‘Performative male’ contests hit college campuses across the country

College students are showing up with tote bags, wired ear buds and matcha lattes for a chance to win “performative male” contests that have popped up on campuses around the country.  

The goal in these competitions, which feature both male and female contestants, is to imitate a man who adopts certain beliefs and interests to attract women, with prizes ranging from gift cards to books written by female authors.  

“A performative male is someone who takes things women and queer people typically like and incorporates them into their aesthetic,” Temple University student Gabby Aikoo told The Temple News. ”But for them, it’s just an aesthetic and not really a lifestyle. If you’re gonna be interested in something, you should be actually interested in it, not just do it outwardly for approval.” 

The contests have become a trend online, with millions of viewers mocking men who lie about their politics to attract women or pretend to read a book but know nothing about it.

Among the other schools that have seen “performative males” so far this month: the University of Pennsylvania, the University of North Carolina (UNC), the College of William & Mary and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The contest comes in multiple forms, including fundraisers and community-building events, though it is generally intended as a chance to have some fun.

UNC Lookalike Events hosted a Sept. 5 contest at North Carolina that lasted about an hour with more than 100 spectators as men and women named their favorite female artist or pulled books by Jane Austen out of their tote bags as a way of virtue-signaling, The Daily Tar Heel reported.  

One man went up and held a sign stating “My culture is not your costume” in faux defense of the real performative men on campuses. 

Women were allowed to enter the contest as well, with one arguing a woman should win because they know best how a peak performative male acts since woman are the ones they are trying to attract.  

“I guess you could be a performative male, but you can’t be a performative male as well as you can be a performative woman pretending to be a performative male,” Lily Gray, who was their supporting her friend Vivian, told the Tar Heel.  

While the competitions bring a light-hearted vibe to campus, some see the events as something their community needs. 

“I’m a huge fan of, like, queer spaces … it’s important to me that there are more spaces like this on campus,” Auxmary Valdez, a sophomore at the University of Central Florida, told The Hill.  

The “Performative Masc Contest” on Central Florida’s campus was a major success, according to the students, with multiple people showing up with props to compete. 

“I don’t know, there was just a lot of joy in that space. Really beautiful to see because you don’t ever see that. Just a bunch of lesbians get together and just like, I guess, being cringing, if that’s the word,” Valdez added. “I don’t know, it was really nice to see. I was really, I’m really happy to be a part of that.”

At Temple University, the contest, which reportedly had more than 25 participants, raised money for Women Against Abuse.  

At William & Mary, the winner got a $50 Starbucks gift card, with around 100 students in attendance, according to The Flat Hat. 

A common theme at their contest, and others around the country, was menstrual advocacy, talking about periods and female hygiene products.  

“I think the whole contest is about recognizing that women want to be seen and respected,” AG Yurkutat, an onlooker for the William & Mary competition, told The Flat Hat. “And also making fun of the people who turn to consumerism as a way to attract women instead of being authentic and caring individuals.”