The “Performative Male” is Doing More than Just Liking Matcha

Hundreds of men swarm Alamo Square Park in San Francisco, tote bags slung over shoulders, Labubus hanging from belt loops, wired earbuds in ear, and matcha lattés and feminist literature in hand. This curious gathering is only one of many “performative male” competitions popping up across the country. Similar contests have found their way into Washington Square Park in New York City and Capitol Hill in Seattle, college campuses such as Yale, Cornell, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and even various high schools. These contests didn’t spawn out of nowhere. The inspiration behind these competitions stem from a combination of the prominent 2024 lookalike contests, and a recent social media trend, the “performative male.”

The term started circulating around the internet in mid-2025, when it became a trend to call out the “performative” behavior of some men who inauthentically adopt traditionally feminine interests to appeal to women. Such videos often depicted younger men who were seen reading books, often feminist literature, self help books, or works of literary merit, in public spaces such as parks, cafés, or public transportation. This behavior was called out by many internet users as deliberate public displays to appear intellectual or emotionally sensitive, possibly a way to attract romantic attention. As these videos garnered popularity, the archetype of a performative man took shape. Many social media users began to upload short-form videos parodying this archetype, with notable videos including creators staging themselves being caught reading a book upside down to display disingenuity.

While the trend can rightfully call out the harms of inauthenticity as a means to an end, the widespread denunciation of men for enjoying typically feminine interests could have a negative impact on the mindsets of teenagers on social media. The social scrutiny arising from this trend may discourage many people from expressing their true interests, for fear of being perceived as disingenuous or pandering to the female gaze.

“Those who genuinely do have interest in those items, for example, collecting Labubus or drinking matcha, those individuals may be deterred or embarrassed to partake in those activities or share those common interests with other people,” shares Mr. Mariscal.

Some people have also criticized this trend for its trivialization of real and important matters, such as feminism and the fight for women’s rights, which the performative male trend has treated as a mere appeal to the female gaze. In particular, the performative male character is typically portrayed carrying around well-known literary works, with some people even showing off acclaimed pieces of literary commentary such as The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. By using literature with societal themes such as feminism and the patriarchy to play into a satirical character, this trend risks minimizing important literary works into superficial interests of an internet trope.

“We could literally diminish centuries of feminism and fighting into a performative male trend,” provides Richa Charora (12th).

Alternatively, some have pointed out that this trend has been able to introduce people to potential new interests by popularizing the archetype.

“I feel like many men may have actually discovered things that they might be interested in, like genres of music or [artists] like Clairo or Beabadoobee. Or maybe they discovered that they do like matcha, or they do like reading some books,” said Hannah Zhao (11th).

This phenomenon is quite nuanced and complex, and while it provides some entertainment value on social media, the detriments seem to outweigh any positive impact. In its well-intentioned condemnation of inauthenticity, it also steered some people away from being able to express themselves and further enforced restricting gender stereotypes. The popularization and satirization of the performative male archetype highlights the insecurities of our generation and the importance of true self expression.

The BIFU community prides itself on inclusivity for everyone. Sophomore Niyam Chatwani shares an insightful thought: “[People] should embrace themselves for who they are instead of following a trend.”