The newtiktok phenomena, performativeness, is pretty vague. What is performativeness, and how does the Salem community feel about it?
Some students relate performativeness to pop-culture fashion, while others connect it more to the “performing part” of appealing to others. There is no one definition.
”It is a fad within fashion and culture that shows a person’s desire to be hip and different,” said junior Vincent Glasgow. “When someone is performative, they tend to dress like what was popular at the time, partake in trends, and generally act like everyone else.”
Different students’ views on it vary: some people see it as a more male trend, though others can see it as non-gender specific.
“[Performativeness] is when a man actively tries to act feminine to appeal to women. It could also be a woman trying to be masculine to appeal to men, but it’s usually a man who is performative,” said junior Killian Adams. “They have interests and likes that women often have, dress in softer, more stylish outfits, etc. It’s the opposite approach of being overly ‘manly’ to get girls. Instead of being the stereotypical masculine guy, they try to be essentially ‘one of the girls.’”
The trend suggests that “Performative males” try to suppress any and every male stereotype, typically with the erasure of toxic-masculinity. This has ultimately become the male equivalent of the “I’m not like other girls” or “pick me girl” trend. Though there are some positives and negatives to this new trend.
“Drinking matcha, wearing baggy jeans, using y2k corded headphones, Labubus, feminist literature, and ‘niche’ music [are all trends that performative men participate in],” said Glasgow. “The only part I like about it is the baggy jeans, because they genuinely are more comfortable.”
Oceanography teacher Carl Alberico says that performativeness is even prevalent in class.
“With trends rising due to the use of social media, students try to fit in and [copy] trend-based topics. Things that go viral—students will do them in the classroom. They last for a short period of time, but you can feel left out if you do not know the trend,” said Alberico.
Clearly there are positives and negatives to all trends, including performativeness.
I think that it’s sad because people are losing originality,” said junior Ivy-Marie Banks. “But my favorite thing is how ‘put together’ [everyone] looks now.”
Next time you see a Labubu on a belt-loop or a matcha in one’s hand, remind yourself that it might be the work of the performativeness trend.
