An exploration of performative males at Ventura High School

“Being performative is not just an act, it is a lifestyle,” said Jonathan Kelley ‘26. The term performative is used for someone that changes their actions and behaviors so as to create an impression with others. Being performative comes in all different actions and behaviors. Most commonly, it shows up in the pieces of clothing that some choose to wear and the music that some listen to. 

Kelley said, “I think it is more of a third-person endeavor. I see people around school wearing clothes that they don’t actually like and listening to music that they don’t listen to all just to make themselves more relatable and appealing to women…I see it all the time now.” Performative actions are appearing all around VHS. Kelley sees people changing the clothes they wear and the music they listen to. 

Anders Curtis ‘28 said, “I like to read, and I wear clothes that most people would consider performative. A lot of people say things like raw denim are considered performative… Wired earbuds and cropped t-shirts are especially popular among men being performative.” Kelley and Curtis both say that being performative is changing how people see what used to be normal things. Being performative is affecting the clothing that people are wearing and the music that people are listening to. Performative actions are happening all across VHS. People are being called performative for the clothes they wear and the music that they listen to.

In the New York Times article ‘How Do You Spot a ‘Performative’ Male? Look for a Tote Bag.’, by Alisha Haridasani Gupta and Nicole Stock, they said, “The Performative Male curates his aesthetic in a way that he thinks might render him more likable to progressive women.” Performative men are changing the way they live their lives. To them they see it as normal, but to others it looks like an act. Being performative will change the way people act, for better or for worse.