DISCLAIMER: The people interviewed were “in character” when they responded.
Amidst the bustling start of Samford University’s Family Weekend, among the tents of the Study Abroad Fair on Ben Brown Plaza, four pinnacles of modern manliness stood proud: Samford University’s own “performative men.” A challenge had been declared the day before on the anonymous social media platform Fizz, and these four arose to answer the call.
Ty Fancher, one of these men, captured the crowd’s attention soon after arriving with matcha in hand, tote bag slung over his shoulder. To Fancher, being “performative” is an introspective understanding of not only his masculinity, but his feminine side, as well.
“If you’re not truly in touch with your outdoorsy feminist self, sitting outside, drinking your earthy matcha, are you really performative?” Fancher asked. “If you don’t have your wired headphones plugged into your Radiohead vinyl sitting in your tote bag, are you truly performative? If you aren’t wearing Doc Martens with baggy jeans, are you truly performative? Is your shirt cropped? Answer that to yourself and ask yourself, ‘Am I truly performative?’”
Fancher, of course, fit all the above criteria.
Everett Sanders, another one of these “performative men” donned in a cozy sweater (in 80-degree Alabama heat) took a quieter approach to the contest.
“You know, I don’t really see it as being performative,” Sanders said. “This is just, it is such a part of who I am as a person. So deeply rooted in my soul, it’s just, you know, the desire to sit quietly with a good cup of tea and read.”
The contest quickly devolved into the “performative men” verbally sparring over feminist literature and Chappell Roan songs.
Mary Stunda was the student who posted the original call to action on Fizz. She said she “was sick in bed the other day… so, I randomly just decided to do a male performative contest on Fizz, and it worked.”
She explained she “wasn’t expecting people to actually show up,” but that the unexpected turnout made this “the best Family Weekend ever.”
“Performative men” have captured the hearts of the western world through the social media app TikTok — but to these men, it’s not just a trend.
“I didn’t decide [to show up] — I’ve always been this way,” Fancher stated. “I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”
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