Critics of Israel's military operation in Gaza are taking aim at celebrity culture.
Some social media users are criticizing celebrities for not speaking out about the ongoing war in Gaza and blocking them in an attempt to hurt the revenue they receive from brand partnerships.
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The trend was sparked by the MET Gala, which takes place on May 6 in New York City, an annual extravaganza that serves as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. It struck some as dystopian, in stark contrast to the situation in Gaza.
As images of the celebrations flooded social media, Israel launched an offensive on Rafah, a southern city in Gaza crowded with displaced Palestinians. (new window) He was there at Israel's command.
Some social media users have highlighted this contrast and launched a campaign to block celebrities they feel are ignorant of, or in some cases supportive of, the killing and displacement of Palestinians.
Boulud-Ebanda de Berri, a communication professor and research director at the University of Ottawa, said social change comes from people speaking out against injustice, and that celebrities and others (including fellow professors) have a platform to support them. He says it is important to use the
they must speak out. This is the only way to restore justice to all, both Palestinians and Israelis. If you don't speak up, you're just an accomplice.
“Let them eat cake.”
A TikTok video posted by influencer Haley Kalil on May 7 became a rallying point for the blockout movement. In the video, Khalil, who has around 10 million followers, lip-syncs the words. let them eat cake
Outside the Met Gala.
This phrase is considered to be probably incorrect (new window)came to signify for Marie Antoinette a rupture between the elite and the working class.
Her video ironically featured a clip from a song by Kathleen Hanna's band Le Tigre. (new window)The person who called for (new window) A cease-fire was reached in Gaza and support for the Palestinians was expressed.
Khalil, also known as Halley Bailey, was criticized for making the video amid news that northern Gaza was “in the grips of full-scale famine”. (new window)” She later apologized, saying the phrase was part of an audio clip trending on the platform. Her apology video did not mention Gaza, Israel or the plight of Palestinians.
Evander de Beveri said the downside of social media campaigns is that platforms can potentially suppress or censor certain voices, saying: It would certainly be some kind of algorithmic discrimination.
Documented by Human Rights Watch (new window) what is it called Systematic censorship of Palestinian content
Meta, the company that operates Facebook and Instagram, denies the charges. TikTok also denied accusations that it censors certain political views.
Watch | Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day.
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Palestinians mark Nakba Day, draw parallels to Gaza war
5 Palestinians in the occupied territories celebrated Nakba Day, which commemorates the mass displacement of Palestinians 76 years ago, around the same time as the founding of the state of Israel.
Protests against Israel-Hamas war expand
The war in Gaza began on October 7, when militant groups led by Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Israel's subsequent ground invasion of Gaza has killed more than 35,000 people and left hospitals and other critical infrastructure in ruins, according to Gazan health officials.More than 80 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been forced out (new window) About their house.
Protests in the West against Israel's military actions have grown in recent weeks, especially among students, with encampments appearing on post-secondary campuses in Canada and the United States.
Jordan Foster, a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto who studies new media and inequality, says: dystopian juxtaposition
As for the Met Gala and the Gaza War, it's a smart cultural critique.
This suggests that young people are deeply disillusioned not only with celebrity institutions but also with inequality.
How does blocking work?
Social media users not only see content from people they follow, but also content selected by algorithms. Users who block a celebrity or influencer's account will no longer see their posts.
Celebrities earn money based in part on the number of people who interact with the content they create for their brand. Blocks are intended to reduce engagement numbers and ultimately revenue.
Watch | Student protests have increased in recent weeks.
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McGill's second injunction request to remove pro-Palestinian encampment denied
A Quebec Superior Court judge said in his ruling that the university had failed to demonstrate an urgent need to clear the camp.
The problem for celebrities and anyone looking to monetize their content is that the less exposure you have, the less engagement you can report and the less value you have to a single brand.
Foster said.
Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Canadian Justin Bieber are among the dozens of celebrities named on a blocklist circulating online.
Social media platforms don't say how many people have blocked a particular account, but some celebrities have lost followers. NPR reported (new window) Last weekend, Swift lost about 300,000 followers on TikTok and 50,000 followers on Instagram over the past week, but that decline can't necessarily be attributed to the movement.
But Foster is skeptical that the movement will have much of an impact on the stars it targets in the long run.
I think what's happening now will be a small blow to some celebrities,
He said. I don't think it's going to be too dire in the long run, but I don't think we'll see support recover and the brand return to some of these numbers.
Some celebrities are speaking out
Not all celebrities have remained silent on this issue.
Rapper Macklemore was released from prison on May 6, the same day as the Met Gala. hinds hallis a song supporting the pro-Palestinian student movement, and he is one of the few celebrities to clearly express his support.
Canadian singer The Weeknd makes a big donation, redirecting $4.5 million (new window) The United States made a donation from the XO Humanitarian Fund to the United Nations World Food Program for humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
And while most have remained silent since the blockout, singer Lizzo posted a video on Instagram on Monday. She thanked the activists, shared a link to a GoFundMe to help with evacuations from Gaza, and donated, she said, and she encouraged others to do the same.
Criticism of blockout
Some criticize the blockout movement by calling it performative activism. Critics argue that the focus on celebrities detracts from news on the ground in Gaza.
Foster says social media activism campaigns have failed like this in the past.He gives the following example blackout tuesday,
He says when people posted black squares on their Instagram profiles in 2020 to show overt solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, important information was ultimately suppressed.
He says it's also important to ask whether it's beneficial for celebrities to lend their voices to political causes, and whether they have the capacity to make such arguments.
Many celebrities are several degrees removed from the everyday reality of their viewers, and certainly from recent political and economic changes in our culture.
He said.
There's also a risk that celebrities could become involved in the cause simply to respond to backlash rather than out of genuine concern, he said.
“In that case, what we end up seeing is a kind of flattening of the complexity of the issues that are currently under discussion.
That would effectively trivialize some of these conversations.
Kevin Myman (new window) ・CBC News
