Breaking News: Not All Dead White Men isn’t just about dead white men. (An Analysis)

Breaking News: Not All Dead White Men isn’t just about dead white men. (An Analysis)

                                                                                    By Steph

  

*Spoiler Free!

“Not all men”. I’m sure most of you have all heard a version of this term used to excuse sexist, misogynistic actions. But Steph, you might say, why would saying this phrase be so harmful? Isn’t it just trying to state not every single man is at fault for a horrible deed? And you’re right. At face value, this statement isn’t inherently toxic. However, it has grown to become a catchphrase for men who think it’s better to shift the blame of an accusation instead of facing it head on. It now is often used to silence women by invalidating and downplaying their claims. Using the phrase “not all men” generalizes and ignores harmful behavior.  

Donna Zuckerberg pulls you into her invigorating take on misogyny and the classics  right from the very title—Not All Dead White Men. Using a combination of the expressions “not all men” and “dead white men”, two phrases common in talks of erasure and downplaying, she conceptualizes her book topic into one succinct, powerful phrase. From the very start, I was lured in. 

That brings me to how I found such a book. During a history unit on archeology and repatriation, the whole class was assigned to read an article titled “The Myth of Whiteness in Classic Sculpture” - a spiraling rabbit hole of realizations and discoveries surrounding the suppression of polychromy in ancient art, specifically Greek and Roman sculptures and paintings. I’m not entirely certain how I found Not All Dead White Men, but it was after clicking through links mentioned in the article for a while when I stumbled upon this book. 

I usually don’t read nonfiction books, as my attention span tends to wander, so, just like the two other books I chose to write about for my blog, I was hesitant to read it. However, the title—and the concept it alluded to—enticed me enough to open the book and at least brave through the first few chapters. At the very least, it would be a fun challenge for myself. 

Oh, but what a book it was. Even though I’m still in the midst of reading it, I already have fallen in love with the critical, yet witty narration. Zuckerberg writes in such a way where you can’t even start to grow bored. Adding in this entirely new concept of how artifacts from the past impact gender equality and oppression today, this book was an eye-opening experience. 

Instead of laying down all my thoughts of the content of  Not All Dead White Men, I’d rather stop here and let you feel that excitement and apprehension when reading it yourselves.

Once I’m done reading it, go check it out! I checked it out through the University of Illinois database, and got it in my locker the next day!