Have you ever seen Senior Sam Carleton in his baggy jeans and Clairo merch? What about Senior Cooper Rester with his wired headphones and slightly cropped shirts? Junior Sri Sarvabowma in camo jorts? Junior Luke Bourgeois in glasses for “aesthetic” reasons?
The “performative male” epidemic is currently taking over social media as man after man competes to achieve the perfect “he’s not like other guys” vibe. These personas, as listed above, have begun to emerge in the halls of Naperville North. The question remains: Are these students doing it for the sake of looks and likes, or simply for themselves?
Whether you have spotted these hallway icons or not, they serve as prime examples of the “performative male” archetype. However, after speaking with each of the four students, it seems their style is based on genuine personality over performance.
So, what is a “performative male?” According to the social media trend, it is a person who curates their personal aesthetic to resemble a man you would see on your best friend’s Pinterest board. You’ll typically see them holding a matcha latte and sporting a tote bag, adorned with wired headphones playing “Bags” by Clairo. Their current mood is “jorts.” Optional accessories include any book by Sally Rooney or Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
However, interviews with the so-called performers revealed that these young men transcend stereotypes. For example, not a single one reported a prolific tote bag collection, contrary to the stereotype.
“I have two tote bags and that’s it. And they’re all for good causes. When I was out protesting in Canada, they were handing out tote bags,” Carleton said.
It did not stop there.
“I only have like two of those […] like my piano book bags,” Bourgeois said.
Furthermore, matcha was less popular than expected. Sarvabowma has it “once every two weeks,” and Rester resorts to an “iced americano with sugar-free syrup.” In fact, Rester has “never had the drink.”
Instead of feminist literature, reading poetry at home is Carleton’s niche. And for books, Sarvabowma said he “reads books occasionally; I don’t read constantly.” In fact, he reported reading only one book in the past year, and, contrary to what the stereotype predicts, it was not The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
There was some agreement, though. For example, every one of them provided lengthy answers about the type of headphones they used—from wired to Skullcandy over-the-head to Walkman. Bourgeois swore by Beats Pro; he is currently looking to buy a new pair after his two-year-old overloved and undercared-for set recently broke.
While the social media trends may have influenced their personalities and behaviors to some extent, their “performative” lifestyle is not for show. Ultimately, Naperville North is not the place to find the performative, chronically online men; instead, you will find people who have simply absorbed some of these trending traits into who they are. How they appear to outsiders, in reality, is their natural way of moving through the world.
“I feel hurt…I do not agree with this [stereotype] at all. God forbid a man has interests. God forbid they want to put on a good outfit every once in a blue moon, you know? Actually, every day for me. I think it’s a joke,” Carleton said.
