The so-called 'performative male'—a man who adopts a woke aesthetic with tote bags, feminist literature, and matcha lattes—has become the subject of viral TikToks and media coverage. Critics warn he is a red flag, but Rachel Connolly argues that such concerns are overblown.
Connolly points out that performative behaviour is not exclusive to men; many women also display social-justice signalling without deep commitment. She notes that the trend reflects a broader cultural obsession with telegraphing worthiness rather than practising it.
She dismisses warnings from relationship experts as vague pop psychology that could apply to anyone. 'I have no idea what this sentence means,' she says of one expert's claim that the performative male 'speaks the language of emotional availability but doesn't practise it.'
Connolly concludes that straight men 'cannot win' and that a man making an effort to appear feminist, even if performative, is hardly the worst trait. 'At least he makes an effort,' she writes, suggesting that the real issue is the industry of experts preying on anxious young women.
