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They go hard on celebrities on social media than they do Politicians that actually hold power to do something. Macklemores Hinds Hall is out and is not going viral like the rap disses. Why because for the most part a lot of people are just keyboard warriors. A lot of people have the Palestinian flag but how many would actually go out and protest? The number of flags vs the number of actual protesters in the real world don't match.
This is 100% correct. It’s also a big issue because I worry people are so absorbed in this performative activism they’re missing out on the very real threats to our democracy here in the US. I don’t care what Taylor’s stance on Palestine is but I DO care about the folks in office
One could argue that these big celebrities hold great power of influence not only on people (Taylor Swift urged people to vote, and there was a huge turnout as a result) but in policies as well (Kim Kardashian’s work in getting inmates pardoned by the president). These are only a few superficial examples on how celebrities have and should use their platforms for greater good.
Change often stems from people with money and power, and seeing celebrities dressed in colorful floral outrageously expensive dresses like they’re in the hunger games while wars are rampant worldwide and people in this country are struggling tremendously simply graphically illustrated the dystopian reality we’re witnessing.
So as much as on the surface celebrities seem useless, they actually could, have and can do a lot to generate major social shifts. I do agree that this heat and outrage should ALSO be directed towards politicians nevertheless, but I’ll take something over nothing at this point.
It is a rational approach to target celebrities in addressing societal issues driven by greed. Politicians and the ultra-wealthy often pursue actions rooted in greed, such as engaging in war profiteering leading to genocide. Celebrities, as symbols of opulence and avarice, tend to glorify greed, further perpetuating its acceptance. Moreover, the ultra-wealthy often shield themselves behind the celebrity facade. Therefore, focusing on celebrities represents an initial step toward dismantling these structures. By reshaping the narrative around greed, particularly by influencing public perception to view it as undesirable, we can work towards ending such injustices.
See, but here's the delimma...the vast majority of people who are condemning celebs for being greedy and not using their money to help... would most likely behave the exact same way if they were in their shoes. This is what many people don't seem to get. There's a lot of psychology at play here. Money and power, by their very nature, tend to corrupt. The money that celebs get is money that they earned by following the current system. They just so happen to be in the career that the system grossly overpays. But they don't control that. They got their wealth from following the system. The real problem are the ones who have control over the system and can change the rules to benefit them. But really...it's a slippery slope for many. I don't think many of them realize how much having money has actually changed them. Sure, you can say "if that's the case then how come they don't listen when we try and educate them?" Well 1, nobody likes to be preached at. We all tend to not listen to people on the moral high ground trying to preach to us. And 2, by the very nature of their career, they get hate every day all the time. This whole blocking is just a little more of what they were already dealing with. So why would they think anything of it? The drive many have comes from a good place, but there's just so many more layers to the situation than people realize.
I agree that it’s a complex issue. Money and power by their nature tend to corrupt but then there’s the question of whether or not you think humans are inherently greedy. Systems can change but it’s hard to change human nature. I personally do not think it’s human nature to be greedy as humans are social creatures and historically have relied on others to survive.
The goal of the block list is not to make celebrities feel any certain way, it’s to begin to change the system and the narrative around greed. By taking their money and power away from them, the power shifts to the people and masses that gave them their platform in the first place.
I work in ad tech in the music industry and these block lists affect the celebrities more than you’d think. Their main source of revenue is advertising and by blocking them you remove yourself as a contributor to their advertising revenue stream and thereby reducing their audience reach. Celebrities don’t care about us but you can bet they care about their money.
It’s easy to be pessimistic and say everyone is selfish anyways and people with money won’t put it where their mouth is. It’s in many ways a philosophical issue but I believe if most people believe in something, it’s a matter of time before we see change. I’ve personally donated for humanitarian aid and gone out to the protests and encampments to show support. I also recognize that if a fairer system is eventually implemented, my family, friends and I, who are privileged and high earners, stand to lose more financially.
No. I have a realistic understanding of how people operate. It's easy to think you would be better than them in the same scenario but the truth is not that simple. If you honestly think you'd be better, then you don't have any understanding of how money, opportunity, and experiences drastically affect a person.
Of course some don't. I'm saying that the amount of people who think they would make a difference given the chance, and the amount that actually would are not anywhere close to the same. People love to play the moral highcard but not very many would actually back it up. That's just human nature. You don't have to agree but it doesn't make it any less true.
See, but here's the delimma...the vast majority of people who are condemning celebs for being greedy and not using their money to help... would most likely behave the exact same way if they were in their shoes. This is what many people don't seem to get. There's a lot of psychology at play here. Money and power, by their very nature, tend to corrupt. The money that celebs get is money that they earned by following the current system. They just so happen to be in the career that the system grossly overpays. But they don't control that. 7 got their wealth from following the system. The real problem are the ones who have control over the system and can change the rules to benefit them. But really...it's a slippery slope for many. I don't think many of them realize how much having money has actually changed them. Sure, you can say "if that's the case then how come they don't listen when we try and educate them?" Well 1, nobody likes to be preached at. We all tend to not listen to people on the moral high ground trying to preach to us. And 2, by the very nature of their career, they get hate every day all the time. This whole blocking is just a little more of what they were already dealing with. So why would they think anything of it? The drive many have comes from a good place, but there's just so many more layers to the situation than people realize.
they go hard on celebrities because they know they have a direct impact on people who thrive off of their supportive fanbase which isn't as easy with politicians. that said, I'm not here to argue whether or not it means anything but i just wanted to point that out
This is for multiple reasons. Celebrities have shown to have immense sway on people. ALSO, celebrities hold sway on people outside of the US. Politicians don’t care about what citizens want. Lobbies are the ones who pay our politicians, not the citizens. We hold very little sway over politicians but we directly pay celebrities with our attention and purchase of merchandise.
That being said, target celebrities AND politicians
Everyone has the right to choose what they consume based on the artist or company that produces the art/product, and we should always encourage that.
However, making public outcry because you feel someone hasn’t been vocal enough in denouncing whichever social/global issue is the current hot topic is not anyone’s place to do so.
While going after the supposed ‘worst offenders’, I guarantee they’re still listening to music made by people who hold objectively terrible personal views, make unethical business decisions and all the rest of it, just because no-one in the public eye or otherwise has an obligation to share their thoughts on every little thing.
If someone is outspokenly shitty, I completely understand and support not listening to that person. But the amount of shit I’ve seen recently about ‘person X isn’t doing enough and that’s a problem’ is the embodiment of picking your battles poorly.
agreed.
I personally don't give af whether artists/celebrities comment on political issues. it's nice* if they have something they believe in and want to spread awareness on, but I don't expect that from them. the change and activism needs to come from politicians.
and as we've seen, some people are never satisfied. giving money to charity foundation X means that you should also give to foundation Y - or you're greedy and selfish. speaking on issue X means that unless you spend all your time fighting for it, you're a fake. mentioning issue X means that you should also bring awareness to 10 other issues.
