Students at the University of Tennessee gathered on the HSS lawn on Thursday, Sept. 11, to determine who is the most performative male on campus.
The contest was organized anonymously on the app Yik Yak and spread through word of mouth. These competitions have been common on college campuses and in cities recently, but it was a first for UT. Attendees estimate a turnout of 70 to 100 people.
Over the past year, there has been a rise in performative men online and on campus. Common characteristics of a performative male include listening to Clairo, drinking matcha, liking Labubus, carrying tote bags and wearing jorts — long jean shorts. Other actions of someone trying to be a performative male may include saying they hate period cramps or they love feminist literature.
Participant Marissa Watson, a freshman studying psychology and sociology, described where she typically sees performative men on campus.
“I think the place where I would see a performative man is at the library Starbucks,” Watson said.
Azi Isidahomen, a freshman architecture major, participated in the competition. She’s a fan of artists that are typically considered performative, such as Jeff Buckley and Faye Webster.
“I absolutely loved this event,” Isidahomen said. “Before I knew about this one, I was seriously considering hosting one myself … I loved everyone’s energy and let myself go with the flow of the performance.”
Noah Woodberry, a freshman studying food science, placed second in the competition. He’s a fan of artists such as beabadoobee and loved the event.
“It was truly entertaining to try and be the most performative,” Woodberry said. “Second place overall but first in my heart.”
However, a negative stigma has risen surrounding performative men and their intentions. Many believe that performative men dress and act a certain way to attract women. One participant, Riley Coulter, a freshman studying pre-law, commented on their intentions.
“I would say that people who are performative tend to have a negative connotation, not because of the things they like or listen to, but because they are inauthentic and don’t actually enjoy them,” Coulter said. “There’s nothing wrong with liking those things, but you shouldn’t pretend to like them just because you heard women enjoy them.”
Woodberry noted he mainly sees performative men online, but he also knows some.
“I feel I have barely or rarely seen them, but I do know ones that exist in person and they’re lowkey the worst people ever,” Woodberry said.
Isidahomen recognized that some aspects of being “performative” have cultural ties.
“Also, many identifiers of these males, including matcha, figurines like Labubus and Sonnys, and the style of dressing are heavily inspired by East Asian culture,” Isidahomen said. “So this could be seen as a slap in the face to a culture that is now getting reduced to a ‘performative male starter pack.’”
While performative males are gaining what seems to be a bad reputation, the competition continued to be a bonding event for many students.
“I really enjoyed the event,” Coulter said. “I thought it was fun to prepare for, and I’m glad I got to share the moment with my girlfriend and her roommate.”
