A Case for Performatism

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the MSU Exponent, its editorial staff, advisers, or Montana State University.

Picture this: A man enters a cafe with a Trader Joe’s tote bag and over the ear headphones blasting Clairo. He orders a vanilla matcha and sits down to crack open his latest reading material. Perhaps the newest Michelle Obama, some feminist literature, a Sylvia Plath or a classic by the likes of Charles Dickens or Hemingway. Jane Austin if he’s trying to cover his bases. An example of the performative male. 

In recent years, the internet has enjoyed critiquing and lampooning this particular group of men for their performativity. As a society, and as individuals, we should consider the value of performance — it is not inherently malicious. The first step to doing anything new is performing it. 

The first time I skied at Bridger, I pretended I knew how to ski like the big-dog Tahoe f---ks. The first time I studied seriously in school, I went to the library with colored highlighters I didn’t know how to use and more notebooks than I needed. 

Buying the gear, talking the talk or wearing the Patagonia, does not make you an outdoorsman, but it could be the first step for lots of folks. 

People hope stepping into the world of the experienced will help propel them into being the person they want to be — myself included. I want to ski because I love skiing and everyone should. I want to study because I hope to take full advantage of my education and intellectual potential. I had to pretend first. Put more simply, I wanted those aesthetics and everything that came along with it.

Although we associate certain outfits, actions and props with recognizable characters in society— ski bum, biker chick, goth girl, English literature major — those attributes stem from people's authentic expression of themselves. Correlation, not causation. 

Now that our primary interface with society is through a two-dimensional image, the very sense of self is flattened. We are a part of the biggest and most connected society in history and we can consume more information about each other than ever through social media. What you engage with on social media affects how you perceive the world and it’s easier to sort people into boxes. #cottagecore #boymom #indiesleazerevival

This translates poorly to the three-dimensional world we live in. It’s not that performative men don’t exist, or that some people's intentions aren’t wholly manipulative, but having your very existence evaluated off of a two-dimensional aesthetic reduces your personhood to the perceived “act.”

Do we not all perform something? Do we not all use our hobbies as social capital? It’s a way we identify ourselves and the people with whom we spend time. If you're performative about nothing, you’re probably not trying anything new. I try to act like the person I want to be, but that’s not always who I am. You're right, society. I am performative. I struggle to find the line between self-improvement and pathetic mimicry of characters I try to emulate. It’s because I admire them. Is imitation not the sincerest form of flattery?

The things I used to perform have become hobbies I can partake in, practice and converse about on a genuine level. Yes, there are performative males out there in the world, but there are also just people who like tote bags and reading. I hope I’m never the person to discourage their expression. And the people who rely on performance as a way to escape themselves rather than the first step in trying something new are unhappy anyways — it’s not worth the risk of harshly judging an earnest newbie. 

People shouldn’t be discouraged from performing, in fact, it's the opposite. Go perform. Try being someone else. We are not condemned to be who we are. I’d rather perform an admirable character from time to time than staunchly stick to the same personality forever. After all, the belief that people can change is central to our connections with each other and maintaining hope for the future — and so is performance.