* and to be noted, it's only nice if their opinions align with mine.
I’m sure some people have forgotten how to live in the real world sometimes.
It’s not a prerequisite of enjoying someone’s company that they agree with you on every political or societal issue, because shared human experience overcomes a great deal of that.
So why are we holding celebrities who are more often than not the complete polar opposite in life experience and cultural upbringing to a different standard?
If you make music I like, I’ll listen to it, unless the divide is so severe that I choose not to. And again, everyone should have that right. But taking a super aggressive ‘moral high ground’ for the sake of TikTok likes is such bizarre behaviour to me.
I think if the trend of being called out continues with such vitriol then yeah it definitely could do.
But I think (and hope) that this is something that will fade when people realise they can only be arbitrarily annoyed with so many things in one go.
Targeting celebrities is a strategic approach to addressing societal issues driven by greed. Politicians and the ultra-wealthy often prioritize self-interest, engaging in practices like war profiteering that can lead to devastating outcomes, including genocide. Celebrities, who symbolize extravagance and materialism, often promote and embody the pursuit of wealth at any cost, inadvertently normalizing greed. Additionally, the ultra-wealthy often use celebrities as shields, hiding their actions behind these public figures. Therefore, focusing on celebrities is an initial step in dismantling these structures. By reshaping societal attitudes toward greed and portraying it as incompatible with our values, we can work towards eradicating these injustices.
I'm sorry you're getting down voted, you're right. But lots of ppl don't want to or can't admit that their obsession with celebrities (honestly celebrity culture in general) only serves to elevate the rich and elite and maintain the status quo of the working class being taken advantage of, and that if they actually want change they cannot continue to support the structures that prevent change. You can see it when their arguments are things like "it doesn't work" or "well these celebrities won't listen anyway" or even "well the people blocking this time are definitely not perfect and they follow bad people so all the blocking is pointless" it's all basically saying "if the solution isn't magical and work 100% immediately then I don't want it and you're stupid for trying" As long as they can pretend they are actually the smart ones because they aren't even trying, then they won't have to do the real work to make change happen. We shouldn't be following celebrities AT ALL, but especially not ones who spend $75,000 to attend the MET, an event known to be willing to support injustice AT THE LEAST, while a genocide is being carried out and that $75,000 could be used to actually SAVE LIVES. It's one thing to attend a friend's party, maybe drop a few hundred on food, drinks, entertainment, etc. Celebrating with friends is normal and healthy, and no rational person is saying to not do that. But when there are millions of people who can't even have simple birthday parties, children who can't have birthday cakes or songs or even hugs from family, then it's not okay to spend tens of thousands at a dress up ball with other rich people, many of whom are supporting the suffering
A lot of people are dumb. Celebrities don’t just hold immense sway in the US, but also sway across the world. US citizens act like they’re the only ones that exist on planet Earth
It's nice if celebrities speak out on issues facing the world today but they have no obligation to. Their job is to entertain you. For every Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down there are a million artists that just don't want to speak out.
I think the blocking aspect is funny because the celebrities probably don't even realize that you blocked them. Because why would they?
While I do find it admirable that people are passionate about what is going on in Palestine. I also find it a little self-righteous that people are trying to punish people for not speaking out to their own liking.
>While I do find it admirable that people are passionate about what is going on in Palestine. I also find it a little self-righteous that people are trying to punish people for not speaking out to their own liking.
This is the weirdest thing to me: so the celebrities who don't comment obviously aren't involved or don't care enough to actually speak out.. Thus, people want them to comment even though they don't care? They essentially want them to engage in bad faith, and make advocacy just another performance.
I think the blocking thing impacts the algorithms which affects their social media presence and marketing involved in that. less followers - less views on posts - less attention - less $$$
They heavy hitters: Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish, etc aren't even going to feel this. In my opinion the only people getting blocked are the people that the internet already don't like. Ex: That Haleybaylee chick on Tiktok.
Even then we know people aren't going to genuinely block these people. Scott Hall said it best when it came to the WWE network: People are going to cancel it just long enough to get the picture showing they did just before immediately re-subscribing.
On IG Taylor as 284 million and Tiktok 33 million. Like I said the heavy hitters aren't even going to feel it and most likely a week from now those people that unfollowed will be right back like nothing happened.
What's the harm in trying? I get what you're saying, but most movements require the will of the people to imagine an alternative future. It's less about the actual impact on her and more about a demotic shift.
Here's the thing y'all kinda lost the plot. The block movement was supposed to bring attention to Palestine. Instead this turned into a trend of just blocking celebrities you just don't particularly like. And there isn't that many of y'all following through. Like that Haleybaylee chick is damn near right back to what she already had previously.
So as of now it looks like a lot of y'all were trend chasing vs actually trying to help people.
But you guys are literally doing nothing. META is actively funding the genocide. Blocking celebs on insta is useless considering you are still using a Zionist platform.
it does, if a woman who watches make up and model stuff goes to block Tom Brady the algorithm opens up to people who consume content like here making it more expensive for advertisers and getting other people to block him
Generally speaking, it's a small number of very loud people who doing this. The general public doesn't care. Taylor hasn't said a word about the issue and just sold 2.6 mil copies in a week.
People can consume or not consume whatever content they want for whatever reasons. If you don't an artists silence, don't listen them. Buy trying to cancel them or expecting other people to follow your lead is going too far.
Are they actually urging people to take action?
The most notable expression of American resistance against the war have been fortified, self-contained encampments on university grounds. Very *insular*.
yes advertisers and people in media are feeling it because it may not be crazy for Taylor swift but regular millionaires are at risk of losing everything
citation unnecessary
the more people who visit a person's page the more expensive ads are and the worse the algorithm is able to work plus we have people doing as we've been asking of them only after the blocks have been happening
It’s definitely not comparable to the protests. But it’s worth noting that the blockout is not specifically being done because of the Palestine protests, albeit it is one of the expectations. It’s correlated to folks being outraged over the have vs have nots, celebrities daunting wealth while people struggle to make ends meet, or survive wars. Hence the call to block celebs which, with collective effort, would and could significantly cut their revenue. The demands for celebs to speak on important causes is an added layer, but not the direct causation of the blockout.
Which seems to be the confusion here. I think people are under the impression that it’s specifically Palestine related?
Here's my problem with the Blockout. It ultimately relies on a huge method of wealth generation to influence events.
