If you’ve been on TikTok or at the movies in the past week, you’ve likely seen groups of ‘The Boys’ in their best power suits at screenings of Minions: The Rise of Gru. The trend is yet another example of Gen Z turning relics of 2010s pop culture into ironic memes. Or if the meme-ification of Sony Pictures’ Morbius actually led to ticket sales.
But why are people dressing up as members of the Banana Division of the CIA and where exactly did the idea come from?
Why are people wearing suits to see Minions: The Rise of Gru?
The trend appeared to come from Australian TikToker Bill Hirst (@bill.hirst). Hirst first posted a TikTok on the June 28 showing him and his mates meeting up at their local shopping center. They were dressed in suits and hyping each other up to go see the new Minions movie, claiming they’ve been waiting a long five years. This is our moment, my banana brothers in Gru-ist.
The video then cuts to the group excitedly going up the escalator to the cinema. They then watch the film and treat it like it’s an Oscar-nominated piece of cinema. They sit like Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s Gendo Ikari and take up an entire row at a screening of the new flick. They then give the film a standing ovation and pose.
“The gentleman arriving at Minions: Rise of Gru premiere. The five year wait is over,” Hirst said in the captions for the video, describing the film as a banana out of ten and “must watch”.
The video has over 34.6 million views and 8.5 million likes. People all around the world have since joined in on the chaotically unhinged meme and replicated the trend on TikTok. Videos of people — but mostly men — geeing their squad up to go see the film are all over the app.
Others on Twitter have shared photos of them attending a viewing with their banana brothers in arms.
Why are people so ironically hyped for Minions: The Rise of Gru?
It isn’t particularly clear why this trend started. But it has a lot to do with Gen Z’s sense of ironic humor. For older generations, Minions are earnest and cute little guys. But to the more cynical and extremely online generation, they’re chaotic little monsters. There’s an irony in liking them and sharing ‘iNsPiRaTiOnAl qUoTeS’ with their little faces slapped onto them.
The grassroots marketing of Minions: The Rise of Gru is similar to Morbius. But it was started by TikTokers rather than the marketing team behind the film’s release. That authenticity is arguably a big part of why this trend blew up.
It certainly seems like the trend is helping Minions: The Rise of Gru become a smashing success, too. According to Twitter user Benji Sales (@BenjiSales), the film reached $202 million globally in the opening weekend. But allegedly only 34 percent of those sales came from people aged 13 to 17. Gen Z has completely adopted a family friendly film as their own.
Anyway, you can go grab your best suit or formal gown and rock up at your own cinema viewing of the new Minions flick. Well, unless you go to one of the few cinemas that legitimately banned formal wear to their screenings because of the trend.