Is it really performative?
Photo/Sydney Annis
Over the last year or so, the term “performative” has become increasingly popular to describe people. It is often associated with certain types of music, movies or books. The term specifically gained popularity after the trend of the “performative man,” which is a man who reads publicly, listens to Clairo and drinks matcha.
However, with its increasing use, it makes me question: Are we throwing this word around too much? For example, immediately categorizing someone who enjoys foreign films or enjoys abstract art as performative feels quite unfounded.
When I think about people I have thought of as cool, I notice that they have taken time to curate their taste and style in things such as music, books or movies. They’ve listened to this one specific band ever since they were young because of their older sibling, or they visited a foreign city that caused them to become interested in an author.
Our world moves so fast. We expect to find answers in seconds, and likewise, we hope to establish hobbies or interests just as quickly. This expectation of immediacy directly contrasts with the process of establishing our interests. Enduring experiences to discover what you enjoy is not a process that can be completed via an algorithm. It is something intentional that takes time and is done by yourself, actively engaging with different ideas in the real world. Therefore, with this expectation of immediacy, anyone attempting their pursuit of interests is often deemed “performative.” It feels as if we are expected to know who we are and what we like from day one, but that is simply unrealistic.
In the United States, literacy rates are dropping lower and lower. The National Literacy Institute states that 54% of adults read below a 6th-grade reading level. Fewer and fewer people find themselves reading for pleasure. We become frustrated when we pick up a challenging novel and do not understand it on the first read. It’s become harder and harder for us to stand in front of an abstract painting for longer than five minutes, and we skip a 13-minute song three minutes in simply out of boredom. This is all to say that our culture has caused our lives to become so fast-paced and driven by instant gratification.
Therefore, when anybody resists this lifestyle, it is deemed “performative,” despite that individual having a genuine interest in whatever they are indulging in. Maybe they are not performative, and we just need to challenge ourselves. Maybe we need to take the time to engage with a piece of media or art that makes us think in a different way.
Slowing down and engaging in these so-called “performative” activities is actually an act of resistance against a fast-paced, immediate satisfaction-powered culture. We are at risk of losing our individuality the moment we consider abandoning newfound curiosity out of fear of being called performative.
Strike Out,
Sydney Annis
Editor: Meghan Bosman
Athens