Toronto, Nov 20 — Across TikTok and university campuses, young men are redefining masculinity through new aesthetics, including matcha lattes, Labubus, film cameras, and thrifted tote bags.
At Toronto Metropolitan University, a recent "performative male" contest poked fun at this new TikTok archetype, attracting a large crowd. This "performative man" is a Gen Z concept representing young men deliberately embracing a soft, sensitive, and emotionally aware image, rejecting toxic masculinity.
Participants in these contests showcase their thrifted fashion, recite poetry, or hand out feminine hygiene products, playing for laughs and women's attention, proving they're among the "good" guys.
Such events have appeared from San Francisco to London, reflecting a broader shift in how Gen Z navigates gender roles. Research indicates young men are exploring gender online; however, audiences often respond with humor or skepticism.
This trend raises an important question: In an era of calling out toxic masculinity, why are public reactions to softer versions of masculinity met with curiosity, irony, or judgment?
Why Gen Z calls it “performative”
Gen Z's skepticism stems from broader shifts in online culture. Studies on social media indicate younger users value authenticity as a trust signal. While millennials perfected the "curated self" with filtered selfies, Gen Z champions realness and spontaneity.
Research on TikTok culture reveals users share more emotionally "raw" content, contrasting the filtered aesthetics of Instagram. In this context, the "performative man" appears insincere, as the aesthetics he adopts, like the matcha latte, seem like products, not values. Authenticity, according to this logic, doesn't require carrying a Moleskine and a copy of The Bell Jar.
Philosopher Judith Butler's notion of gender being "performative"—made real through repeated actions—and sociologists Candace West and Don Zimmerman's concept of "doing gender" shed light on why the "performative man" might appear disingenuous. Gender is inherently performed and policed, appearing awkward before feeling "natural."
Mockery of "performative men" acts to maintain traditional masculinity boundaries. Studies suggest men face harsher judgment than women when deviating from gender norms, sending a message that men's self-expression has limits.
When progress still looks like privilege
Many researchers caution that new masculine styles may still perpetuate male privilege.
In the post-#MeToo era, men are re-evaluating masculinity now that toxic masculinity faces critique. Calls for "healthy masculinity" and positive male role models reveal a culture seeking new male identities, yet uncertain about their form.
Public commentators argue some men are rebranding as self-aware and feminist-leaning to improve dating prospects. Sociologists Tristan Bridges and C.J. Pascoe term this "hybrid masculinity"—privileged men adopting progressive aesthetics to maintain status and authority.
A 2022 content analysis of popular TikTok male creators found they often blurred gender boundaries through fashion while reinforcing norms of whiteness, muscularity, and heterosexual desirability.
Critics of "performative men" point out they employ the language of feminism and therapy without changing their approach to sharing space or authority.
Can these small experiments matter?
Yet, as sociologist Francine Deutsch's "undoing gender" theory suggests, change often begins with partial, imperfect acts. Experimenting with gender roles is a fundamental way people learn new gender expressions.
There's nothing inherently harmful about men embracing journaling, vinyl records, or latte art. In fact, research on youth and anti-radicalization suggests these activities could counter online radicalization and isolation—issues affecting young men.
What would change look like?
Our tools for recognizing change might still be inadequate, as much of our world is shared and consumed on social media, and male dominance appears hard to dismantle.
A positive development is that many male creators lean into parody, using humor to explore what a more sensitive masculinity might look like.
The "performative male" trend perhaps mirrors our own contradictions. We demand authenticity but consume performances; we urge men to change but critique them as they try; we seek vulnerability yet recoil when it appears forced.
This so-called "performative male" might seem ironic, yet he's experimenting with being a man today.
Whether this experiment leads to lasting change or remains another online fad is uncertain, but it's a view into how masculinity is being rewritten, latte by latte.
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
