#NotAllMen is a feminist internet meme. It is a shortened hashtag version of the phrase not all men are like that, sometimes abbreviated NAMALT.
Contents
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 usually 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.
Origin
Vox states that 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. Before 2013, "not all men" was not seen as a 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". Jasmine Bailey says the "not all men" argument "seemingly began as a sincere way to counter feminist arguments". #NotAllMen, however, is often impugned by feminists. 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 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." 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. Lubchansky's comic was quickly retweeted and otherwise shared by several notable male celebrities including Wil Wheaton, Paul F. Tompkins, Matt Fraction, and John Scalzi.
2014 Isla Vista killings
#NotAllMen 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. 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. 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. In the wake of the killings, some Twitter users pointed out the fact that "not all men" are like this, or would commit such crimes.
Bengaluru incident
After reports of a mass molestation occurring at India's Bengaluru New Years Eve celebration, #NotAllMen began trending on Twitter. This drew an angry reaction from women, with many Indian feminists and women strongly criticizing the hashtag while responding with their own hashtag #YesAllWomen.
Usage
As Kelsey McKinney of Vox states, "The phrase has been reappropriated by feminists and turned into a meme meant to parody its pervasiveness and bad faith." #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". An explanation of the NotAllMen 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." Slate Magazine writer Phil Plait wrote that the hashtag was
not an unexpected response. However, it's also not a helpful one. Why is it not helpful to say "not all men are like that"? For lots of reasons. For one, women know this. They already know not every man is a rapist, or a murderer, or violent. They don't need you to tell them. Second, it's defensive. When people are defensive, they aren't listening to the other person; they're busy thinking of ways to defend themselves. I watched this happen on Twitter, over and again. Third, the people saying it aren't furthering the conversation, they're sidetracking it. The discussion isn't about the men who aren't a problem. (Though, I'll note, it can be. I'll get back to that.) Instead of being defensive and distracting from the topic at hand, try staying quiet for a while and actually listening to what the thousands upon thousands of women discussing this are saying. Fourth—and this is important, so listen carefully—when a woman is walking down the street, or on a blind date, or, yes, in an elevator alone, she doesn't know which group you're in. You might be the potential best guy ever in the history of history, but there's no way for her to know that. A fraction of men out there are most definitely not in that group. Which are you? Inside your head you know, but outside your head it's impossible to.
In a differing opinion, India Times writer Sumeet Keswani writes that the statement "does not serve to derail the feminism movement; it seeks to draw the line between feminism and misandry."