Performative Male?!

Now as old as the hills, I am still constantly enabled by grace to learn something new and surprising every day. 

I borrowed this photo from Mark because my book, The Teacher in Me, is in one hand and matcha on the other. My advocacy is for young people to love reading the printed page. 

But when I saw him in church, he explained that the photo was about being a performative male. 

"What’s that?"  

He tried to explain, but I couldn’t understand a word. The many young people around us giggled. 

Then one of them, Carla, sent me later an article to explain it.  

Further research opened my ears and eyes. It originated from J.L. Austin's concept of "performative utterances" but has evolved into a modern social media archetype.  It describes men curating a persona to attract women, who reject “toxic masculinity” because they prefer sensitive souls that: listen to evocative music, read specific books, carry tote bags with feminist slogans, wear certain t-shirts,  drink matcha, and adopt an aesthetic look, even with zero interest in them.  

“Performative male” is viewed as a fake portrayal of real values, but done only to project an image of a “nice guy" who is politically aware. 

Knowing Mark, an active youth leader in church, with various ministries (a real nice guy) and who reads the good Book, I realized the photo is just one of his jokes, a satire, so to speak. I have never doubted his being a sensitive soul. As a playful jokester, he finds ways to make people (like me) smile and laugh. 

 

Thank you Lord for blessing us with a vibrant, enthusiastic youth group in our church. We who are in our twilight years are assured that those whom we will leave behind will be focused, not on themselves or the world, but solely on You. Amen.