Signing up for the slop

Slop events are now in India. Pick-Me girls face off, Adityas are meeting up. But we need more than viral moments and jokes to build communities

- Tanya Syed

It’s scary enough to spot a performative man on Hinge; running into an army of woke bros is straight out of a horror movie.

And yet, in Mumbai in February, a handful of self-identifying Performative Males showed up at a playground to compete to be top dog, to an audience of 150 and two judges. They made a show of “liking women’s interests”, even showed sympathy for “period cramps”, while keeping their misogyny intact. All for a cash prize of ₹10,000 and short-lived online glory. Also at the event were another handful of women, eager to be crowned the best Pick-Me Girl (You know, the one that’s “not like other girls” and “eww, doesn’t wear makeup”?)

If you haven’t heard about slop events yet, maybe you’re just not online enough. They’re this generation’s answer to internet fatigue, with IRL events that mimic the world of their socials. Online, everyone’s watching mukbangs on YouTube. Offline, they’re watching a man eat a rotisserie chicken at an abandoned pier in Philadelphia. Online, everyone’s complaining that it’s hard to find (and keep) a partner. Offline, someone organised a Fight Your Evil Situationship rave in LA. People who call themselves twink and gym bro online are meeting up at gyms in New York City. And unlike comment sections, there’s no bloodshed. At the club, they’re all fam.

Slop events aim to get young people to pull their faces out of their screens, and build a community offline. Is it working or is it just for the plot?