It’s all about the show, all about the glamour. Peacocks do it, so do fireflies, and it seems like the male SIS high school body is no exception. With their wired earphones and matcha lattes, performative guys have made their presence impossible to ignore. Being performative is essentially a fashion choice driven by the desire to look more appealing to girls, with a particular emphasis on opting for wired earphones rather than Bluetooth headphones.
“Frankly, I do not really understand all the hype around wired earphones,” William Park (12), past performer, said. “People who do wear them could argue that they are the cheaper alternatives to Bluetooth ones or that the Bluetooth technology could potentially inflict brain damage, but frankly, these are so far-fetched. Most of these kids I have already seen wearing AirPods just a couple of months back.”
Many proponents of “Performatism” have posited that the androgenistic suave vibe their selective attire and actions give them may aid in their quest for a female partner.
“Contrary to popular belief, this new look really does help,” Joonho Kim (12), successful performer, said. “Girls really appreciate it when you are passionate about the same things as they are, and matcha has the effect of appearing sophisticated enough to enjoy the delights of this culturally feminine drink. Another big element of being a successful performer is the wired earphones. Wired earphones appeal to that nostalgic and unique sentiment. These days, everybody wears Bluetooth earphones, and standing out a little might be the difference between going to prom alone and going with the girl of your dreams.”
What started off as a unique SIS brand of performatism has gradually evolved into a coalesced interpretation of what it means to perform. With performatism being increasingly mainstream on various social media platforms, it seems as if the performers are obtaining more inspiration from their American counterparts online, choosing to adopt similar looks.
Still, not everyone is convinced that performativism is here to stay. Some students see it as nothing more than a passing fad, one that reflects more about insecurity than genuine style.
“Just being performative changes the air around you,” Hannah Park (11), passionate playwright, said. “Small things like the slight eyewear adjustments, the controlled sips, and the change in vernacular are all things that can really change your perception of a person.”
Regardless of its true intentions, performatism has carved out its own cultural niche at SIS. It represents a broader cultural moment in which students treat their own image as a carefully curated brand. While a considerable portion of our male population has opted to perform on a daily basis, only some of them have reaped the rewards of this conceptual trend. And while it may eventually fade like every trend before it, for now, the peacocks are strutting, the fireflies are glowing, and the matcha keeps flowing.
