If the bear trend reflects fear, the performative male trend reflects distrust. It started as a parody of a certain kind of man: someone who performs “wokeness” for social approval. What stands out, though, is what these videos don’t show. They rarely show the turn, i.e. the moment where the performance is revealed as manipulation. Instead, they stop at the aesthetic: tote bags, curated sensitivity, painted nails—like the real-life performative male contest held at my alma mater, UW–Madison, earlier this fall.
Office of Strategic Communication