BBL (Slang)

About

BBL is an acronym and slang term for Brazilian Butt Lift surgery, which is a cosmetic procedure that augments the size and shape of the buttocks. The procedure sparked an explosive growth in popularity in the early 2010s, presumably due to celebrities who displayed large posteriors, such as Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian. Going into the 2020s, the expression became a prevalent slang term on TikTok, often mentioned in viral rap songs on the platform, videos of people showing before and afters of the surgery, as well as videos about their recovery. Additionally, "BBL" became the subject of numerous memes around this time, including prominent trends such as BBL Drake.

Origin

According to a BBC^[1] article from August 8th, 2016, a Brazilian plastic surgeon named Ivo Pitanguy is credited with pioneering the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure in the 1960s. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons,^[2] the BBL changes the size and shape of the patient's buttocks by transferring and injecting fat or by surgically placing silicon implants into the buttock. The BBC article also explains that media coverage in 2015 of the "generous behinds of celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Nicki Minaj may partially explain the procedure's rise in popularity."

On August 8th, 2018, the @Theplasticsurgeryclinic YouTube^[3] channel posted an animated video explaining "What is a Brazilian Butt Lift" (shown below), which received roughly 12,000 views and 40 likes in six years.

Spread

BBL content was popularized on TikTok in the early 2020s as people shared content showing before and afters of their surgery, as well as videos about their recovery. For instance, on July 28th, 2021, YouTuber^[4] Bria Jones posted an essay video titled "the BBL EPIDEMIC is a literal TikTok trend," which amassed over 60,000 views and 2,000 likes in three years.

On June 29th, 2021, YouTuber^[5] @MadisynBrown posted a similar essay video about a so-called "BBL epidemic" on TikTok (shown below, right), which received more than 682,000 views and 50,000 likes in three years.

Memetic content about BBLs was also shared on the internet during the 2020s. In May 2021, "The BBL Effect" became a viral meme on TikTok, which is a trend that pokes fun at the people who did the procedure.

For instance, on May 31st, 2021, TikTok^[6] user @thecourtneyc posted a video eating paired with the caption "how girls with BBLs eat crawfish" (seen below, left), which garnered roughly 876,000 plays and 110,000 likes in three years. On October 27th, TikTok^[7] user @antonibumba uploaded a similar comedic video captioned "pov: someone with a bbl drops merch" (seen below, right), amassing more than 706,000 plays and 127,000 likes in three years.

Duolingo's BBL Ad

On February 9th, 2024, Duolingo's owl mascot did a BBL procedure as part of a viral marketing stunt^[8] for the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII. The company shared a behind-the-scenes YouTube video of the BBL meme (seen below), which amassed more than 28 million views and 845,000 likes in four months.

Related Memes

BBL Drake

BBL Drake also known as Brazilian Butt Lift Drake, refers to rumors and memes about rapper Drake having Brazillian butt lift surgery in early 2021 and how it changed him, making him more effeminate and more of a "baddie," as evidenced by various photos and videos of him. In particular, a mirror selfie of Drake and an Instagram Boomerang of him crouching over with his hands on his hips are often the subject of such memes. The trend became notably popular on TikTok in August 2021.

BBL Drizzy

BBL Drizzy is a rap song made by American hip-hop producer Metro Boomin and distributed on Soundcloud free for other rappers to use in May 2024. BBL Drizzy, which notably references the BBL Drake meme, participates in the ongoing Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake beef as an attack against Drake, setting up a competition in which Metro Boomin promised to reward a beat and cash prize to the person who made the best verse to go along with the track.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References