There was little political commentary on last week's Met Gala red carpet, even as protests against the war in Gaza unfolded blocks away. That the organizers of fashion's most powerful annual spectacle (tickets cost $75,000 this year) were able to accomplish this was surprising to many observers. But he's been there less than two weeks, and an online protest movement is burgeoning and taking shape. At least that's the case on social media platform TikTok, which sponsored the Met event.
Blockout 2024, also known as Operation Blockout or Celebrity Block Party, is a campaign where participants feel they are not using their profiles and platforms to speak out about the Israel-Hamas war and the broader humanitarian crisis. Targeting celebrities. Here's what's happened so far, what supporters hope to achieve, and why it all started.
How did it all begin?
The criticism began on May 6 and was initiated by influencer Haley Khalil (@haleyybaylee on social media), who was the host of E! In pre-event news, Kirsten Dunst poses in a gorgeous 18th-century floral gown and head as she proclaims “Let them eat cake!” accompanied by audio from Sofia Coppola's 2006 film Marie Antoinette. A TikTok video of herself wearing the decoration was posted.
The video, for which Khalil later apologized and was deleted, was widely viewed. Critics called it “tone-deaf” in light of current global conflicts and humanitarian crises. Later, the flamboyant costumes worn by celebrities on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art were replaced by The Hunger, where wealthy citizens in luxurious costumes wined and dined while watching the hardships of poor neighborhoods for sport. A post appeared comparing the scene to a scene from “The Game”.
A photo of Met Gala co-chair Zendaya spliced with a photo of Palestinian children has inspired the online public. A shoutout soon came from @ladyfromtheoutside, a TikTok creator inspired by Khalil's parroting of Marie Antoinette.
“It's time for our people to do what I like to call a 'digital guillotine,'” she said in a May 8 video post that has been viewed 2 million times. “It's time to block all celebrities, influencers, and wealthy socialites who don't use their resources to help people in serious situations. We gave them a platform. It’s time to take it back and take our opinions, likes, comments, and money.”
A “block list” of celebrities deemed deserving of being blocked has been published and shared widely online.
What do social media protesters want?
The movement is made up of pro-Palestinian supporters and has evaluated the actions and statements of the A-list to determine whether they have responded appropriately to the conflict. The movement is calling on those who support Gaza to block celebrities on social media if they don't say anything, or don't say enough. What constitutes sufficient action by a celebrity, whether it's a call for a cease-fire, a donation to charity, or a statement, is unclear and can vary from celebrity to celebrity.
What is the point of blocking a celebrity?
Proponents of “blocking out” say blocking is important because brands look at data about influencers and celebrities' followers and engagement on social media before choosing whether to work with them to promote their products. claims. Blocking someone on social media prevents them from seeing posts from their account, giving them more control over who has access to their updates and personal information. It can have a bigger impact than unfollowing a celebrity's account. This is because many commodity deals thrive on targeted ads and views, which can accumulate even when users simply view posts without liking or sharing them. is.
If enough people block a content creator, the creator's ability to make money can be reduced. Also, why do proponents of this idea say that it is necessary to follow a person whose values \u200b\u200bdo not align with yours?
Who are the primary targets?
Contestants with huge followings are at the top, including Zendaya, Kim Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner. But so are celebrities like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, who didn't attend the gala this year.
Vogue, which published 570 Met Gala articles on its platform and had more than 1 billion video views of its content that night, was also targeted because of its ties to the event, Pac News said. .
“The Met Gala is definitely Vogue's biggest cash cow,” former Vogue employee Elaina Bell said in a TikTok post that has been viewed 850,000 times. She explained that the event sold sponsorships “based on data from past events,” adding, “How the Met Gala is viewed is extremely important, especially to Vogue's revenue, but Condé Nast It's very, very important,” he added.
And wasn't there a bit of a fuss about this topic?
There were certainly some people who raised eyebrows. The dress code was “The Garden of Time'', inspired by J.G. Ballard's short story of the same name. This is an allegorical story about an aristocratic couple stranded in a mansion whose beauty has declined and is beset by a large crowd that seeks to overwhelm and destroy the space. It's more on the nose.
Is there anyone who criticizes this movement?
yes. Some posts say blockouts are a negative example of “cancel culture.” Some have suggested that, like other social media-driven movements, it is the digital posturing that has produced little meaningful change.
Some argue that celebrities have no obligation (or awareness) to speak out on complex geopolitical issues, and question why it matters what celebrities think about these issues in the first place. Considering some A-listers like Jennifer Lopez and Billie Eilish have previously shown support for the Gaza ceasefire, they're now being punished for not speaking out. Some people feel that there is an ambiguous element to this movement.
So what have we got so far?
In the first public video, several stars on a widely circulated blocklist, including Lizzo and influencer Chris Olsen, ask their followers to donate to support aid organizations serving Palestinians. posted. Blockout supporters are also working to “back up” celebrities who have recently spoken out about the conflict, including Macklemore, Dua Lipa and The Weeknd.
Since Digitine began, many names on the blocklist have lost tens or even hundreds of thousands of followers per day, according to statistics from analytics firm Social Blade. But vague claims that stars like Kim Kardashian have lost millions of followers are unfounded.
What happened now?
Will more A-listers start speaking out on the red carpet as a result of the list? It's too early to say that. But for frequent TikTok users, the Met Gala's brand aura is undergoing a major shift. While social media-driven boycotts are by no means unprecedented, this latest move highlights the power of creators to redistribute and weaponize platforms that are fundamental to our modern celebrity-centric and capitalist system. This is a clear example of how things are growing.