What is #Gentleminions? Why teens are wearing suits to Minions: The Rise Of Gru
By Lottie Kilraine, PA
Some cinemas have banned groups of young people wearing suits during screenings of Minions: The Rise Of Gru.
The decision comes after some young moviegoers were criticised for rowdy behaviour after a viral trend erupted on the social media app TikTok.
The trend involves large groups of teenage boys, who call themselves The Gentleminions, filming themselves going to watch the latest instalment in the Despicable Me franchise dressed in suits.
It is not clear where the trend originated but the #gentleminions videos show suited groups attending the screenings and copying the main character, supervillain Felonius Gru, and his signature hand gesture.
In the videos, which have racked up millions of views on the app, groups can be seen celebrating “the five-year wait is over”.
Some even took bananas to snack on during the screenings, referencing the favourite food of Gru’s yellow helpers, called Minions.
Some of the viral videos show those taking part cheering and clapping loudly and being disruptive during screenings, leading some cinemas to enforce dress code restrictions.
to everyone showing up to @Minions in suits: we see you and we love you. 🫶
— Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) July 1, 2022
Movie studio Universal Pictures, which produced the film, has endorsed the #gentleminions trend, tweeting “to everyone showing up to @Minions in suits: we see you and we love you”.
