{"id":253584,"date":"2025-09-25T12:30:33","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T12:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/253584\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T12:30:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T12:30:33","slug":"they-brought-matcha-tote-bags-and-vinyls-one-left-as-utas-performative-male-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/253584\/","title":{"rendered":"They brought matcha, tote bags and vinyls. One left as UTA\u2019s performative male | News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"History<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Photo by Mabel Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

Speakers on. Outside the Central Library on a humid Wednesday. A crowd forms.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s brief on words because, to him, \u201cmen shouldn\u2019t be talking.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cut to: At East Library Plaza, 18 competitors tried to fit the criteria of \u201cperformative male.\u201d All wanting to outperform one another in the competition. All watched by more than 200 UTA students. <\/p>\n

\"Architecture<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Photo by Mabel Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s popular because it\u2019s just relatable on all sides,\u201d Kimiya Ceballos, one of the contest\u2019s judges, said of the trend\u2019s popularity. \u201cBecause not only that men can hop on the joke, but women can also be like, \u2018Oh, they’re finally noticing us in a way.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

The \u201cperformative\u00a0male\u201d 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. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the stereotype is just blowing up on social media, definitely,\u201d said Steven Nguyen, the community director of student organization Association for Computing Machinery and the event\u2019s host. <\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Attendees record on their phones during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall. More than 200 students were in attendance.<\/p>\n

Photo by Mabel Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

Nguyen isn\u2019t the first to plan a performative male competition. Over the summer, college campuses nationwide have taken up on the trend, including Baylor University<\/a> and UT Dallas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nguyen\u2019s competition took contestants through a series of performativity, asking them to explain why they\u2019re performative and to unveil the contents of their tote bags \u2014 in one case, their suitcase filled with mangas. Then, they get quizzed on trivia about women\u2019s daily experiences and political issues. <\/p>\n

The crowd roared when communications freshman Luke Washington criticized the gender pay gap. Then, he held up menstrual products. <\/p>\n

\"Political<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Photo by Mabel Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThese should be free,\u201d Washington said to applause. \u201cWhy do women have to pay for the product that they need?\u201d <\/p>\n

Runner-up Denzel Merciere said he joined the competition because his fashion, books and music taste naturally aligned with being a \u201cperformative male.\u201d The architecture freshman brought with him an acoustic guitar, vinyls from Mort Garson and Erykah Badu and books such as \u201cA Little Life\u201d and \u201cThe Picture of Dorian Gray.\u201d <\/p>\n

Mercier said the archetype is good fun to bring all together, and people shouldn\u2019t take it too seriously. <\/p>\n

\"Political<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Photo by Mabel Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI’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,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Pause. \u2026 A woman won?<\/p>\n

Yes, among many men who performed for crowd support, women students also participated, using the platform to share their experiences and support one another. <\/p>\n

\"Participants<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Photo by Mabel Cruz<\/a><\/p>\n

From the moment winner Sadie McQuay, a history freshman, took the mic, the crowd was in the palm of her hand. <\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d McQuay said to the cheering crowd. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n


\n
\n Close <\/p>\n

\"Biology
\n \"\"<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"History
\n \"\"<\/p>\n

History freshman Sadie McQuay speaks into the microphone during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall.\u00a0McQuay was the winner of the competition.<\/p>\n

\"Attendees
\n \"\"<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Nursing
\n \"\"<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Communications
\n \"\"<\/p>\n

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 \u201cperformative male.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Biology<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"History<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

History freshman Sadie McQuay speaks into the microphone during a performative male contest Sept. 24 at the Central Library mall.\u00a0McQuay was the winner of the competition.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Nursing<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Communications<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

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 \u201cperformative male.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo have not only women support me, but men take a step back and give this to me, it gives me faith for this generation,\u201d she said, adding that the event helps her feel safe and accepted as a lesbian. <\/p>\n

As the event ended, students clustered together, talking among themselves and sipping their matcha lattes.<\/p>\n

McQuay went home with a tote bag, a Labubu, a plaque and a romance novel. Whether she\u2019ll read it is anyone\u2019s guess. <\/p>\n

Exit McQuay, stage left.<\/p>\n

@DangHLe<\/p>\n

news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu<\/a><\/p>\n