Social media users have blocked many celebrities and influencers who refused to speak out against the ongoing humanitarian crimes committed in Gaza. Taylor Swift, Zendaya, Drake, Justin Bieber, and the Kardashian family are among the few popular names being targeted by the #blockout campaign. For months now, pro-Palestinian campaigners have been putting celebrities under pressure to offer more support for civilians in Gaza, heightening a growing disillusionment that boiled over last week during the Met Gala when Rafah Israel announced its military offensive.
Met Gala & The Hunger Games
For years now, viewers of the Met Gala have compared it to “The Hunger Games”, Suzanne Collins’ popular book franchise about the dystopian social divide between the rich Capitolites and their poor district subjects living under state oppression. However, criticism of what many online perceived as an excessive display of opulence grew even more pronounced this year as celebrities posed for photos while outside pro-Palestinian protesters marched.
Let Them Eat Cake
A TikTok video by Haley Kalil, a TikTok creator, was removed after she had posed in her extravagant Met Gala dress and lip-synced to the sound “Let Them Eat Cake”, which is an allusion made famous by Marie Antoinette who was the last queen of France before being killed during the French Revolution via guillotine. This phrase represents the way aristocrats behave as if they are not aware of people suffering from poverty.
Positive Effects
Some online referred to Macklemore as an example of a celebrity who continued learning about the Israeli genocide war on Gaza while supporting a cease-fire, despite Macklemore admitting that he was not at all conversant with these issues during October. He released this song last week to support Palestinians.
Losing Hundreds of Thousands of Net Followers
Since digitine began, many celebrities on popular block lists have lost tens or hundreds of thousand net followers per day according to Social Blade’s metrics, the social media analytics company. Bisan Owda, a Palestinian journalist and activist, posted on her Instagram story this weekend saying, “Yalla, let's all block the people who we made famous and rich.. who are living in a fantasy world..”
Across the country, colleges and universities have faced weeks of protests from students who demand their administration to stop investing in Israel, leading to students' mass arrests and some faculty members.
