History freshman Sadie McQuay cheers during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. The event was hosted by the Association for Computing Machinery.
Speakers on. Outside the Central Library on a humid Wednesday. A crowd forms.
Enter: A man who wears baggy jeans, carries a tote bag attached with a Labubu or two and sips iced matcha lattes. He reads books written by Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath or any feminist authors. He listens to Clairo and Laufey and is quick to reveal his vinyl record collection. He’s brief on words because, to him, “men shouldn’t be talking.”
Cut to: At East Library Plaza, 18 competitors tried to fit the criteria of “performative male.” All wanting to outperform one another in the competition. All watched by more than 200 UTA students.
Architecture freshman Denzel Merciere plays a guitar during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. Merciere made it to the final round.
“It’s popular because it’s just relatable on all sides,” Kimiya Ceballos, one of the contest’s judges, said of the trend’s popularity. “Because not only that men can hop on the joke, but women can also be like, ‘Oh, they’re finally noticing us in a way.’”
The “performative male” is a relatively new social media archetype of men curating an aesthetic that he thinks would appeal to more progressive women. Videos tagged with #performativemale garnered millions of views, where users either interviewed a performative man or rebuked one. Since June, Google has seen a spike in searches about it.
“It’s just the stereotype is just blowing up on social media, definitely,” said Steven Nguyen, the community director of student organization Association for Computing Machinery and the event’s host.
Attendees record on their phones during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. More than 200 students were in attendance.
Nguyen isn’t the first to plan a performative male competition. Over the summer, college campuses nationwide have taken up on the trend, including Baylor University and UT Dallas.
Nguyen’s competition took contestants through a series of performativity, asking them to explain why they’re performative and to unveil the contents of their tote bags — in one case, their suitcase filled with mangas. Then, they get quizzed on trivia about women’s daily experiences and political issues.
The crowd roared when communications freshman Luke Washington criticized the gender pay gap. Then, he held up menstrual products.
Political science freshman Chase Moberley holds up a teddy bear during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. Various contestants wore a tote bag as part of their outfit.
“These should be free,” Washington said to applause. “Why do women have to pay for the product that they need?”
Runner-up Denzel Merciere said he joined the competition because his fashion, books and music taste naturally aligned with being a “performative male.” The architecture freshman brought with him an acoustic guitar, vinyls from Mort Garson and Erykah Badu and books such as “A Little Life” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”
Mercier said the archetype is good fun to bring all together, and people shouldn’t take it too seriously.
Political science freshman Aiden Park collects his manga books during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. Park brought a suitcase filled with books as part of his performance.
“I’m glad at least a woman won, and she was able to have a space so she can just say what she wants to say,” he said.
Pause. … A woman won?
Yes, among many men who performed for crowd support, women students also participated, using the platform to share their experiences and support one another.
Participants ask to join last minute during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. The Association for Computing Machinery hosted the event to boost involvement among students.
From the moment winner Sadie McQuay, a history freshman, took the mic, the crowd was in the palm of her hand.
“I was not planning on competing today. I was coming here to support my fellow performative men, but I realized just in the fit that I was wearing, the Miffy on my short, I live this life every single ****ing day,” McQuay said to the cheering crowd.
McQuay said while the trend began as a way to mock the archetype, it has since been reclaimed by self-aware people. These events may become a tool for political changes, she said.
Close
Biology pre-dental senior Jeff Nguyen sings and plays the guitar during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. Participants who got the loudest cheers moved to the next round.
History freshman Sadie McQuay speaks into the microphone during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. McQuay was the winner of the competition.
Attendees react to one of the contestants during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. A total of 18 competitors participated.
Nursing junior Christopher Yon wears multiple Labubu keychains on his pants during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at Central Library mall. Many contestants attached keychains or charms to their outfits.
Communications freshman Luke Washington holds up a book during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. Competitors had a few seconds to explain why they were a “performative male.”
Biology pre-dental senior Jeff Nguyen sings and plays the guitar during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. Participants who got the loudest cheers moved to the next round.
History freshman Sadie McQuay speaks into the microphone during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. McQuay was the winner of the competition.
Attendees react to one of the contestants during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. A total of 18 competitors participated.
Nursing junior Christopher Yon wears multiple Labubu keychains on his pants during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at Central Library mall. Many contestants attached keychains or charms to their outfits.
Communications freshman Luke Washington holds up a book during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. Competitors had a few seconds to explain why they were a “performative male.”
“To have not only women support me, but men take a step back and give this to me, it gives me faith for this generation,” she said, adding that the event helps her feel safe and accepted as a lesbian.
As the event ended, students clustered together, talking among themselves and sipping their matcha lattes.
McQuay went home with a tote bag, a Labubu, a plaque and a romance novel. Whether she’ll read it is anyone’s guess.
Exit McQuay, stage left.
@DangHLe