Walking around school, it’s pretty noticeable to see all the different types of people. Everyone has different styles. I mean in one corner there’s the Lululemon girls, walking down the hall you might see alternatively dressed people, and then you turn your head and see those guys.
Around March of last year was when I really noticed them. It literally felt as if overnight every single guy basically copied and pasted themselves onto each other but in a different font. On TikTok, an aesthetic called “Male Manipulators,” rose and now every other guy I see looks just like the last! This trend began as a joke but now guys are taking it a little too seriously and it’s starting to get weird.
Normally spotted with matcha and wearing wired earbuds, these guys might be caught “reading” feminist literature or lovebombing girls. Their usual attire can include a carabiner, baggy jeans, rings, and a tee that is cropped but fits them well.
Honestly the problem I have isn’t in the aesthetic and the dressing itself, it’s the message behind it. “I think it can be comedic in a sense, but because of the trend it’s also normalizing pushing women around in a way,” junior William Avery said. “A lot of the problem is the fact that the trend allows for the emotional abuse women endure through these types of guys.”
Take the name for example, “Male Manipulator.” Really? It’s like we’re trying to go back into time with that one. Not only that, but also why are we trying to appeal to others through our fashion? Fashion is supposed to be expressive, a reflection of things that you like, so stop trying to adhere to others.
Especially doing it for the female gaze; I understand if you genuinely are interested in feminist literature and the rights of women but just doing it to get girls is so indescribably stupid. “It feels like a mockery of feminism to me, ” junior Misha Rai said. “And when guys pretend they like Clairo it just makes me feel like they’re making fun of my interests and putting up a weird facade.”
People tend to call “Male Manipulators” performative, and honestly I agree. “I mean, I like to joke about being performative sometimes but when it comes to actually manipulating people that’s just weird,” sophomore Ryder Smith said.
By trying to stand out with this aesthetic, you’re just going with the crowd because you’re doing something you think is niche, when everyone else is doing the same thing. Find your own vibe and dress how you want, not how you think others want you to.
If you are dressing a certain way not because you like it yourself but because another person does, then that IS performative. Being yourself is far better than trying to do something you see everyone else doing.
