The Conversation (0)
Becca Monaghan
Aug 06, 2025
@saikastyle/@andersonyaps (TikTok)
TikTok has become the go-to place for decoding modern masculinity, and the latest term doing the rounds? The 'performative male'.
From stitched videos to viral commentaries, users are calling out a certain type of man who appears hyper-aware of how he presents himself, often curating his behaviour for attention, approval, or aesthetics.
So, what is the performative male?
At its core – and if we're going off viral TikToks making the rounds online – the performative male archetype refers to a version of masculinity that’s more about display than depth – masculinity enacted for an audience, rather than embodied from within.
This performance can take many forms: embracing traditionally feminine interests to signal emotional openness, adopting curated aesthetics that project self-awareness, or loudly aligning with progressive causes to appear socially conscious.
While none of these actions are inherently insincere, the key distinction lies in intent – when masculinity becomes a brand, curated for public approval, rather than an internal identity.
Mark Roberts (@mmarkroberts) joked about a real-life encounter he witnessed in a coffee shop.
"I saw, perhaps, the most performative man to ever exist," he shared. "This random dude walks in that looks like a Temu Timothee Chalamet."
He said the man was wearing "this big red T-shirt with big block letters on that said 'Sylvia Plath', then he had jorts on."
@mmarkroberts performative men are funny cause they are all trying to prove how nice, fun, and stylish they are without actually being any of those things lol — but fr we are all performative just some of us more than others. especially this line cook guy. but does anyone else feel like this is becoming the norm #performativemale
The performative male's go-to drink has been identified as a matcha, with one TikToker, Anderson Lin (@andersonyaps), hitting back: "Let me enjoy my matcha and my tote bag. I've been doing this since 2020."
@andersonyaps never beating the allegations #fyp
A third user hilariously shared a demo on "how to dress like a matcha obsessed performative man," complete with a funky T, jorts and a book for good measure.
@saikastyle Never listened to clairo, any song recommendations? #ootd #07 #matcha #labubu #dubaichocolate #clairo #selvedgedenim #japan #baggyjeans #niche
Well, it's safe to say in the age of the algorithm, masculinity isn’t just felt – it’s formatted, filtered, and ready for the For You page.
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