Eli Reinberg

The performative men trend goes far deeper than a simple competition; it’s a reflection of the current social climate, which mocks femininity and treads on feminism.

If you saw a performative man walking down the street, he would probably be flaunting an untouched matcha latte with wired earphones blasting Clairo. His graphic canvas tote bag is filled with feminist literature and vinyl records; keychains weigh down the carabiner attached to his belt loop, and a pink Labubu smiles menacingly at you from within the clutter.

Performative men are largely seen as an internet trend, rising in popularity in the spring and peaking in the summer of 2025. This genre of men has alternate labels, such as “male manipulators.”, which could’ve arisen because of how people perceive men taking on feminine traits as a way to get closer to women.

The performative men phenomenon has also been turned into a lighthearted joke and a comedic spectacle, demonstrated in the “Performative Men Competitions” taking place across the nation in many cities. Many men and women participate in these events, where they embrace stereotypes and compete to see who can be the most “performative.” However, these competitions and jokes surrounding performative men downplay the serious underlying message— these men are pretending.

When people see men participating in trends related to women or rooted in feminine culture (e.g., fashion style, music taste), they often interpret it as feigned interest or that someone has ulterior motives, such as attracting women. The implications this perception has for society are more serious than they seem.

It is extremely dangerous to dismiss all men who enjoy feminine-coded interests as performative because some men genuinely enjoy matcha, listening to Laufey, and are true feminists. Reducing to a joke and grouping all men who appreciate feminine interests with the (notably smaller) group of performative men isn’t just annoying; it’s an attack on femininity.

Like most social issues, there are problems on both sides. Men treating feminism as a joke is problematic, and condemning men for engaging with feminine culture makes it seem unbelievable for men to be feminists. Both of these discourage men from being feminist and push them into harmful pipelines.

Being a male feminist doesn’t have to be inherently performative, and perpetuating this misconception hampers the spread of feminism and reinforces the idea that femininity will always be reduced to a joke in modern society. For example, people–usually straight men–may joke about something or someone being “gay,”. This reduces male queerness, which many people see as effeminate, to a joke. We can learn from these examples that with every advancement that femininity makes in society, there will be people who belittle it, speaking to the larger issue of how many people in modern society can’t take unconventional femininity seriously.