NotAllMen

#NotAllMen is an internet meme.^[1] It is a shortened hashtag version of the phrase not all men are like that,^[2] sometimes abbreviated NAMALT.

A Time magazine article on the subject states that "Not all men" was previously stated as an object of frustration, but in early 2014 it became mostly used as an object of mockery. Intended to counter generalizations about men's behavior, the phrase has been criticized for deflecting conversations from uncomfortable topics, such as sexual assault.^[3][4]

Origin

The phrase "not all men are like that," as a general defense of men in gendered criticisms of their behavior, has been around for more than a decade.^[5] There is some evidence that this fact has at least been pointed out as early as 1985 in author Joanna Russ' book On Strike Against God, in which she notes, "Not all men are rapists, only some."^[3] The #NotAllMen Twitter hashtag was tweeted as early as 2011. The first viral tweet with this phrase (which was not yet a hashtag) was a satirical tweet by Shafiqah Hudson (sassycrass on Twitter) in February 2013: "ME: Men and boys are socially instructed to not listen to us. They are taught to interrupt us when we- RANDOM MAN: Excuse me. Not ALL men."^[5][6] The stereotypical "Not-All-Man," barging into a conversation criticizing male behavior, was caricatured in a comic by artist Matt Lubchansky on April 14, 2014.^[3][5][7] Lubchansky's comic was quickly retweeted and otherwise shared by several notable celebrities including Wil Wheaton, Paul F. Tompkins, Matt Fraction, and John Scalzi.^[3]

Before 2013, #NotAllMen was not seen as a common derailment tactic; the most common strategies cited by feminist bloggers were "'what about the men?' and 'patriarchy hurts men too' — pleas for inclusion, not for exemption."^[3] The hashtag #NotAllMen "seemingly began as a sincere way to counter feminist arguments."^[8] #NotAllMen, however, is often impugned by feminists. As a feminist writer claims, "The phrase has been reappropriated by feminists and turned into a meme meant to parody its pervasiveness and bad faith."^[5] #NotAllMen-related memes include references to Aquaman, Adventure Time, Magic: The Gathering, and the Kool Aid Man crashing through a wall to exclaim "not all men."^[9]

2014 Isla Vista killings

Not All Men was already a Twitter hashtag created by the Twitter user Sassycrass before the 2014 Isla Vista killings, but it gained additional traction after the event, because of the hatred against women expressed by the shooter. It was followed by the creation of the Twitter hashtag #YesAllWomen.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15]} Following the killing spree, the attacker's Internet activity was described as misogynistic, and hatred of women was cited as a factor in the killing spree.^{[16][17][18][19][20]} In the wake of the killings, some Twitter users pointed out the fact that "not all men" (i.e. only a tiny minority) are like this, or would commit such crimes.^[13][14][15] An explanation of the hashtag came from Hillary Di Menna of This magazine, who claimed that, "Saying 'not all men' is not helpful. We need to listen and we need to reflect."^[21] In response to the hashtag #NotAllMen, an anonymous female Twitter user created the hashtag #YesAllWomen, to express that all women are affected by sexism and misogyny, even though not all men are sexist. This newly created hashtag quickly became used by women throughout social media to share their experiences of sexual discrimination and attacks.^{[22][23][24][9][25][26][27][28]}

References

External links

• Postings to #NotAllMen on Twitter
• Origin on "NotAllMen as gathered on Storify