An Ohio State University student presents during the performative male competition, which took place on the South Oval Monday. Credit: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
A crowd of contestants and bystanders formed on the South Oval Monday to compete for the title of most “performative male.”
The event was advertised on YikYak by Sophia Barski, a third-year in sociology. Barski said she made the poster for the event on Canva Pro and posted it Saturday.
“This was so fun,” Barski said of the crowd, which garnered about 100 people. “I did not expect this many people to show up, and people kept coming at it [and] kept going. It just got more fun as it went on.”
Barski said she hosted the event to create a fun and accessible activity for students.
The crowd was in a huddle with the competitors filing into the middle one-by-one to make their pitches. Audience members threw tampons into the circle, which the participants used as microphones.
The trend of “performative males” rose to fame on TikTok — according to a New York Times article, it is an aesthetic that men develop which profits off insincere emotional awareness. While the purpose of the meme is for these men to speak on their adoration for women, the joke of it is that it is blatantly inauthentic.
The article states the “performative male” aesthetic has many notable characteristics, such as drinking matcha, caring for the environment, carrying tote bags and listening to female music artists.
Douglas Urbina, a second-year in chemical engineering with a minor in nuclear engineering, said he participated in the competition to have fun and meet new people.
Many of the competition’s participants chose to stay “performative” even after the event, which had about 20 competitors, had concluded.
“I love women so much. I actually was a woman,” Urbina said. “This is a lifestyle.”
Garrett Wright, a second-year in mechanical engineering, said he too carries a deep admiration for women.
“I’m 6 feet, 7 inches tall, but I spend most of the time on my knees worshipping women,” Wright said.
At the end of the event, attendees were asked to clap for their favorite “performative male.”
Despite the event being labeled as a competition, Barski said there was no official winner — at least, not out of the male competitors.
“I didn’t really keep track of the [winner], but I think really today the real winners are the women who made this all possible. As the creator of this event, as a woman, I’m glad you showed up today.”
Barski said this isn’t the last competition she’ll host.
“In case you’re wondering about the early drop, loser lesbians are next.”
