The museum using Gen Z slang to attract younger crowds... and go viral

• Visitor attractions are increasingly turning to TikTok with unlikely spokespeople

Visitor attractions have begun using Gen Z slang to tempt younger crowds - and go viral online - and a new contender is being hailed for, well, slaying the competition.

Firearms expert Mark Murray-Flutter, 65, has become a social media star for his awkward delivery of terms such as 'rizzler', 'main character energy' and 'Pop off, queen' - and has now revealed that last one is his favourite.

The bespectacled and tweed suit-wearing specialist at the Royal Armouries in Leeds features in a new 57-second TikTok video giving a quickfire tour of the UK's national museum of arms and armour.

On its website, the free-entry venue promises 'thousands of incredible objects, from ancient times to the present day' - including Japanese samurai and movie props, Henry VII's armour and an Indian war elephant.

Yet it is his use of phrases such as 'Brat summer is over, besties', 'negative aura points', 'very based' and 'slay' which is now persuading people to vow a visit - while Mark has told MailOnline how impressed his Gen Z nieces and nephews are too.

He also revealed he was initially baffled by the script but feels he 'can now at least begin to understand Gen Z', the generation born between 1995 and 2010 - whereas Mark admits he is a 'boomer', meaning those born from 1945 to 1965.

The clip is the latest in a new trend of putting Gen Z language into the mouths of unlikely spokespeople .

The Royal Armouries posted their attempt on TikTok, with the on-screen caption 'Letting gen z write the marketing script' - and as description of Mark as 'serving curatorial realness'.

It was picked up and shared on X, formerly Twitter, by a user who wrote: 'This marketing video for the Royal Armouries in Leeds has made my day.'

Her post has now been watched more than 850,000 times, receiving 2,000 reposts and 13,000 'likes'.

Addressing viewers with a script written by Royal Armouries colleague Katie Glover, Mark starts by saying: 'Brat summer is over, besties - it's time to enter your historical era.'

'Brat summer' was declared earlier this year by singer-songwriter Charlie XCX, inspiring a wave of Gen X TikTokers to post videos of how they shared her 'Brat' aesthetic of recklessness, eccentric behaviour, and risqué attitudes.

Mark then describes the Royal Armouries as the West Yorkshire city's 'most sigma day out' - 'sigma' meaning cool and independent - before using the terms 'no cap' (true) and 'slay' (doing something extremely well).

He shows off some of the museum's armour said to be 'serving main character energy' - that is, exuding confidence - before adding, 'Pop off, queen', a compliment.

Among the most popular contributions is his description of Henry VIII as 'the original rizzler' - inspired by the slang term 'rizz', meaning someone's charm and seduction skills, possible derived from the word 'charisma'.

And pointing out one of Henry VIII's codpieces on display, Mark explains how it 'hits different' - being special, different or better in an unexpected or strange way.

The museum's 'largest display of arms and armour since the 19th century' is apparently 'very based', another superlative, as is 'lit' for their dioramas which Mark says are 'sending me', or providing joy or amusement.

He threatens 'negative aura points if you miss the gift shop' - disapproval for not being cool - while their cafe apparently 'ate and left no crumbs', or did a great job - as do the museum's tote bags which 'understood the assignment'.

Mark signs off by telling those tuning in: 'What are you waiting for? The vibes are immaculate - enjoy a goated day out. Slay.'

'Goated' comes from 'GOAT', standing for 'greatest of all time'.

He has been involved with the museum for the past 40 years and serves as its senior curator of firearms.

Now he has an approving modern-day fanbase, with online comments such as: ' This is by far the best use of modern gen alpha slang by an elder person. Slay on indeed.'

The video has been hailed as 'a masterpiece that needs to be preserved in a museum for all time', 'the best thing I've ever seen' and 'genius marketing'.

One fan on X, formerly Twitter , posted: 'This is absolutely how it's done. He's the right side of awkward and not overly trying to absolutely nail it.'

Others posted comments such as 'I think he gets more into it as it goes on', You gotta hand it to him, that was brilliant', 'That is superb, what a star', 'Right that’s it I’m going' and 'I think this might be my favourite one yet'.

Referring to the recent spate of similar videos, one viewer wrote: 'I was thinking I’d seen too many of these but "this codpiece hits different" is special.'

Another remarked: 'Thank you, Boomers solemnly chatting Gen Z slang has brought me many moments of pleasure.'

Mark has now responded to the adulation, telling MailOnline: 'The response has been totally unexpected but very pleasing. Of course, I’m happy to do more.

'I didn’t understand the script at first, but eventually once I understood what the phraseology referred to I got into it.

'Understanding this new language that Gen Z are now using helped me get to grips with the script. In fact, I rather enjoyed delivering the short punchy lines – all very slay.

'I was rather taken with the phrase "pop off, queen" - it made me chuckle. I even understood its reference when it was said in a film I saw over the weekend and I cannot help myself from using a few phrases today.

'I do feel though that I can now at least begin to understand Gen Z. In fact my nieces and nephews - 18 to 40 - told me they had seen it and loved it.

'Even my sisters who are all Gen X had seen it. I, of course, am a boomer.'

The phenomenon is said to have originated from a video promoting Fyfield Manor in Oxfordshire , which received more than 11million views in four days.

That one showed owner Christine Brown wandering around the grounds of the 880-year-old B&B, saying that a Georgian-panelled dining room 'understood the assignment' - meaning it does its job perfectly.

She goes on to describe that the Victorian windows as 'demure and mindful' - referring to a viral TikTok phrase which stemmed from a video from Jools Lebron talking about how to do work-appropriate makeup.

According to the Times , the B&B owner's daughter came up with the idea for the video after seeing people filming their parents going to the shop and other mundane activities which users found hilarious due to the quirks of the older generation.

The 26-year-old's mother said she just 'did as she was told' and was 'amazed' by the results, adding: 'I didn't even know what any of the words meant!'

Others filming and sharing similar clips have included visitor attractions such as Beamish Museum in County Durham and Hever Castle in Kent, as well as companies including SpecSavers - though their speakers were noticeably younger.

It follows the National Gallery hiring social media influencers in a bid to attract Gen Z visitors and promote its art to a new audience .

To try and entice younger visitors, the central London attraction is using content creators to promote its work through a series of videos.

Marking its 200th anniversary, the gallery gave £4,000 to 20 influencers which include artists, comedians and historians, as well as former contestants from BBC's RuPaul's Drag Race and The Great British Bake Off.

The National Gallery's social media and community manager told The Times she thought Gen Z were more likely to visit if they see collections posted on the accounts of content creators they trust instead of 'try hard' attempts.