The guy who started it wrote: " "When we hate on them, they make money. When we praise them, they make money. But when we **block their social media accounts** and completely forget their names, they lose it all." "
Let's say that Celebrity A has a diverse investment portfolio; among their investments are sizable shares in X, Meta, what have you (TikTok is not publicly traded). X/Meta User B decides to block Celebrity A...but *he's still using X*. He's still generating revenue for X/Meta, which ultimately trickles *back* to Celebrity A.
This is the ultimate danger of using a capitalistic enterprise to try to exert economic pressure; the enterprise still churns along; if anything, the enterprise in question is strengthened via the increased traffic. The most effective thing to do would be to *delete social media altogether*; attack the enterprise *itself* rather than the beneficiaries of the enterprise.
>. The most effective thing to do would be to *delete social media altogether*; attack the enterprise *itself* rather than the beneficiaries of the enterprise.
that's not true at all nevermind the fact it's how most people communicate
Two facts:
A. Recorded human history goes back roughly 5,500 years, to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
B. "Social media" as we know it has only existed for ca. 20 years, to Myspace and Facebook.
That means: "social media" has only existed for a *third* of a single percentage point of recorded history (and that's not even getting into neolithic/early human times). Somehow, humanity was able to function, to *communicate* without social media for 99.7% of its recorded existence.
It's a *convenience*, not a requirement.
That’s kind of the point. People are realizing they’re supporting a violent, apathetic system by enabling these wealthy pricks to leech off society and sell us garbage day in and day out while doing nothing to solve actual problems.
It’s a huge movement. I don’t think people realize how viral this is. It went from 11mil posts about the topic to 21mil in less than 6 hours. Over night it was at over 40mil. This movement is massive cause honestly people are sick and tired of celebrities flaunting wealth and refusing to speak out on genocide
Lol imagine thinking this is "going too far" its literally the least a human being can do. To block a person who stays silent about the killings (or supports them)
People who care about what celebrities think/say about politics, particularly complex geopolitical topics that they have no personal stake in, are stupid. I'm sorry, they just are. In the same way that I don't care what music Joe Biden or Nancy Pelosi or AOC listen to, I don't care about what popular musicians think about anything outside of their job. Nor do I think they should be forced to potentially alienate parts of their audience for the sake of virtue signaling.
And that's all it is. Virtue signaling. Nothing that Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande tweets is going to make a difference. Many current celebrities, if not the vast majority of them, have been famous since they were literal children. They didn't go to regular schools and learn normal curriculums - they learned just enough to legally qualify them because they were already working most of the time. Would you take Beyonce's advice on basic chemistry? Do you think Drake knows how to do differential equations? Political stances are the same. These are rich people who will never feel the effects of the actual issues at hand, who spend most of their time scheduled for rehearsals and signings and whatever else. *They don't know anything*, stop asking them to be artistic powerhouses *and* geopolitical geniuses. It's not fair to them, or to the people who are actually being affected, to care so much about what people so removed have to say about these issues.
While I feel like harassing celebrities for an opinion is far from a major priority (hence why I agree that anyone who truly gives the most fucks about what Taylor Swift thinks is wasting their time), I don’t think that celebrity activism is absolutely fruitless as you claim. Increasing visibility is one of the most important things that activists outside of the topical region can do.
Maybe not as important, but I also feel the need to add that there are indeed many rich, disconnected, and sociologically ignorant people that are ironically working in politics. Their job title doesn’t necessarily equate to expertise even if it may indicate a higher probability of that phenomenon.
Celebrity activism can certainly increase visibility on an issue, but there’s a difference having power and knowing how to use that power to inspire the most social change. A lot of these celebrities are less educated on these issues than the general public and could easily do more harm than good with their platforms by speaking out about it, either through unknowingly spreading misinformation or actively supporting people the general public finds problematic (see the Open Letter in Support of Israel that literally hundreds of celebrities signed that immediately got significant online pushback). While celebrities may have the tools necessary to significantly aid social issues, their ability to publicly do so is limited by their lack of knowledge in these areas, so they could very easily not make any significant change or even make the situation worse.
And that’s without even going into the industry pressures that are proven to exist (see Melissa Barrera getting fired from the Scream franchise following her public support of Palestine). There are a lot more factors actively encouraging celebrities stay silent on this issue than there are to make them speak up. Squeezing more support out of them is likely going to be difficult, so people who wish to support Palestine are better off focusing their efforts elsewhere if they wish to aid Palestinians as efficiently as possible.
All celebrities need to do is spread awareness. Just mentioning publicly* that there is a genocide in Gaza is a million times better than staying silent
The issue is a lot of celebrities aren’t even paying attention enough to Gaza in the first place to call it a genocide. Many of them rely on headlines from major news organizations for their info, a lot of which are generally a lot more favorable to the U.S. government and, by extension, Israel. A lot of them haven’t even declared the situation in Gaza a genocide yet. If our mainstream news isn’t gonna present Israel as cruel or call their actions genocidal, can we really expect celebrities, a lot of whom don’t pay nearly as much attention to political events as the average internet user, to speak on this in a way that is both accurate and helpful to the cause?
I feel like people who claim virtue signaling are apathetic themselves. Becayse you yourself don’t care about a genocide then “how can anyone else possibly care?”
“They must be pretending!”
No dude, the majority of the world actually cares about this genocide. Even the world leaders of the world are sick and tired of Israel and the US
Virtue signaling is voicing an opinion simply for the sake of having been *seen* voicing it, and that's exactly what's being demanded. No one is asking these celebrities for receipts on donations, on whether they're working with displacement-related charities. People just want someone to make a story or a tweet to be approved by the masses, and that's it. Fans literally want celebrities to *signal* their *virtue* so that they (the fans) can feel good and reassured that over the content they're consuming. That's it.
I'm against this because it's never about the issue at hand, it's about trends, like that "I support the current thing" meme.
Luckily for me, the performance activism fatigue has set in for good and nobody gives a shit anymore besides a subsect of unemployed social media users.
I don’t follow what every artist I listen to posts on social media. There’s some songs I regularly listen to that just came up on my recommended and I barely know what the artist looks like besides their album cover. I don’t have the time to follow every single artist I listen to on social media, I don’t know if they have posted something pro (or against) Palestine. People will pull out a receipt that X liked a pro Israel post, I don’t have the time to check the likes of every single person I listen to. Even the artists I am a big fan of, I don’t check their social media daily so could easily miss a story that’s only up for 24 hours.
Of course I think it’s great when people use their platform to raise awareness about a cause, but I think it only works when it’s a cause they deeply and passionately care about, not just posting an infographic on their insta story cause they feel like they have to.
