Male's Performative Phenomenon, A New Trend Among Gen Z Men

JAKARTA - In recent years, social media has been enlivened by the emergence of a gen z man who appears in an artsy style, holds a drink in hand, reads a feminist book in a public place, and wears an eccentric fashion, from a half-rolled kupluk, an obscure band T-shirt, to a labbu doll tied to the waist. This figure is often referred to as a 'performive male' or a performanceist boy.

This phenomenon is not just a matter of dress style or taste of music, but about how men try to shape certain images in public, especially to look attractive in women's eyes.

They look like sensitive, intellectual, and emotionally open men. But actually, it's all often just an outward display.

Reporting from the Esquire Magazine page, a good boy is a man who looks eccentric and different because he wants to look cool or interesting, not because he really likes it or understands it.

For example, a man carries a feminist book or a quote from an important character, but doesn't really read it. Not only that, they also claim to like a certain indie band even though they only know one viral song. All of this is done to create a certain impression, namely a different man, sensitive, and can be talked to more deeply.

'Performative male doesn't mean a guy who is emotional or close to his feminine side. That's actually healthy. What is meant here is the man who wears the image as a mask," explains Ava Whitworth, a Gen Z who observes this trend, quoted from the Stuff page.

This phenomenon is starting to get popular thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram. There, a lot of content features men with artsy aesthetics and full of intellectual references. There are also those who make funny sketches of the performance matrixightings, aka the appearance of performing boys in public places.

According to Esquire, many Gen Z men in their 20s began to shape this image because a character like this is considered interesting by today's women.

Instead of appearing tall or dominant, men who seem 'emotional understanding' and have a soft side are actually seen as more mature and adaptable.

These guys drink matcha, bring a tote bag, read a feminist book, but everything is done publicly, for the sake of social recognition.

In fact, there was a performanceive cowok' contest in America, with the winner holding drinks, feminist books, acoustic guitars, skateboards, and tote bags, even all at once.

Are You A Platform?

If you start wondering, 'Am I also a performance guy?', it turns out that there is a way to check it. Here are some reflective questions that can be tried:

1. Do you like pretending to be interested in something (music, books, films) for the sake of looking cool in women's eyes?

2. Do you drink matcha or bring a tote bag because you want to look arty, not because you like it?

3. Do you feel the need to show off your tastes or reading in public places or on social media?

4. Do you change style of dress or interest just because you want to be considered different?

If the answer is yes for one or more, maybe you are in the performance male category, either consciously or not.