The man, the myth, the urban legend: the performative male. Though popularized late this summer, the performative male has always existed in some shape or form online. Thomas has never been labeled performative himself but observes it as a phenomenon among his peers to garner female attention. In a 2024 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, women ranked feminine male profiles as more romantically appealing than masculine ones, indicating that the so-called “performative male” may have better long-term female relationship prospects. “I think the real performative male is much more subtle, and it’s probably not very much of a conscious thing.”Has Phifer himself ever fielded accusations of performativity?