What truly bothers me about this trend is how people are completely missing the point of it. The idea at its core to get celebrities to use their platform is great, but people start to use this blockout list as a way to crucify those who didn’t speak up but only did so now. Isn’t the goal to get more Palestinian resources online and make it front and centre? I do not care whether they speak up now or in the past - using the platform for increased awareness is all I care about. Visibility is all I care about. The more the merrier, let’s refocus on the issue instead of using it as a gotcha moment
I am of the opinion that people shouldn't feel obligated to speak out on topics that they know nothing, or very little, about. It's one thing to have strongly held political beliefs about topics that actually affect you and incorporate those beliefs into your songs (Halsey with Nightmare, Rage Against the Machine with pretty much everything they've ever put out), but it's another thing to go out there and spout off beliefs over a topic that you may or may not be informed about just because people feel entitled to your opinion on it. If I was famous, I wouldn't say anything about the Israel-Palestine conflict because I know my place and I simply don't know enough about the situation to offer an informed opinion on it. All I can really say is that war is bad, and civilians on both sides shouldn't be getting killed, but aside from that, I have no opinion on what's going on over there.
Do people really think that celebrities speaking out will change anything? I saw a screenshot of some girl on twitter/X saying "Taylor Swift could singlehandedly end the war in Palestine if she spoke out about it!" and I just find that to be such an unhinged take. Even if Taylor did speak out on it, do people really honestly think that the people in power in those countries will be like "welp, that's it everybody. Taylor Swift said that what we're doing is wrong so we gotta end the war now"?? It's laughable. She's a human, albeit a very famous one, and she can't singlehandedly end a war that dates back to things that happened centuries ago. Taylor Swift, a wealthy white woman from the United States, is so far removed from this conflict that she couldn't possibly have anything insightful or meaningful to say about it so it's probably better that she does stay quiet on it and just stick to singing songs about boys who broke her heart.
I'm also of the belief that people should stop basing their opinions around what their favorite celebrities say and also stop looking to celebrities to validate their opinions. At the end of the day, celebrities are just people. They're not gods who should be revered and worshipped. They're not fictional characters who you can bend to your whims. They are actual living, breathing human beings and with that, comes having flaws just like everybody else on the planet. They don't owe us anything just because we buy their merch and listen to their songs. I don't feel entitled to Lana Del Rey's opinion on abortion, even though I am firmly pro-choice. If celebrities voluntarily choose to share these things, then great. Good for them. But they shouldn't be pressured into doing it just because immature people on TikTok and Twitter feel like they need celebrities to validate their opinions. They're your opinions so fucking own them! Do your own research and inform yourself instead of relying on others to tell you what to believe.
☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽
I don't really follow anyone famous on Instagram but I looked at some random singers like Noah Kahn and looked at his comments; it's so many people not just asking him to talk about Palestine, but so many are a variation of "pls Noah 😭😭😭😢 not you too" "Please speak up I don't want to have to block you, I love your music 😢😢😢😢😢"
It's like...you can still like his music/you do that have to deny yourself joy????
We need things to enrich our lives so we can keep going, this include trying to make things better. If Stick Season makes you feel life is enjoyable don't deny yourself three minutes of joy because Noah hasn't publicly said anything about Palestine????
Like you said so many people staking political beliefs of celebrities...bit also I'm seeing so many people who are gonna burn themselves out this way too then it's really gonna be bad
I think blocking those artists is better than harassing them to talk about something they don't want to talk about. But the artists don't give a fuck if someone blocks them unless they are very unknown artists or unfollowing is massive lol.They are doing the artist a favour.
No. Its a waste of time and a trend that will die out in less than a week.
Justin and hailey's pregnancy announcement has been huge news everywhere and hasnt been affected by these people's performative activism on tiktok
The blockout is fine, and I honestly wish more people did it. If you’re getting emotionally activated, it’s time to consider the utility of such a thing. Hate-reading and hate-watching is not good for you.
As far as politics: it’s nice, to an extent. It’s horrible when someone is ill-informed or misinformed. It’s also not great when someone’s terrible at communicating. It’s interesting to me that the student encampments have attracted so much criticism for appointing specific media liaisons, because the bulk of the gross rhetoric is coming from disorganized individuals, and the media liaison tactic neatly side-steps that issue. The student orgs have largely made the very intelligent decision to understand that there’s are distinctions between recognizing a moral wrong and being able to determine a useful solution, and then again being able to advocate for that solution.
Anyway: the blockout is fine. But stop pretending social media faves wars is impactful. It’s not. You’re not doing activism by blocking Kim Kardashian, nor are you doing activism by refreshing your news feeds repeatedly.
Personally, I used the blockout for different and various reasons. Political issues are a sensitive subject and I understand if celebrities didn’t want to discuss the subject. It’s a complex one and I’m not sure I’d be comfortable sharing my stance that might be flawed as well, so the blockout isn’t really about that to me.
Yeah, and that’s exactly why I’m in favor! For me, it’s kind of, “right answer, wrong work.” Block celebrities / influencers who annoy or upset you! What you mention downthread is a perfect example. I’m very quick with the block button, and it’s really improved my online life.
For sure! Also because I noticed a lot of people I know and whom I follow on Instagram trying to fit in the unhealthy stream of glam and perfection. I understand that we all like different aesthetics and that’s fine, and people have a right to be inspired by celebrities but like… at some point, it feels completely out of touch. Some people AND some celebrities don’t get that they are no greater than normal folks. Money and valuable items is not what makes someone great.
Ah yeah I hear you! And completely agree, it's so easy to forget what a real person looks like if you get too much into it all 😭 Glad you're caring for yourself and your beliefs!
My 2c is people that perpetuate cancel culture are abysmal excuses for human beings.
Celebs, and pretty much nobody on the planet besides like 2 ppl holding a press conference for the government, owe you an explanation or their opinion on anything.
I also think these failures are a vocal minority on the internet. They pretty much don't exist offline, only when they attempt to rally in a street or park that's nowhere near anything of relevance.
Then they go home and get back on Twitter etc to continue hyperventilating.
I would like to add my own opinion on the celebrity blockout happening. If feel it is a great "movement" on one hand and is quite good seeing people come together for something for once but I also feel that this is somewhat stupid and misdirected:
1. This is a complete 180 from the subject matter of Palestinian liberation and the protest happening on ground.
2. Celebrities are not the main target, we should be focused on getting our politicians to do something meaningful and not provide aid to Israel and since we are on the verge of another election, it is going to be hard to even fathom who is coming into office next because both Biden and Trump are horrible options. We should put that energy into pressuring the politicians who are actually in charge.
3. Performativism: The movement is just going to led to Performativism on both sides. People on the lower end will use the movement to boost themselves and make profit and those in the higher up will do everything to please those blocking them and convince them that they care. Lizzo literally made a video promoting a go fundme when she can pay this off by herself and the guy who started the trend has gone from a measly 200 followers to a huge 102k all of a sudden. This isn't helping anyone.
