No Nut November, often abbreviated to NNN, is an annual internet challenge of sexual abstinence and not masturbating during the month of November.[1] It originated in 2011 and grew in popularity among male users of social media during and after 2017.[2] Destroy Dick December serves as a counterpoint.
History
Although No Nut November was originally intended to be satirical, some participants claim that abstaining from ejaculating and not watching pornography has health benefits.[3][1] An Urban Dictionary entry for No Nut November was published in 2011, and, in 2017, the movement started to gain popularity on social media.[2] It is associated with the NoFap community on Reddit, which encourages its members not to masturbate.[1] The Reddit community /r/NoNutNovember grew from 16,500 subscribers in November 2018[4] to 52,000 subscribers in November 2019.[3]
In 2017 a related internet challenge, Destroy Dick December, was started serving as a counterpoint to No Nut November, encouraging participants to take part in sexual activities such as intercourse and masturbation, after abstaining from them during the previous month.[5]
After some far-right public figures, including Paul Joseph Watson, promoted the campaign, E. J. Dickson of Rolling Stone suggested that the movement had been co-opted by the far-right.[3] Vice criticized the challenge in 2018 after adherents sent threats to xHamster on Twitter, similarly saying it had been co-opted by far-right figures.[6]
See also
- The Contest, a Seinfeld episode about abstinence from masturbation
- Coitus reservatus, a form of sexual intercourse in which a man attempts to remain at the moment before ejaculation for as long as possible
- Movember, the growing of moustaches in November to raise awareness of men's health issues
- National Masturbation Day, originally held on May 7, 1995 as an event to honor Joycelyn Elders, it was later expanded to the month of May as International Masturbation Month
- Lent, a traditional Christian religious observance in which participants abstain from certain foods and luxuries (which can include sexual activities) for the six weeks leading up to Easter
- Ramadan, a religious observance in which Muslims abstain from food, water, and sexual activity during daytime for a lunar month
References
- 1 2 Zachary Zane (5 November 2019). "Inside 'No Nut November,' Where Guys Don't Masturbate for a Month". Men's Health. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- 1 2 3 EJ Dickson (8 November 2019). "How a New Meme Exposes the Far-Right Roots of #NoNutNovember". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- โ Phoebe Loomes (24 November 2018). "Thousands of men quit sex for 'No Nut November'". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- โ "Destroy Dick December Is the New Month Long Masturbation Challenge". The Daily Dot. 2017-11-15. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
- โ Samantha Cole (30 November 2018). "Let This Be the Last No Nut November". Vice. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
External links