Blockout 2024 movement: Hollywood celebrities' online follower count declines

The Met Gala's extravagant events have often been likened to "The Hunger Games", and particularly 2024 hasn't won't be an exception. Beyond the lavishness of the annual Red Carpet, the event serves as a fundraiser to support the arts. However, its high-end, fantastical atmosphere often disconnects from the more humble origins of its charitable mission.

This year's criticism of the Met Gala highlighted concerns about its extravagant display, coinciding with the backdrop of ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hamas. Amidst this, civilians in the Gaza Strip are enduring severe humanitarian crises, exacerbated by escalating violence, notably in the southern city of Rafah.

Earlier this week, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) instructed Palestinians to leave Rafah as part of their plan for a direct offensive against the militant group Hamas. According to a recent report by the BBC, the Gaza health ministry, controlled by Hamas, announced on Saturday that approximately 34,971 individuals have died in Gaza since Hamas initiated its attack on Israel on October 7. Additionally, United Nations officials have raised concerns about severe food shortages in southern Gaza due to the closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings.

As distressing updates continue to emerge from the war-torn regions, the escalating uncertainty surrounding the conflict is placing a significant burden on civilian populations. Meanwhile, a stark portrayal of wealth disparity is evident across continents, juxtaposed with images of A-list celebrities parading through the visually stunning Garden of Time on May 6, seemingly detached from the rubble and trauma that has afflicted generations on the other side of the globe.

Surrounding these circumstances, the general public is responding by exercising their digital power. With the simple click of a button, individuals are actively opting to distance themselves from their once-admired international celebrities by blocking them on social media platforms.

In an era defined by digital activism and the ease of forwarding petitions and campaigns online, TikTok users have brought attention to the Blockout 2024 trend. This movement, focused on the "deplatforming of celebrities," gained momentum this week as a direct reaction to the 2024 Met Gala held on Monday (May 6).

TikTok creators have spearheaded a collective effort, giving rise to popular hashtags such as #letthemeatcake, #celebrityblocklist, and #blockout. Through these hashtags, internet users publicly criticise high-profile figures for their silence on the ongoing humanitarian crisis. While the 2024 Oscars saw many celebrities expressing their political views by wearing a red pin in support of Artists4Ceasefire, which opposes Israel's attacks on Gaza, the Met Gala took a different approach, focusing its discourse primarily on extravagant displays of wealth.

In a statement explaining the meaning behind the pin, the group stressed that "it symbolises collective support for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all of the hostages, and for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza." Further information about Artists4Ceasefire and their mission is available on their website.

The Met Gala blocklist movement has been gaining momentum over the past few months, with fans increasingly calling out celebrities who have either remained silent on the issue or haven't spoken out enough. However, following the Gala, the campaign evolved into a full-fledged movement as internet users shared their celebrity blocklists across various platforms, including X/Twitter.

According to NPR, Marcus Collins, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan, characterised the Met Gala as a "bit of a hyperbolic moment that got a lot of people's attention." Continuing, the Benefit further exacerbated pre-existing celebrity boycotts, he added, "They had existed, but they weren't really at the top of the social zeitgeist. But then you have a moment like the Met Gala that wasn't really related to the conflict, but the pieces were all at play. When the attacks [in Gaza] were happening the same day, the juxtaposition just got people talking and moving."

The boycott or blocking campaign aims to pressure these public figures to utilise their significant platforms to advocate for ceasefire calls.

Collins described, "The hope is that it will either bring more visibility to the cause and shift the balance in getting political forces like the US government to do something to mitigate the violence that's happening in the Middle East." However, he also added, "As rational as that logic may seem, I don't think there are very many examples where this has actually worked."

People are endorsing these campaigns because, as Collins aptly puts it, the general public often feels powerless in the face of large-scale conflicts. Encouraging individuals to voice their stance at such critical junctures actively "provides some sense of agency." He resumed, "A sense that I've done something to influence other people to do something that perhaps maybe might make a difference. Because, in the minds of those folks, it's better than doing nothing."

Netizens expressed collective outrage towards model and influencer Haley 'Baylee' Kalil after she posted a video of herself lip-syncing the well-known phrase "Let them eat cake" from Sophia Coppola's 2006 film "Marie Antoinette".

According to allegations, the French Queen uttered these words in response to the peasants' bread shortage. Once more, in the role of a symbol of royal extravagance, the Queen was perceived as disconnected from the suffering of starving peasants in this depiction.

Kalil faced backlash for her video, which she posted while wearing an extravagant gown near the star-studded Met Gala venue. Haley later clarified that she hadn't been invited to the Gala but was serving as a pre-Met Gala host for E! News. Nevertheless, the damage was done as internet users criticised her "insensitive" video, noting how the lines between fiction and reality blurred, reminiscent of how society's wealthy elite in "The Hunger Games" perceived teenagers fighting for survival as a televised spectacle.

Two days ago, TikTok user @ladyfromtheoutside captured attention with her video, calling for a "digital guillotine" or "digitine," drawing parallels with "Marie Antoinette's" guillotining upon her conviction for high treason against the French Republic. In her TikTok, posted in response to Haley's video, she urged people to block influencers, celebrities, and wealthy socialites "who are not using their resources to help those in dire need."

The extensive celebrity blocklist includes well-known names such as Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kylie Jenner, Zendaya, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Khloe Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Demi Lovato, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Zac Efron, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Justin Timberlake, and numerous others.

As the movement has gained momentum since the Met Gala, TRT World also shared a video showcasing the declining number of online followers for these celebrities in real-time.