Redefining Performative Masculinity: The Misapplication and True Nature of Gendered Performance

Dr. Orion Taban, host of Psych Hacks, challenges the contemporary understanding of "performative masculinity," arguing that the term is widely misapplied. He contends that what is often labeled as performative masculinity—men adopting stereotypically feminine behaviors like drinking matcha lattes or reading feminist literature to signal non-threatening qualities to women—is more accurately described as "performative femininity." Taban asserts that true performative masculinity does exist, but it is predominantly exhibited by women who appropriate stereotypically masculine traits not from an authentic place, but for the perceived social benefits or optics.

The core distinction lies between authentic behavior and performance driven by external incentives. Taban illustrates this with an example of a female activist in Minnesota, whose actions he describes as saturated with performative masculinity. He analyzes her display of protectiveness, dutifulness, and aggressiveness, arguing that these performances fail to produce their intended consequences: her protectiveness does not create safety, her dutifulness does not create trust, and her aggressiveness does not instill fear. This highlights the crucial nuance that a performance, when lacking genuine grounding, becomes a "puppet show" or "paper tiger" that is not to be believed.

The podcast offers practical advice to discern and call out such inauthentic displays. Just as women are encouraged to recognize performative femininity in men (e.g., feigned interest in feminist topics to "smash"), Taban urges listeners to identify performative masculinity in women, cautioning against mistaking an act for genuine toughness, bravery, or commitment. He emphasizes that performance becomes problematic when it's confused with reality, leading to a societal detriment where authentic masculine behaviors in men are disparaged and consequently disappear from the social milieu.

The broader implications extend to understanding social dynamics, relationships, and the "sexual marketplace." Taban suggests that the misidentification and disparagement of authentic traits, coupled with the prevalence of virtue signaling for social approval, distort genuine human connection and trust. He advocates for a return to valuing authenticity over optics, warning against the "insanity" of both actors losing themselves in their roles and audiences failing to distinguish between performance and reality, ultimately impacting the quality of social interactions and the health of gender relations.

Performative masculinity is being used to designate certain men who are performing for the female gaze.

My issue is that that's not performative masculinity. How could it be? These men are all performing stereotypically feminine behaviors. That's performative femininity.

The folks who are guilty of performative masculinity on the whole are women.

Just like performative femininity, performative masculinity occurs when someone appropriates stereotypically masculine behavior. not because the decision to do so comes from an authentically grounded place, but because the optics presumably confer benefits for doing so.

What I'm saying is that this particular woman's masculinity was a performance. And I can say that with a great deal of confidence because I don't believe that this display produced any of her behavior's intended unintended consequences.

Because that's what duty is. Doing the right thing even when no one else is looking.

The protectiveness doesn't create safety. The dutifulness doesn't inspire trust and the aggressiveness doesn't produce fear. It's a puppet show, a paper tiger, and it's not to be believed.

My brothers in Christ, do not mistake the performance for reality.

However, performance becomes problematic when we mistake it for reality.

It's just as insane when the actors lose themselves in their roles as when the audience can't tell the difference.