Our Sea Aggies heard the news about an event at the Clocktower on September 19 and wasted no time seeing what the hype was about. Students surrounded the Clocktower for the TAMUG Performative Male Contest. Attendees were allowed to judge participants based on who was the most “performative.” Participants showed off their Labubus, feminist literature, and matchas for the reason of being the best performative male.
The events was planned by a couple of TAMUG students, who did immediately respond to a request for comment.
On September 7, students at College Station planned their own version of the Performative Male Contest. The event became an unexpected success, gathering a large group of individuals chanting yells to BTHO period cramps and prejudice. Event videos and pictures spread on TikTok and Instagram to other Texas A&M campuses, and it wasn’t long before it arrived at TAMUG.
Participants expressed their worries and resentment towards women’s oppression in the modern world, but with a satirical tone, as that’s the primary point of the entire idea of being a performative male.
Performative males try to be different in order to fit inside the “female gaze” so they can stand out amongst others. While it’s a sarcastic performance, no participants try to discredit or mock any actual experience that a woman has gone through, as it is all for the entertainment of the attendees.
Students endured the long hours under the scorching sun to choose the best performative male with the best outfit.
One of the main judges, Hanna Hodges ‘29, said that Gabriel Galaviz, ‘26, had the best outfit regardless of who ended up as the winner. She made her decision because of “the intricate layers that he incorporated” and that his outfit “[looked] straight from Pinterest.”
Galaviz’s outfit was unique, more unique than others, as he showed off his boot-cut jeans, button-up, and his stylish leather jacket alongside many unique accessories and jewelry. Galaviz landed in the top 3 along with Brendon Tu, ‘29, and Hayden Lee, ‘29.
The students cheered for their favorite, and among the three, it was Hayden who showed off his unique vinyls, homemade matcha, and most importantly, his pink Labubu.
When asked how he felt about his victory, Hayden said, “I’m just happy that we could all be there to represent how we felt about women’s concerns because without them, we wouldn’t really be here.”
The participants came together for an encore of “I’m Just Ken” from the 2023 film The Barbie Movie alongside unprepared, surprise participants.