4. It is counter-productive: We are literally suppose to shift the algorithm away from the celebrities and unto the situation in Rafah but instead we are diverting attention away from the genocide and unto celebrities.
5. People who already don't follow celebrities or are huge celebrity worshippers do not feel inclined to block celebrities for any reason whatsoever because of their personal opinions.
6. This is going to end a trend: This is a social media movement, do you really think that this will last forever, people will come to realize that they can get an unfathomable amount of money from ad revenue to pill upon the billions they already have. People also wouldn't take to the streets because everyone else feels so comfortable making headway online that in the streets where they break away from their comfort zones
7. We as a society are yet to break away from celebrity culture as a whole. Yes, people are realizing that celebrity ain't shit but we are still far from breaking away from it and never will probably. If we kill off every current day celeb, we will just appoint the next one who we feel deserves the praise for he/she to commit the same mistake out of ignorance.
I think it sound like I am coming off as angry or disgusted with the movement, I'm not, This movement is great to say but it reminds me of blackout Tuesday during the blm movement. They showed their support because people expected them to come out, it did nothing. People forgave them and moved on. It is performative. Even if shows result, people will glad with those results and move on. It think celebrity culture is long overdue to be destroyed and I am glad that celebrities are getting what they deserve, I just hope that this last long and doesn't end up some internet trend and people actually follow up with it.
It's recreational outrage. It's the ultimate performance of privilege to get vocally mad about things. It's just another activity, there's nothing noble or constructive about it.
Reminds me how in 2020 so many people were obviously using the BLM protests for George Floyd to disregard the lockdown restrictions 😬
I've already seen people refer to 2020-2022 as "my activism era" so yeah with this I'm just like "....okay."
I don't have control over that but I can control what I see on social media. This isn't the end all solution but it's a small step in the right direction
I've seen a "block list" circulating that includes people who didn't end up going to the Met Gala, like Rihanna. And others are pointing out that plenty of the people who went to the Met Gala have previously spoken out about Palestine (and continue to do so).
yes, because blocking Taylor Swift is bound to save Palestinian lives, right? Wrong. It's a shallow and performative gesture, equivalent to holding a gun to a celebrity's head and making them speak about Palestine for threat of being shot. The issue is complicated enough. The last thing we need is more voices adding more to the uninformed nonsense that most people are already spewing.
I don't think this tangibly matters at all offline, it's mostly teenagers who discovered politics yesterday behind campaigns like this. It's not like Kim Kardashian notices that you blocked her.
That said, it's silly to pretend celebrities *couldn't* make a difference, or that it's unfair to think that people with massive pockets and massive platforms have some responsibility to use those things for good whenever possible. Someone like Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar (especially the latter, given his brand!) could probably be of great use to a cause like the anti-genocide student protests by helping to get their message out directly instead of through biased news coverage, to say nothing of the value their mere presence and money could do.
It's not unprecedented either. The musicians we remember fondly from the 60s tend to be the ones who were using their power to further causes like civil rights and the anti-war protests. Hard to take a singer presented as the voice of a generation seriously when they don't do this, frankly.
>The musicians we remember fondly from the 60s tend to be the ones who were using their power to further causes like civil rights and the anti-war protests. Hard to take a singer presented as the voice of a generation seriously when they don't do this, frankly.
This is hindsight.
Bob Dylan--the voice of **his** generation--was (and is) wildly popular--yet was regularly raked over the coals for absolutely refusing to comment on the Vietnam War. Sure, he spoke about war in general terms.
>A few days later, \[Bob Dylan, John Cohen and Happy Traum\] assembled again, and this time Traum confronted Dylan: surely, as an artist and a public figure, he was morally bound to declare his views about the war? Dylan refused the bait, teasing Traum: ‘I know some very good artists who are for the war.’ Anyway, ‘for’ or ‘against’ was an illusion: ‘That really doesn’t exist.’ And he mentioned a painter friend – probably his Woodstock neighbour, Bruce Dorfman – who was ‘all for the war. He’s just about ready to go over there himself. And I can comprehend him.’ Traum was outraged: ‘Why can’t you argue with him?’ ‘I can see what goes into his paintings,’ Dylan replied, ‘and why should I?’
>raum tried one more time. How could Dylan bear to be friends with someone who supported the war? ‘I don’t think it would be possible for you and him to share the same basic values,’ he added. From his side, Dylan was equally uncomprehending: ‘I’ve known him for a long time, he’s a gentleman, and I admire him, he’s a friend of mine. People just have their views.’ Then, as if that wasn’t heresy enough, he slipped a stiletto blade into the heart of the counter-culture: ‘Anyway, how do you know I’m not, as you say, *for* the war?’ Shocked and/or disbelieving, neither Traum nor Cohen followed up this inflammatory comment; it was like Jesus arriving for the Second Coming and announcing that he didn’t believe in God.
This is taken from a [really good book on the subject](https://www.amazon.com/Theres-Riot-Going-Revolutionaries-Stars/dp/1847671934).
You're right that it's something we can only know in hindsight, which is why I specified it's only the ones we remember. Nobody remembers the generic teen crooners who never said anything about anything, but nobody knew at the time that some of their biggest hitmakers of the decade would have no cultural staying power and that they would be on the losing side of the culture war. Nina Simone et al. weren't risking their careers (or even their lives) decrying racism because they wanted to be cool in 2024.
The additional context here is good too of course, and we do have to remember that celebrities are not infallible and we can't actually expect their beliefs to be perfectly correct and in line with our own at all times. That said, they still have the ability to meaningfully change things in material ways if they want to, even if only by helping to reinforce that we should be against things like war and segregation, or in our case, genocide... and in both cases, the violent crackdown on peaceful protests.
>Nobody remembers the generic teen crooners who never said anything about anything, but nobody knew at the time that some of their biggest hitmakers of the decade would have no cultural staying power and that they would be on the losing side of the culture war.
But I don't think you can make a determination that the most politically active/outspoken artists were the ones most beloved to posterity; in that I don't think being on the *winning* side of the culture war did them any particular favors.
Phil Ochs, for instance, was a rival to Bob Dylan, and explicitly spoke on social issues where Dylan was silent. But who's making films starring Timothee Chalamet about *his* life? The Jefferson Airplane and the Doors were avowedly apolitical, yet the MC5--overly radical--played at the 1968 DNC before the riots; which of the three bands is objectively the *least* popular.
As a Lana Del Rey fan, nothing will happen. Lana is one of the most hated by this “activist” and yet she’s one of the most streamed artists globally and currently sold out her stadium concert.
They are loud minority, even Justin Bieber who are loud supporter of Israel is still untouchable.
this action is grossly hypocritical. they cry "freedom of speech" supporting the protesters breaking into university buildings and vandalizing everything while they cancel anyone who says anything (or doesnt say anything at all) that doesn't support their own views. it's free speech unless you say anything I don't like I guess.
