"Performative male" (a.k.a. "matcha male") is a 2025 internet meme
describing men who display exaggerated progressivism, feminism, or emotional
sensitivity — carrying a tote bag, sipping an iced matcha latte,
reading feminist authors like bell hooks or Sally Rooney, listening to Clairo or
Laufey, or owning a Labubu — allegedly to appeal to the "female gaze" rather than
out of genuine interest. The term went viral through TikTok and spawned real-life
"performative male contests" in cities like Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco (some
literally judged by AI on a 0–100 scale — the inspiration for this app).
"Pick-me girl" is the longer-running female-coded counterpart:
someone who seeks male approval by putting down traditionally feminine interests
(fashion, makeup) and other women, while emphasizing hobbies coded as masculine —
sports, video games, rock music — to seem "not like other girls." It's often
described as a form of internalized misogyny, and it's popularized the related
"pick-me boy"/"performative male" terms in turn.
Sources: Wikipedia, "Performative male" and "Pickme girl"