TikTok.
Despite its intention as a lighthearted and enjoyable activity, the "Gen Z boss and a mini" meme faced significant criticism when it spread to corporate accounts. Online commentators labelled the video as "cringe". Whereas, the "corporate" used it to satirise the forced "fun activities" that often occur at work events.

As the video gained popularity, some commentators suggested that it represented the decline of Gen Z, implying that they had succumbed to the same cringe-worthy behaviour they had previously mocked millennials for. Millennials have often been the target of Gen Z's ridicule, portrayed as overly sincere and obsessed with pop culture phenomena like Harry Potter, Taylor Swift, and The Office.
Moreover, the negative reaction to the video took a misogynistic turn as it spread to the "manosphere," an online space where toxic masculinity and the categorisation of men into "alphas," "betas," and "sigmas" are prevalent. The intense criticism led the women in the original video to post a follow-up, in which they danced and chanted to the tune of the negative comments they had received.

The viral spread of the "Gen Z boss and a mini" video briefly shed light on the complex and often troubling dynamics of gender and generational divides on the internet.