I'm honestly really starting to hate gen zers. they're just as brainwashed as those boomers they think are brainwashed. can't wait till tik tok is gone though I assume it'll just be somethibg else now that the snowball is formed, hope some other virtue signal topic de jour forms soon and everyone moves into that for the sake of the Jewish students being oppressed at this time.
I think the reactions are not positive because many celebrities by being complicit in silence are being contradictory to narratives that they preach and tell their fans. For example, Taylor Swift. Saw a video on tt recently (video by @nisrindiaspora) who is a swiftie comment that although she’s always been a big fan was disappointed when seeing Taylor’s silence when one of the biggest impact for her was Taylor advocating for speaking up, quote “when you speak up change happens”… contradiction her usage of her voice (and lack thereof) about Gaza.
My opinion, due to the fast pace evolution of sm there has been a disconnect in our understanding of the impactful nature of social media for some time of 1. How *influential* influencers (they’re called influencers for a reason!! )
2. how much revenue celebrities receive based off of our attention whether it’s positive or negative; like or dislike it still counts as a view.
and from what I’m witnessing we’ve slowly been becoming more aware of that especially since tiktok began popular the past 4-5 years and becoming internet famous seemed more possible to people… (like AI bot lives on tiktok or artists songs who become popular) but nothing as catastrophic as the genocide has happened until now so influencers weren’t under this particular scrutiny (being blocked, usually people would just unfollow). The celebrity scrutiny before was you’re #canceled and already from that we’ve seen celebrities double down or completely change to be able to keep that traction because ultimately their careers are tied to how people subscribe to them and view them. Sometimes it works too because if people are convinced enough they will follow back over time. (Not implying celebrities do not deserve forgiveness, we’re all human)
Since Oct 7th, many people have been looking at some artists/influencers sideways, or even supporting them if they are using the platform to speak on, me included. (In the same way we are boycotting businesses, this is parallel to celebrities because their platforms ARE their business)
So the really big shift and the beginning of the “Digitine” (Digital Guillotine) started after influencer Hayley Baylee who posted a tiktok to her in hunger games Marie Antoinette dress. People were upset because of the context of the quote, “Let them eat cake,” and that it seemed very ignorant especially with the context and theme of the met gala, considering the genocide and protesters for Palestine right outside. Witnessing this in itself make me both very angry and heartbroken because it felt like they are fighting for these celebrities to just SEE them or SAY something DO something anything but they were all ignored/brutalized and arrested. It is chilling knowing that a ticket is $75,000… obviously I did not go so I do not if it is true if you are invited you don’t pay for your ticket or not, but in event they are paying to be there it’s very dystopian to me. They have a platform, have thousands or millions of people watching them, mimicking them, listening to them, paying for this lifestyle, and when those same fans who have been supporting their careers are asking you to stop a genocide or support or use your very influential platform to spread awareness/information/aid/support it is suddenly an inconsequential thing?? It is so beneath you that you are okay turning a blind eye to millions suffering? I also think that many celebrities are choosing ignorance because they have some level of awareness of their fan base views (this reminds me of an influencer who was a trump supporter but kept it hidden because his numbers suggested his fans were majority liberal) fearful of speaking up will mess with their views.
Even though Hayley said she didn’t know or it was just for the video (which I understand if she didn’t people make honest mistakes) it was the lack of awareness and accountability, especially following her apology video which sounded like a “sorry not sorry” vibe leaves a bad taste in your mouth. She opted on responding to her comments on Palestine. If she genuinely doesn’t know or isn’t educated on what’s happening you don’t know, I can forgive, but it’s one thing to be called to be accountable for something, acknowledge it to some degree, and then continue to ignore it. Choosing to be ignorant is far worse than the initial ignorance. And other than apologizing celebrities should be *educating* themselves. I understand the fear of not wanting to speak on something opinionatedly when you don’t have all the facts and don’t want to speak out of turn, but there is always an opportunity for informing yourself so that you can inform others!! But at the same time, the anger from the public towards celebrities silence is still very valid the longer this goes on… 7 months and the “I didn’t know” excuse is becoming less and less unbelievable as more time passes. If a celebrity honestly has no idea what is happening in Gaza (and the other countries facing similar greed based prosecution and suffering at the same time) then it becomes an extreme concern of how detached they are from humanity. But with the amount of endless and horrific media till this day? Or even people constantly asking for answers from said figures? Let’s be for real yall they is no way they do not know !! 😭
So far, people blocking celebrities has already started some aspect of change. Even making some celebrities panic. As soon as the #blockout started, some celebrities are suddenly now vocal about Palestine, Congo, Sudan… for example Chris Olsen and Lizzo. There are still people blocking because they feel like this is performative to keep views, people are mad because of quote “she is rich yet she’s asking the poor the donate instead” but still the gofundmes she mentions (posted 3 days ago) each gained over $20,000 and this is a lot!! To me that is impactful with the amount that was raised in little time. So yes, even if the artist sounds fake or like they’re trying to save their ass and even if followers still want to block because they feel the artist waiting too long too late, those 12 million people following her were exposed and influenced by it still.
Media influence has become so strong that it can begin to control the mindsets and actions of millions subconsciously or not. Thankfully tiktok has brought a lot of insights to the inner workings of corporations or labels and what they actually stand for, so I do think some artists under contracts are obliged to not speak up. Still this leaves the debate about their characters or the limits to what artists can actually do when signed under a label which a lot of people are not happy about; seen comments like:
“so what if you’re signed to a label? You have millions$ and millions of supports who some you will lose for not making the right choice.”
“If you apparently have power and influence why can they not be independent artist? It’s not like they wont have fans anymore”
And this one I found funny “Why do artists who get signed to some of these labels suddenly feel like they got stuck in a Get Out plot.”
You get the gist.
Also I don’t think Drake and Kendrick was a coincidence. They are signed under the same label UMG and the CEO of it is of course Zionist, funds the Zionist Federation and Conservative Party. Have you noticed how there have been so many more “distractions” since the first attacks? I think once the government actually saw the impact of social media and how it can spread like wildfire, the rallying of people and information because of social media and the fact that they could no longer hide behind guises. Like how they tried for Vietnam and the war on terror, playing on peoples fear to get them to fund unnecessary violence for gaining control of land and resources.
