The recent online trend of “performative males” – over-the-top, female-worshipping men who engage in stereotypically feminine interests for attention – made its way to UNCW on Sept. 12.
When freshmen Madeline Hotelling and Cassie Swofford heard of “performative male contests” – competitions based on the meme – being held across college campuses nationwide, it sparked an idea to host Wilmington’s very own take on the trend. Swofford designed a poster, and the pair advertised it online consistently as the date approached.
Initially, they were unsure of how many people would actually show up. “But then all of a sudden we had a crowd within five minutes,” Hotelling said.
Surrounded by an indeed large group of hyped-up students in the quad were a small handful of contestants decked out in flamboyant gear. Onlookers roared with laughter while Hotelling and Swofford interviewed the competitors, seeking out the most performative portrayal.
Scarlett Johnson, one contestant sporting a faux mustache and light blue record player, decided to pull out of the contest early to make a statement. “Honestly, it wasn’t about the contest for me, or any sort of prize, any sort of competition. You know? Just for the community,” she told The Seahawk.
When asked what the best part about her evening was, she recalled: “My favorite part, God, I don’t know. I did give one girl a tampon – she needed one desperately.”
Vicki McKenna, a freshman working towards a film degree, wanted to bring a touch of womanhood to an event she thought was inherently lacking in it. “I love women and I felt that […] a performative male contest sounded really male-centered,” she said. “I don’t know… it kind of just called to me, like some prophetic vision.”
Certainly aiding in the aspiring performative male’s confidence levels was the fire of the audience, who laughed and clapped after every answer. “The crowd here was amazing today. Everyone was so nice; they asked so many questions and honestly, they really played into it, and I love that,” McKenna said.
The contestants’ outfits were meticulously planned and cleverly explained to The Seahawk as well. “My Birkenstocks are not real; they’re fake, because I don’t support corporate America,” McKenna said. “My glasses are prescription so that I can read feminist literature better.”
Although all attendees seemed to have a good time, perhaps the most excited were hosts Hotelling and Swofford. “I loved when, like, [the contestants] interacted with the crowd and went up to start doing their own thing. Like, that was just so fun to see,” Swofford said.
“We had, like, power over the crowd. Like, we could make them clap and applaud and drum roll. […] that was out of my comfort zone because I had to shout to the whole crowd. I took initiative,” Hotelling added, reflecting on her spotlight moment.
After an immersive thirty minutes and grueling anticipation of a hungry crowd, the two judges came to the decision to crown Brian Doherty, a grad student studying coastal and ocean policy. Throughout the contest, he sat on the ledge of the seahawk statue and barely uttered a word, pretending to intensely read a book entitled “But First, Inner Peace.”
Doherty’s decision to perform was a very last-minute one. Just four hours before, the students that worked with him held a vote that resulted in his obligation to compete. “I came into work today, and [they] voted, and they convinced me to come here,” he said.
His outfit had a similar vibe to many of the other contestants; he wore sunglasses, a sage green buttoned jacket, earrings and a cap for the Suffolk County Parks Endangered Species Program. “I just went home and grabbed what I usually wear. I was just so happy that so many women were happy,” he quipped. “Yeah, you know, I was just not really trying to make a scene and just being myself, you know?”
Right after his win was announced and the crowd erupted into cheering, he was asked by an audience member who his favorite feminist was. His answer – “my mother” – incited a loud swoon from the viewers.
During his post-win interview with The Seahawk, he balanced on his bicycle. When probed, he said, “I don’t believe in, uh, using cars. Single use, I don’t believe in that. I’m always picking up trash.”
His parting words?
“[I’m] excited to be the first ever UNCW performative male winner,” he said, “but the winner goes out to all the women out there that work hard every day.”
