Men Reading Performatively: the Debasement of Great Books or Free Advertising for Authors?

Lately, my pages have been filled with matcha-drinking labubu-toting totebag-slinging Clairo-listening cardigan-wearing feminist-literature-reading “performative men.” However, as a consequence, I have also seen a massive increase in the online discussion of classical feminist authors like Simone de Beauvoir and George Sand, both genuine and not.

And while real life examples of these men may be tricky to converse with, I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps their desire for attention may be a necessary evil to revitalize these pieces of literature in an age where the feminist movement of Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes is petering out into more abstract choice and post-feminism.

To delve further, I decided to interview our school Librarian, Ms. Hank. When asked about the impact of bringing older books into the public eye, she responded that “I think right now in my life,  I would rather more people try to read interesting books than not.” She continued that reading classics can seem daunting, whether because people don’t feel represented in the narratives or because books like Moby Dick can seem too long or too dense. These observations led to a recent makeover to the school’s classics section, now including authors like Toni Morrison who were previously in Multicultural. She concluded that “being a book reader, it takes time. You’re part of a community, and you want to feel like the people you’re talking to are putting in the work that you are… but you gotta start somewhere. You start by liking something”.

In all, perhaps the best way to move forward is not to scare performative readers away from books, but to try and foster discussion where we can. Maybe if they’re not pulling girls, they can at least pull some new ideas.