pictureEarlier this month, an online campaign erupted calling on social media users to block celebrities who have not spoken out about the war in Gaza. These calls were intensified following the attendance of several celebrities and influencers at the Met Gala on May 6, the same day that Israel began its attack on the city of Rafah, where many Palestinians fled after the devastation of northern Gaza. On TikTok and Instagram, users criticized celebrities and influencers for attending the high-profile event while the war continues, and called on followers to block stars who are perceived to be staying silent about the war.
The online campaign, called “Blockout” or “Digital Guillotine,” went viral after influencer Haley Kalil drew criticism on May 6 when she posted a video showing off her Met Gala outfit and lip-syncing to the soundtrack from the 2008 film “The Avengers.” Marie AntoinetteThen, Kirsten Dunst's character says, “Let them eat cake.” The real-life Antoinette is said to have responded with this phrase after learning that peasants in 18th-century France were starving and had run out of bread, but many historians doubt that she actually said it.
Khalil's video was quickly criticized. hunger gameShe has since apologized and deleted the TikTok, clarifying that she was not at the event and was instead a pre-Met Gala host. Eh! NewsKhalil also drew ire when he said he would not speak about Gaza because he “doesn't know enough about it to speak about it in a meaningful and educational way.”
In response, the TikTok account @ladyfromtheoutside launched a “digital guillotine” or “digitine” movement. “It's time to block the celebrities, influencers and wealthy socialites who aren't using their resources to help people in dire need,” she says in the video. “We gave them a platform, it's time to take it back and take our views, likes, comments and money.”
Another account, @Blockout2024, appeared in May, encouraging followers to block celebrities in order to cut off their revenue streams by not engaging with their content. Another account with a similar name has also been set up on TikTok.
Brooke Erin Duffy, a professor of communications at Cornell University, said movements like Blockout 2024 show how large groups of creators can work together to affect the visibility of prominent figures. “While consumer-led boycotts are by no means unprecedented, this latest movement speaks to the power creators have to redistribute and even weaponize platforms' metrics systems,” Duffy said.
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But the calls to block influencers and celebrities have drawn both praise and criticism, and have sparked a larger debate about the nuances of online activism. Critics say that simply calling for the blocking of celebrities and people with large followings is not a coherent strategy, but rather a bullying tactic that distracts from the Gaza crisis.
The debate over boycotting creative works isn't just limited to creators and celebrities. Last week, a user on X circulated a Google spreadsheet with a color-coded list of authors, each listing their stance on the war and who they support or don't support. The list was similarly polarizing, with some accusing the list creators of being anti-Semitic and resembling McCarthyism. While others acknowledge the good intentions behind the initiative, they worry it could be counterproductive.
“In the midst of such a deep and divisive war, it's not surprising that celebrities face backlash for speaking out, or for their conspicuous silence,” Duffy says. “Creatives are keenly aware of the impact that visibility, and conversely, lack of visibility, can have on one's status and income. Efforts to reduce the visibility of celebrities are akin to a war over reputation.”
Blocking campaign erupts on TikTok
Each day, @Blockout2024 uploads a new video of three celebrities they have blocked and encourages their followers to do the same. They also encourage their followers to share their own block lists using the hashtag #Blockout2024. Many of these lists include big name celebrities like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Zendaya.
Someone with millions of followers “has the opportunity to make a significant difference in the world,” said a person from the @Blockout2024 account, who asked not to be named, in an Instagram direct message. They started the Blockout 2024 movement after seeing a video comparing the Met Gala to the New York Times. hunger game.
“I put together a video explaining how to block celebrities who aren't using the platform in a positive way so that you don't contribute to their ad revenue,” they say. “It eventually went viral and I realized this could work on a much larger scale, so I decided to take this movement further.”
Critics of the blockout movement instead highlight the work of content creators who are drawing attention to the war, such as comedian Erin Hattamer, who has pivoted to content focused on helping the people of Gaza, and organizers of Operation Olive Branch.
In a video posted on May 9, Hattam said she started the “Pass The Hat” project because she felt overwhelmed by messages from families seeking support for a GoFundMe to help them leave Gaza and felt she couldn't do the job effectively alone. The project allows creators, regardless of how many followers they have, to fill out a form and be tasked with amplifying fundraising efforts for families. Operation Olive Branch is a similar initiative, allowing creators to adopt families and help raise funds to help them leave Gaza.
Why Blockout 2024 is facing criticism
The hashtag #Blockout2024 has been used more than 29,000 times on TikTok. As the hashtag's popularity has grown, so has criticism of the movement. Kate Lindsay, author of the Substack internet culture newsletter embedded A May 13 post claimed it was seeking a “perfect celebrity activist” that doesn't actually exist.
“Not only has this movement failed to effectively target the people it should be targeting; teeth We are all doing our own little part,” she wrote.
TikTok user @Donidarkowitz said the blocking campaign was “missing the point.”
“There are too many people who take pleasure in finding and blocking celebrities for innocuous reasons,” she said. “You'll never hear me say that celebrities shouldn't do more because they have more freedom to do so, but this is not it. This has strayed far from its original purpose in record time.”
The block list also includes celebrities who have spoken or taken action publicly about the Gaza war, including Jenna Ortega, who voiced her support in a statement about X in March, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas, who wore ceasefire pins to the Oscars, and Ariana Grande, who recently signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire.
Another celebrity who frequently appears on these lists, Lizzo, recently uploaded a video highlighting two GoFundMe campaigns to help families in Palestine, raise money for Sudan, and fund groups helping people in the Congo, but her actions were labelled “performative” in the comments section.
“Still on the block. 100 days too late to pretend,” one commenter wrote. “You have more than enough money to give this family what they need,” another wrote. “You should have and could have done this months ago. Your performance is seeing through.”
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Creator @BasicallyBetsy2.0 argued in the video that while the initiative is well-intentioned, the concept could be improved.
“Just because someone isn't speaking out for a particular cause doesn't mean they should be completely dismissed, as they could be speaking out for another,” Betsy says, “and just because someone isn't publicly speaking out on their platform doesn't mean they're not actively participating in protests.”
The creators of the @Blockout 2024 account agree with the criticism of the movement but believe its message remains the same: “Overall, this movement is waking people up to the fact that we have the power to make a change, which is really important,” they say. “We think this is one of the most positive outcomes so far.”
