Senior zookeepers give a ‘Gen-Z-style’ tour of the animal kingdom in viral clip

A video of a baby boomer couple giving a tour of their zoo has gone viral on TikTok. And it's not because of the animals. It's because of their script, which was written by a Gen Z employee.

The hilarious clip shows directors Brian and Linda, both in their 60s, walking through Northumberland Zoo in the UK and saying phrases like, “It's amazing, the energy of the main character,” to name a few.

The clip, captioned “Our zoo directors have not understood the task,” was a huge hit on the internet, having been viewed over 5 million times since its release on September 7.

Her daughter and zoo manager Maxine Bradley, 35, told Newsweek: “They had quite a bit of trouble with the terminology, but the longest part was forming the heart with their hands – Generation Z style!”

In total, the one-minute video took two hours to shoot. In the scenes, the couple can be seen walking along the river and advising those who are having a “menty b” (short for nervous breakdown) to do the same. They also stand near a leafy enclosure where Brian says, “There's rainforest,” and Linda says it's “lit up,” implying it's very good.

Linda then watches a skunk eating and says, “Very cute, very attentive and very reserved” – a phrase popularized by TikTok creator Jools Lebron. CBS News recently reported that Lebron filed to trademark the phrase for use in entertainment and advertising, particularly to promote beauty products. The phrase gained popularity in early August when Lebron described her work with hair and makeup on TikTok, leading to widespread use by fans and celebrities.

“We didn't give my parents any information beforehand as we wanted to hear their honest reactions and blunt pronunciation when they say the words. They still don't know what they mean and to be honest, neither do we!” Bradley said. “Our zookeeper Claudia, 27, just laughed the whole time but we are all still very surprised at how far this has gone.”

The role of slang in defining Generation Z’s identity and influence

Newsweek discussed the clip, which has over 556,000 likes, with Nöel Wolf, culture and language expert at Babbel, a language learning software.

She said: “Generation Z increasingly defines itself by its use of slang. Typically, young people like to play with language, and that is where most of our slang and linguistic innovations come from. One of the reasons it can sound like Generation Z is speaking a different language is because they are experimenting, and because of the speed of communication driven by technology and social media, they are doing so at a pace that is difficult to keep up with.

“This is one of the reasons why it can seem so funny and unusual when older generations use these words and phrases, because you wouldn't normally expect them to be aware of these trends, let alone use the slang themselves. This isn't just the case with Gen Z – it has always sounded odd when older generations use slang that is popular with young people, because certain slang phrases are associated with certain groups, thus contributing to a sense of shared identity. Gen Z happens to be the group that uses the latest terms from TikTok and other online platforms, like 'rizz' and 'very demure.'”

Wolf also points out that Generation Z is the first generation to grow up entirely on the modern internet, as almost all teens have access to smartphones and social media. As a result, their language is heavily influenced by online culture, and new slang and expressions spread quickly when content goes viral.

“Playing with language and inventing new slang is a crucial part of a young person's development. And it can only be a good thing to introduce them to the world of business and advertising through this trend and make them feel that their views and perspectives are valuable,” she added.

TikTok reacts

The popular clip has received a lot of attention, including a comment from Google.

It said: “I’m adding the river walk to our saved locations for next time.”

“This is everything!!!! The best thing on the internet!!!” praised another user.

A third commenter said, “This is what it feels like to be an older Gen Z.”

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