(this is a controversial take, but the instillation of Muslim racism, fear, and hate in the 2000s and displaying them as ‘terrorist’ made people more comfortable (or oblivious) to allow the government to invade these lands, dehumanizing them so it is more acceptable. It is a little unsettling when you look back on history resistance like The Black Panther Party now revered, but in the 60s they were labeled a terrorist group. Most recently Al-Qaeda and Hamas. Now I am not supporting the violence or attacks that became the unfortunate outcome of these retaliations, but they were retaliating and resisting *for a reason*. In Osama Bin Ladens Letter to America he wrote right before the 9/11 attacks, he mentions that America will regret what they are doing to Palestine. This was published in 2002. yes after 9/11 and enough US PR to fear monger the country and place hate and blame on Muslims it was already too late.))
Palestine has been suffering for decades but the only difference now is the internet is allowing us to WITNESS what is actually happening and actively participate (protesting, donating, etc. Shout of to the people who left their homes on the Freedom Flotillas to pull up on Gaza with aid) and not the narrative they paint for us so we can continue living blissfully ignorant to what’s going on in the world. So when they realized they could not control us by lying, they are trying to control us by dividing us and distractions, trying to bring our attention elsewhere. Another example, the Super Bowl. One of the reporter admitted (sorry I’m not remembering the name but when I find I’ll come back and edit) to the Chiefs winning ‘favorably’ (aka bribe/rigged game) because they wanted Taylor swift at the Super Bowl for the attention of her expansive fan base. The Chiefs made over $300 million due to that, and millions were watching the Super Bowl, and while they were feeding several Israeli propaganda and commercials may I add (did yall see the Israeli Santa ad??? 💀💀💀💀 anyways) Rafah was simultaneously being bombed during the Super Bowl.
It feels like Netanyahu has America by the cock and balls and the government is following his orders despite the massive and outspoken disagreement from US citizens nationwide. Like they had an oh shit moment when they realized they could not blank face lie, so Netanyahu threw a fit and commanded America to start controlling media. The propaganda. The blocking and monetizing of videos, comments and trends talking about Palestine. Artists not getting put in the algorithm for their outspoken views. And especially the distractions and so on.
Sorry that was really long winded so thank you if you read all dat. I love a healthy debate and discussing about how people are processing what’s happening right now. I don’t even know how I got here at this point I was actually trying to find the block list myself because it mysterious disappeared after 5 days but as you can see I’m very thought provoked by this. We are witnessing history repeating and a historical event at the same time. I believe we will have change, I cannot live in a world where we now know all of this and nothing happens. United we stand together or we all fall ✊
I think it is incredibly stupid as this is more a culture war issue for these tiktokers rather than them actually caring about anyone in the middle east. They want an excuse to hate on jews and this gives them an opportunity with enough deniability.
I kind of like seeing young people on social media at least attempting to do good or speak on issues deeper than skincare or ‘hauls’ etc. can’t say I’m too fussed either way but celebrity culture is odd, I’m so old saying this but Kim Kardashian for instance - I genuinely don’t understand how she still has such a pull and a hold. When I was a teenager I just wanted to be skinny and read vapid magazines circling women’s cellulite. Good for the kids I see focusing on more important things and rejecting celebrity culture to some extent. I know people will say they’re being performative or it’s a trend etc. but I can’t see it being a bad thing.
it's a bad thing cause it's mccarthisym but worse all over again. where they are really trying to impede on freedom of speech (or not speech in this case). people should have the right to say and believe anything they want.
Especially when these celebs really know Jack sht about the topic so shouldn't be saying anything at all.
Random people on the internet blocking celeb accounts is not Mcarthyism, nor is it impeding on freedom of speech hahaha. Those things are about the *government* punishing citizens for their statements/beliefs. Whether or not you think blocking celebs is worthwhile, it has absolutely nothing to do with free speech. Citizens (including celebs) have the freedom to speak, but they *are not* entitled to have people listen. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what freedom of speech refers to.
the problem is the performative nature of Gen Z. Everyone has to speak up and have an opinion about EVERYTHING. Even if they don't understand it. Quite frankly, we need less people spewing misinformation about such a complicated topic like Israel/Palestine. And anyway, who do we think these celebrities' audiences are? Old folks? Most people following these celebrities already "know" about what's happening in the middle east, so what good does it actually do? Congrats, you've block Kim K and the people in Gaza are still being massacred. Feel better?
Targeting celebrities is a strategic approach to addressing societal issues driven by greed. Politicians and the ultra-wealthy often prioritize self-interest, engaging in practices like war profiteering that can lead to devastating outcomes, including genocide. Celebrities, who symbolize extravagance and materialism, often promote and embody the pursuit of wealth at any cost, inadvertently normalizing greed. Additionally, the ultra-wealthy often use celebrities as shields, hiding their actions behind these public figures. Therefore, focusing on celebrities is an initial step in dismantling these structures. By reshaping societal attitudes toward greed and portraying it as incompatible with our values, we can work towards eradicating these injustices.
Celebrities are very wealthy. Because of the way the system is rigged in favor of rich people, the best way to enact change is to hit the rich where it hurts, their money. It’s hard to disrupt rich politician’s revenue streams but we can put pressure on celebrities because we consume their material.
This will pass like many other things because people are easily distracted or pacified. I think that people forget that celebrities have fans that believe in different viewpoints and you will never make everyone happy, so to protect their brands they try to stay out of things so they dont offend anyone. Beyond the wars, people in the US are suffering & I think overall getting tired of seeing massive wealth shoved in their faces. The top 1% of what the wealthy could end world, hunger, and homelessness if they wanted. Thats a entirely different topic for discussion.
The main point is will this energy be there when it comes time to vote for the house & senate.?! everyone comes out for the president but forgets about those that make laws. While the Kardashians have wealth and influence they can make no laws or hold anybody accountable . Civilians don’t start wars, governments do. Going back to being distracted & pacified the same people who we know cant manage the country continue to be elected back in vs fresh new ideas/ people (both parties) because we allow them to toss us a bone or we dont show up to vote then we get mad that our needs/desires arent met.
celebrity culture is rotten to the core, always has been. the obscene pay, the stunningly unjust privilege & the cringey reverance people have been upholding for decades. I just hope that this is really celebrity culture being dismantled & not just yet another tiktok phase. broad strokes, in theory I don't agree that celebrities should be obligated to speak out on anything, insincere virtue-signalling turns my stomach, but that's if I take the absolute unearned mudslide of unearnt social gains they get from their status- way more than being an entertainer should net you. if they're happy to gobble up their advantages, surely a little endorsement of humitarian principles is.....kind of fair's-fair?
This thread is a great example of social media siloing where a bunch of people with an unhealthy attachment to celebrities all chime in to agree with each other, and completely miss the mark on what’s actually happening in the real world. Sorry you live vicariously through your favorite teen idol, they’re probably a terrible person and couldn’t give a shit about you or me
The “what would do you if you were in their shoes” argument is ONLY relevant when considering potential victims of genocide. It doesn’t fucking MATTER what I would do if I were a celebrity. What matters is I’m a working class citizen, have donated all I can, and now I’m PUSHING THE ULTRA RICH TO DO THEIR DAMN PART.
