Addressing “performative males”

The matcha-drinking, Clairo-listening, feminist literature-consuming male archetype has taken over social media. Known as the “performative male” trend, this type of man dresses and behaves in a manner that they believe appeals to progressive women.

This trend coincides with a rise in misogynistic content denouncing feminists and championing a return to “true masculinity.” Struggling to find romantic partners, some young men are drawn to creators who claim that feminism has turned young women against men. A 2024 Brookings survey found that only 43 percent of Gen Z men identified as feminists, compared to 61 percent of Gen Z women. This is a significant divide between men and women compared to the same statistics for millennials, with 52 percent of millennial men and 54 percent of millennial women self-describing as feminists.

By contrast, the performative male trend encourages a softer expression of masculinity, which includes prioritizing emotional intelligence and understanding of women’s struggles. Although the societal acceptance of this personality can often be seen as a win against toxic standards, the performative male trend still reinforces patriarchy, and is not an expression of true feminism. Additionally, many of the trend’s “feminine” markers adopt aspects of Asian culture, which serves to reinforce historical emasculation of Asian men. Social media trends emphasize instant engagement and impressions, which only encourages surface-level interaction with ideas of gender equality. Many online creators popular among young people hop on the performative trend by posting a 30-second clip at a matcha café or posing with a copy of “The Will to Change” by bell hooks. In September 2025, Princeton University students hosted their own “performative male contest,” judged by fellow peers on the authenticity of their outfit or on the number of Labubus, viral collectible plush toys, one owns. The performative facade relies on choosing material goods and behaviors to communicate awareness of gender issues, but since the ultimate goal is external validation from women, performative men have no real incentive to deeply understand or act on these issues.

The trend’s encouragement of shallow understanding harms the feminist movement. Men who have read one book about gender inequality present themselves as experts on the topic, which can drown out voices of female classmates in daily conversation and classroom discussion. Caitlin Scott, a writer for The Boar at the University of Warwick, cites a time when a male friend who self-identified as a feminist was “completely disengaged from [a] conversation [about misogyny] ... as if he was above listening to [her] merely because he’d read some Betty Friedan.” With the mindset that exposure to surface-level information is enough, men may feel that they are absolved from any true responsibility to combat sexism.

Additionally, the trend contributes to the further emasculation of Asian men. Hallmarks of the performative male borrow from Asian countries, such as Japanese matcha, Korean skincare, and Chinese Labubu dolls. These are already common aspects of Asian male culture, but the internet has taken these items and deemed them feminine. Thus, when Asian males lean into this softer expression of masculinity, it’s seen as a confirmation of a stereotype rather than a choice. For nearly a century, the archetype of the weak, effeminate Asian man has been consistently promoted in Western media and culture, and the performative male is no exception.

The current performative male trend isn’t a representation of feminism, but mocks it through shallow attempts to “understand” it. The trend currently is highly superficial, but digging deeper into the factors behind the trend can provide an opportunity for meaningful dialogue among young men and women about what it means to be a feminist in 2025.