Lefties Cook Up New Reason To Hate Men

The latest innovation in man-hate may enjoy some bipartisan support.

“How Do You Spot a ‘Performative’ Male?” The New York Times (NYT) asks. “Look for a Tote Bag.”

Look, too, for men who enjoy “books by female authors, matcha lattes and Labubu dolls.” Labubus are a plush Chinese toy that are so “in” right now. These are all signs of “softness, stylishness, and a feminist leaning that he may or may not actually possess,” according to the NYT. (RELATED: Once Again, There’s A Problem For Men That Women Are Making About Themselves)

At the risk of sounding glib, one wonders: Isn’t the NYT just calling these men “gay”? 

Someone explain to me what a performative male is and why he listens to Clairo and drinks matcha.

— Cairo Smith (@cairoasmith) August 8, 2025

“The Performative Male curates his aesthetic in a way that he thinks might render him more likable to progressive women,” the outlet writes. “He is, in short, the antithesis of the toxic man.”

Ah, the delicious consequences of capitulating to liberal sentiments. The masculine man is toxic. The feminine man is performative. 

“On TikTok, videos tagged with #performativemale have been viewed more than 28 million times, while those tagged #performative have been viewed over 149 million times,” The NYT reports.

Some men are preempting their cancellation by making fun of themselves with the label. 

After all, plenty of actions might earn him the label. Bringing one’s young son on-stage at a concert is a “new level of performative male manipulator.” Politicians “during campaign period is peak performative male.” Bobbing your head at a concert (?) is performative male.

The Performative Male Is TikTok’s Biggest Red Flag pic.twitter.com/yqVMjHchku

— The Comments Section (@CommentsSection) August 7, 2025

The label gives new life to the much-derided “male feminist,” who, as people of all political stripes freely admit, is engaged in an obvious and embarrassing sexual strategy. Some percentage of the backlash against “Performative Males” is probably liberal women cringing at their own stated preferences in a man. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: Women Are Reaping The Consequences Of ‘Smashing The Patriarchy’)

Performative men “are trying to navigate aligning themselves with women and signal like, ‘I’m a good guy,’” says one interviewee to the NYT. 

…Right, because the traditionally prescribed means of signaling your value to the other sex are more or less verboten in liberal circles.

Men who make a show of their support for liberal causes are annoying. Effeminate men are annoying. They deserve criticism for those reasons. They do not deserve criticism for failing to meet the ever-changing standards of the feminist braintrust. Liberal women want a man that is, in all ways but one, a woman. Even that standard might be overlooked with the advent of “transmen.” 

The solution, as always, is to stop caring. For any Performative Males reading this, there’s still time to wash off the nail polish.

Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatSandovalDC