We’ve officially entered an era where straight women have to date like they’re playing defense, mostly because there are too many bad players trying to score.
There are the fuckboys, the love bombers, the “nice guys” (who are anything but nice once they hear “no”).
And now, the internet has decided there’s a new villain to look out for: the “performative male.” These are the men that paint their nails and carry a tattered, note-ridden copy of “All About Love” in their tote bags — not because they’re genuinely interested in increasing their emotional intelligence, but because it will supposedly have a catnip-like effect on women.
The meme has become so prevalent that a community in Seattle even hosted a “Performative Male Competition,” where contestants earned applause for drinking matcha lattes, toting a Labubu, and reading aloud from feminist literature — all things deemed feminist, or at least feminine. This wouldn’t be the first time men put on a facade to get sex. And while I’m typically first in line to ridicule men and their attempts at deception, for me, the joke falls a little flat.
In a world that collectively rejects these “fake” feminist men because they’re being manipulative, I implore you to take a second look. Because the alternative is much darker.
