Are You ‘Cheugy’?

As if it weren’t enough that poor millennials have been hit by a second economic crisis in their relatively short lives (born in 1981), due to (un)employment they leave the family nest late, marry less frequently, and earn less than previous generations, they are also teased by the younger crowd (Generation Z) for their lack of style. On the famous platform TikTok, the term cheugy (pronounced as choo-gee) has gone viral, describing an aesthetic that is basic, out of date, and evokes a sense of embarrassment among younger people or gives the impression that a person is trying too hard to be trendy. Just as millennials teased older generations, their parents, in their attempts to be modern, Generation Z now mocks millennials, but does so publicly, on social profiles, for millions to see.

Rebellion Against Marketing

Although the term ‘cheugy’ was coined by American high school student Gaby Rasson eight years ago, it has only recently become part of youth slang. Dozens of videos are posted daily on TikTok that explain in detail what ‘cheugy’ is and what kind of people are ‘cheugy’, with examples ranging from Neutrogena’s pink facial cleansing wipes, the quote ‘Live, Laugh, Love’, Ugg boots, terrazzo tiles, raspberry-flavored vodka, to adults who are fans of Disney characters, Harry Potter, or the series Friends.

As Vogue recently noted, setting aside the humor, this highlighting of ‘cheugy’ aesthetics can also be interpreted as a rebellion against marketing. Millennials (especially younger ones in the generation) are the first generation to latch onto social media, adopt Instagram culture, and current trends whether in fashion or modes of expression. They are the first to feel what it means to be ‘liked’ – a like has become the currency of their personal quality.

Although Generation Z, of course, also lives on social media and seeks approval from a virtual audience, they are the drivers of a different kind of trend such as DIY culture, activism, and ‘resale’; they play much more on the card of individuality and less on fitting into what is currently fashionable. In fact, for them, it is fashionable not to be fashionable. Should millennials feel bad because younger people tell them they are ‘cheugy’? Absolutely not, says Vogue. Just think about how hard you try to be trendy (because that is ‘cheugy’) and – live, laugh, love.

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