The modern landscape of masculinity is being redefined, giving rise to the “performative male.” Suddenly, the men you see are drinking iced matcha lattes with oat milk, listening to Beabadoobee with their wired headphones, carrying a canvas tote bag that holds feminist poems written by Sylvia Plath, and dangling Labubus on the belt buckles of their barrel jeans. This trend, while seemingly spontaneous, is the culmination of various cultural shifts, from the rise of overconsumption to the changing dynamics of gender roles in a digital age.
On one end of the spectrum, we have figures like Harry Styles, who has been embracing androgyny and “gender-fluid” fashion. By wearing dresses on the cover of magazines and blurring the lines between traditionally male and female aesthetics, Styles normalized a new, softer, and more expressive masculinity. At the same time, the other end of the spectrum gained traction, embodied by figures like Andrew Tate. He and others like him promoted the aggressive, hyper-masculine ideology often labeled as “toxic masculinity.” This narrative preaches that traditional male dominance is critical and essential, framing anything that deviates from it as a sign of weakness. The performative male exists as an attempt to reject the latter while emulating the former. In short, the performative male appears to embrace and align with “feminine” aesthetics, when in reality he’s hoping to attract women, without truly understanding what he’s putting on or talking about.
The performative male understands that traditional, hyper-masculine traits are increasingly viewed as unattractive or even problematic by many women. The aesthetics they adopt—the baggy jeans, the tote bag, the feminist literature—aren’t necessarily genuine but rather components of a deliberate identity designed to communicate progressive values and emotional intelligence. They are crafting a personal brand that aligns with what they perceive to be the desires of their target audience: women who are looking for emotionally available, culturally aware, and feminist-friendly partners. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become the primary stage for this new form of masculinity, as social media’s emphasis on visual storytelling means that appearance often matters more than substance, allowing the performative male to “purchase” an identity. This commodification of values means that media, fashion, and food have become lifestyle packages that can be acquired and displayed rather than organically discovered and internalized.
However, it’s crucial to distinguish between performative adoption and genuine evolution. Not every man sipping matcha or wearing a Chrome Hearts necklace is putting on an act. Many are, in fact, exploring broader expressions of identity or simply, and authentically, a fan of what’s currently trendy. The distinction lies in motivation and authenticity. A man who discovers he genuinely enjoys the taste of matcha, or finds a personal style and confidence in baggy jeans, or feels motivated by the emotional honesty of feminist literature, is engaging in legitimate self-discovery. His choices emerge from internal curiosity, personal preference, or an authentic connection to the culture he’s embracing. The issue arises when these same choices become strategic tools rather than genuine expressions, when choices are made to display a message, one driven by the desire for external validation.
Recently, as more people began to recognize the rise of performative males, many have taken to satire: performative male contests, an evolution of viral look-alike contests. These events have emerged in various college campuses across the country, including at Stevens. The Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) held a performative male contest on Wednesday, September 10, during which contestants dressed up as their best interpretations of a performative male. This satire is effective because it’s rooted in shared recognition and self-awareness rather than an unironic showing of this phenomenon.
