A “poser” may first be thought of as an individual who pretends to be “punk” or “mainstream” to get clout. When that individual succeeds in gaining influence, they evolve and continue to feed off mainstream media. From Fuggler to Labubu, from Stanleys to Owalas, the cycle never ends.
One of the most recent types of posers is the “performative male,” a type of man who only does things to look more feminine, thus appealing to the feminine eye. They drink matcha and recite feminist poetry, all for the love of the game.
The history of poser culture begins with the word itself. The term “poser” or “poseur” was borrowed from French and used in English by the mid-19th century. Early literary examples from the late 19th and early 20th centuries used this term to describe individuals who were insincere, such as Henry James’ novel “Roderick Hudson.”
Poser became a term in the punk, heavy metal and goth subcultures to criticize those who copy and paste the style and how they act, to pretend to be a part of the group without acknowledging its philosophy and commitment. Which was and is a severe problem considering the fact that the entire movement relies on their authenticity and their rebellion, which posers don’t have.
Being a poser isn’t as simple as you think it is. The term poser isn’t just used by many subcultures; it’s a definition, which can and has been used to harm others.
People whom you might refer to as a poser include skater boys, as well as people who dress like they’re straight off of TikTok and “Riverdale.” Just because there are people who have a sense of style, like Chicano, minimalist, the clean girl aesthetic, or even Y2K, doesn’t mean they are posers.
A poser is usually defined as someone who adopts the aesthetic but not the meaning, an example being JoJo Siwa and her portrayal of “gay pop.” She claimed to have invented the genre, which caused an uproar of controversy in the media. This sudden drama is notably ironic since it distracted people away from her other controversies, including XOMG POP, child abuse, mistreatment and a toxic work environment accusations towards JoJo Siwa and her mother, Jessalynn Siwa.
Someone can dress or look however they want, but they may not follow the actual customs within the subculture, which results in being called a fake or a poser. For example, an individual can dress or look goth, but members of the goth community do not consider them genuine unless they listen to and love goth music, as well as align with its philosophy.
The definition of poser in the Oxford Languages is “a person who acts in an affected manner to impress others.” In social media, a poser is described as someone who pretends to be someone they’re not to gain acceptance or popularity, often by adopting superficial traits of a group or subculture without understanding or genuinely participating in its core values or practices.
Posers project a false or exaggerated image, creating a disconnect between their curated online persona and their true self, which can be picked up by others as inauthentic behavior. This still doesn’t mean that someone who wears clothes for the aesthetic is a poser; it just means that they like to wear that specific type of clothing.
The students of LHS are an example of the fact that personal sense of style has no such correlation with being a poser. It is still important to maintain respect and kindness towards everyone, including posers, and to remember that adversity is a blessing.
