Less than a week ago, TikTok user Hayley Bailey posted a video gleefully welcoming her “family of 10 million.” Nevertheless, just a few days later, Haley's following had dropped to his 9 million followers.
Why? On the day of the Met Gala, TikToker Hailey posted a photo of herself in a glamorous dress with the popular TikTok sound “Let Me Eat Cake” in the background.
This word comes from Marie Antoinette. France's last queen is said to have uttered these infamous words when she was told that her subjects were starving. Although this rumor has been disproved by historians, the word still persists. To many, it symbolizes the ignorance of the elites regarding the suffering of the masses, a fact that Haley ironically seemed oblivious to.
Image credit: Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty, via Wikimedia
Unsurprisingly, she received immediate backlash on TikTok.Haley was then released. 8 minute video She explained that she did not actually attend the gala, but only for an interview before the press conference. Haley also justified her silence on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, claiming that she “simply doesn't have enough information to talk about it in a meaningful and educational way.” While some users accepted her apology (“People are totally overreacting,” one commenter reassured), others weren't so easily taken by it. “Watching from District 12, I just had to choose between paying the bill and buying food,” one user sarcastically commented, while another quipped: Comment. “What a privilege it is to not have to think so hard about anything,” he wrote.
Hailey isn't the only celebrity that people perceive as out of line. At the Met Gala, Camila Cabello carried a 22.5kg wallet made of ice. Emma Chamberlain's dress took 600 hours to assemble. Alia Bhatt's saree required a team of 163 people to make. Meanwhile, war and violence are escalating in areas such as Gaza, Sudan and Congo.
Image credit: Danilo, via Wikimedia
What does blocking a celebrity involve?
For many, the contrast between celebrity and suffering is too staggering.So, when TikTok user blockout2024 posted video When he encouraged people to “block celebrities on social media so they can't get ad revenue from you,” people jumped on the idea.
Celebrities ranging from Kim Kardashian to Chris Rock suddenly found themselves blocked by thousands of users. The same TikTok users who encouraged people to start blocking celebrities are posting “Celebrity Blocks of the Day” and suggesting several celebrities to block. The main criterion seems to be those who are not speaking out about the devastation happening in Gaza.
TikTok, Instagram, X, and more are filled with posts about celebrity blocking. 1 TikTok user “Let them eat cake is what I'm saying. Blocking celebrities who don't use their platform forever means I'm paying for their lifestyle while the world burns.” The video has received over 80,000 likes. Other users have posted spreadsheets containing the names of celebrities they've blocked. The comments are full of suggestions about who else to block and how to make the block more effective, such as boycotting celebrity brands.
Is celebrity blocking an influence?
It's easy to dismiss the sudden spike in people blocking celebrities as just a trend. However, blocking do It seems to be working. American rapper and singer Lizzo has so far remained silent about the crisis in Gaza.But after she realized she was on several people's blocklists, Lizzo suddenly posted TikTok videos We are advocating for GoFundMe pages for families in Gaza and Sudan, as well as organizations supporting people in Congo. In the video, Lizzo announces her donation and encourages viewers to do the same if they feel “absolutely”.
Image credit: Cosmopolitan UK, via Wikimedia
Project Olive Branch is an effort to help people select families in Gaza and raise enough money to leave Palestine on a GoFundMe page. Celebrities who have remained largely silent on Gaza, including Chris Olsen and Hank Green, have posted videos implicating Project Olive Branch in recent days after intense pressure from fans.
However, while the block has affected some B-list and C-list celebrities, the impact on A-list is yet to be determined. Kim Kardashian is rumored to have lost 3 million followers to the block, but he has yet to publicly show sympathy or offer support for the Gaza crisis.
Still others argue that blocking celebrities online is a performative act. Twitter user Blythewife “This is 100% performative activism, and even if people claim it invalidates or weakens their platform, that's not what we should be rallying and putting our energy into.” So much so. You can contribute to a cause without doing much.
What's next?
It's always difficult to predict where online movement will go. The trend of blocking celebrities may die down by next month, but it's also likely to continue to grow, and that's exactly what it appears to be doing right now.
People are turning their backs not only on celebrities they hate, but also on celebrities they are fans of. 1 TikTok A user posted a video announcing, “If I can block Taylor Swift, as a 6-year Swift fan, you can too.”
Another person posted a video “I thought people were just being dramatic about being 'blocked out,' but when you see (especially) Zendaya and Taylor Swift being blocked, even by the Swifties…real people are… I was able to see how they actually handle this issue.” Her videos have more than 50,000 likes.
Image credit: iHeartRadioCA (via Wikimedia)
In most cases, people aren't blocking celebrities based on hate, they're targeting them with a purpose. Those deemed complicit in the Gaza crisis are blocked for their silence.
It's unclear where this budding celebrity-blocking movement will lead, but one thing is certain for now: People are no longer ignoring the hardships facing ordinary people around the world and This means that they are no longer willing to stand by and watch people “have their cake and eat it.''
