A New Political Put-Down Is On the Rise

An analysis by Sopan Deb in the New York Times suggests that a new political insult is now in full swing: "theater kid." It's mainly in use as a slam against Democratic politicians and activists, and Deb ticks off a long list of recent examples, including:

• Comedian Tim Dillon called New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani a "theater kid" after his "cringe" victory speech, and Trump ally Jack Posobiec wrote, "Theater kids always crumble if you press them" after Mamdani's meeting with President Trump at the White House.
• When Democratic lawmakers released a video telling troops they have a right to disobey unlawful orders, they were derided as "theater kids encouraging an insurrection" by Joe Kent of the National Counterterrorism Center.
• A Dally Caller headline on an op-ed critical of Sen. Alex Padilla called him a "Democratic theater kid."

To strategists and commentators on the right, the insult captures what they see as left-wing "performance-based radicalism," as CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings tells Deb. Meaning, politics as spectacle rather than substance. Even some Democrats see a branding problem: data scientist Dhaaruni Sreenivas wrote a Substack post titled "The Theaterkid-ification of the Democratic Party." Sreenivas tells Deb she worries that her party's image as a home for earnest, rule-following Glee types turns off voters who distrust "nerds."

But people inside the theater world and some scholars say the jab hits nerves beyond partisanship. Theater has long been a haven for outsiders and queer youth, and some, like Syracuse musical-theater professor Jacob Kerzner, say using "theater kid" as an insult carries a homophobic edge. In an essay at the Michigan Daily, self-described theater kid Siena Bares also explores the term. "Because let's face it, there is a stereotype with high school theater," she writes. "You can't pin it exactly as it varies from place to place, but the general consensus is that the theater kid is on the outskirts of the social hierarchy." Her piece ends with an encouragement for theater kids to embrace it: "So turn those sweaty palms into jazz hands, and keep creating!"