What Is A ‘Performative Male?’ Memes About Guys Being ‘Performative’ With Matcha Lattes, Labubus And Tote Bags Explained

If you’re a man who drinks matcha, owns a Labubu toy and listens to Clairo in 2025, chances are you’ve been called a “Performative Male” by at least one Hinge date or a judgemental homie.

But are they right about you?

If those are truly your interests, then you’re screwed, because your trendspotting has apparently caught up with normie tastes this year.

All of those things you like — tote bags, wired earbuds and reading — are all “performative” now because some men are abusing your cheat code to attract the female gaze, according to memes and discourse happening across social media.

“Performative Male” has, in turn, become a de facto insult and slang term recently, but what does it mean exactly? Where did the cliché come from and how is it being used online? Let’s explain.

What Does ‘Performative Male’ Mean?

A “Performative Male” is a guy whose actions, hobbies and personality traits appear inauthentic and seem to revolve around “performing” for other people’s worldviews, tastes and interests, specifically catering to women’s interests.

The word “performative” has been used to criticize internet users for many years. For instance, viral posts about performative politics from both sides of the aisle have existed on Twitter / X for the past decade.

But with the rise of the “Performative Male” stereotype, the word “performative” itself is rapidly changing in meaning because as more Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids become hip to the memes, “performative” will move closer to only meaning being fake to attract the other gender.

What Are Some ‘Performative Male’ Traits According To Memes?

Internet users have anthologized a list of traits and actions that make up the average “Performative Male.” Here’s a short list:

Where Did The ‘Performative Male’ Memes Come From?

The current “Performative Male” archetype didn’t spawn from one viral tweet or video as far as we know.

For instance, if you told TikToker @theslappablejerk — who posted the earliest “Performative Male” skit that we could find — that his joke would’ve landed better if he drank matcha and spun around a Labubu on his tote bag, he’d probably explode like a Victorian child.

As far as impact goes, a December 2024 tweet from X user @highslip is a strong candidate for the “Performative Male” origin. He wrote, “You can always tell when a man’s mustache is performative and not representative of his true spirit,” receiving over 4.6 million views.

The tweet quickly became a phrasal template on TikTok, where girls identified other things like certain tattoos and cologne choices that also indicated a man’s performative status.

As far as matcha lattes and Labubus are concerned, those came into the Performative Male equation in May of this year, when those products, along with Dubai Chocolate Bars, seemed to reach peak mainstream appeal.

The once-gibberish words were combined and started their own meme trend, simply known as Labubu Matcha Dubai Chocolate, which mocked the 2025 fads in slang overload fashion.

What Are Some More ‘Performative Male’ Memes?

For the full history of Performative Males, be sure to check out Know Your Meme’s entry for even more information.