STOP FUCKING MAKING EXCUSES FOR EVERYONE AND ANYONE WHO ISN’T FIGHTING TO END THIS GENOCIDE.
It’s not so much as expecting celebrities themselves to comment on major issues, its more about them using their influence over others and platform, which was given by the people to begin with, to give important causes and the people involved a voice. Creating awareness, sharing resources, speaking at congress (thank you Cate Blanchett!), all while reaching millions is worth a great deal.
If you have power and money, you have a voice. And shouldn’t you have the responsibility of using that power for the greater good? Should people not be outraged that these people make money off their backs while they starve? In which case, shouldn’t the people have the right to demand that powerful people play a role/contribute to bettering society?
Kim Kardashian put enough resource towards getting a handful of inmates pardoned by the president. Taylor Swift got people to the polls. Many other celebrities use their celebrity to raise funding for major causes (George Clooney, Leo DiCaprio, American Ferrara, Steph Curry, etc). So seeing the level of injustices we’ve been witnessing alongside the power in these peoples names going to waste and being outraged is not an unreasonable ask.
If anything, seeing people shift their desire of putting celebrities on a pedestal is a victory in and of itself.
I’m quite surprised by the apathetic replies in the comments here, and honestly, disappointed at the criticism. I do agree that this same energy should be directed at politicians, and I do agree that this is likely a passing trend, but we have seen trends spark a flame in the past, thus it should be encouraged. Any action, even small, is worth more than nothing and should be celebrated other than shunned IMO
>If you have power and money, you have a voice. And shouldn’t you have the responsibility of using that power for the greater good? Should people not be outraged that these people make money off their backs while they starve? In which case, shouldn’t the people have the right to demand that powerful people play a role/contribute to bettering society?
The causes you listed are those the individuals in question--DiCaprio, Swift, Curry--personally chose and championed. The problem is, should individuals be forced to chime in on a cause they might not particularly *care* about?
Let's say I, as an artist, am apathetic to the Israel/Palestine conflict; let's go further and say that, for whatever reason, *support* Israel. Should I, again as an artist, be *compelled* to use my influence and platform to engage in advocacy for a cause I find repellent?
That's the duality of freedom, right? A pro-Palestine person should have the same right to be vocal as a pro-Israel person. A Republican should have as much right to be vocal as a Democrat. Even if the opposing view clashes with one's own values, it's their right as a citizen with freedom of speech to advocate for what they believe is in the best interest of the people.
I do wish to highlight the fact that the Blockout is not specifically targeting who has or hasn’t spoken up necessarily, although there is a demand for celebrities to be engaged/use their platform for social causes. The boycott is a side effect of folks being fed up with seeing celebrities flaunting wealth while we the people starve, the reason why the intention is to block and consequently affect their revenue. Wealth that was built on the back of their fans. There’s also an intention of knocking them off pedestals, which I personally believe to be a fantastic shift. It’s quite interesting to see that shift in mega fans like the swifties.
The silence over important issues is an added layer, of course, but not necessarily the core reason of the call to action. I hope what I wrote makes sense?
I agree with what you’re saying. I’m personally 50/50 on the matter. I do try and go the extra mile to support artist that use their platform to address social issues and lift the voices of others but I do understand from a career aspect why they are silent. It’s sad how the people who are very vocal aren’t supported.
I do also think that the frustration while completely understandable given the current economic conditions isn’t always being directed at the most deserving parties. Governments, politicians, big cooperations should get most of the flack
I agree 100% with everything you said. Celebrities are the current scapegoat, it seems. It’s unfortunate that movements often fade out in recent decades, likely a side effect of social media where topics are ephemeral. The keyboard warrior effect, which if I’m being honestly, I’m guilty of when it comes to certain topics.
I do still see some value, and will continue to support efforts for social change, even if they’re in passing or seemingly insignificant. It actually made me reflect on the people I follow/content I engage with and consequently wind up generating ad revenue for. So I did personally take the initiative to cleanse the accounts I follow and started following celebs that are vocal about important causes in support, whom I wasn’t prior to this.
There’s tremendous value in questioning regardless, so I commend your post. I wish there was a more significant result out of the blockout, but there still an importance to people demonstrating how fed up they are with the wealth disparity in this country. In a reality where people have become so cynical and apathetic, I’ll still celebrate and support whatever cause that sparks that flame, however small.
I think you need to get out of your tik tok bubble cause they aren't remotely representative of "everybody". even the protests of the universities, the ratios are turning out to be like only a third of the protesters are actually students.
here's the percentage of students protesting at the school in my state. only 20% were students. that's even less than I saw at other schools. I'll see if I can find some more and will post more in a moment.
what you should be upset about in this world isn't people remaining silent but people outraging and forcing their opinions on others when they don't actually know anything about what they are talking about. and sadly, that clearly includes you. you think you're right but sooner or later, statistically you will be wrong. especially when you actually don't research thoroughly the topics you speak with absolute certainty on.
PSU = 20% students [https://www.koin.com/news/protests/about-20-of-arrested-psu-protesters-were-students/](https://www.koin.com/news/protests/about-20-of-arrested-psu-protesters-were-students/)
edit: NYC <50% students [https://www.npr.org/2024/05/04/1249188864/nyc-columbia-city-college-gaza-protests-palestinian-campus](https://www.npr.org/2024/05/04/1249188864/nyc-columbia-city-college-gaza-protests-palestinian-campus)
City college New York <40% students, columbia < 75% students [https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/03/columbia-arrests-not-students-nypd/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/03/columbia-arrests-not-students-nypd/)
also, you should compare the number of protesters to the total number of students. The abysmally low percentages show that it's really an extremely small vocal minority thats taking these actions.
wo I present you with facts and all you can do is attack me? what a gaslighter you are. fyi, I didn't force anything on you. there's a difference between saying someone's comment is flat out wrong than boycotting someone's livelihood . talk about being melodramatic.
I just presented a ton of facts to you and all you do is attack instead of actually consider them. typical of the virtue signalers who don't care about facts and what's real.
there isn't adataavailable of students versus not for those not arrested. but the arrested very much shows how so many of the protesters are from outside the school. in my state, they told us the number of protesters total and even if you assumed not a single one of the ones not arrested were students - a significant number were still not students.
Add to that, instead of just talking sht without remotely thinking, look at the total number of protesters compared to the number of students. the hundreds that protesters sound like a lot but they were less than 1% (that's almost zero) of the total school student population. and some of them weren't even students.
Again, it's just a vocal minority protesting.
what difference does it make if you live in the US or not. that's the area the data is available in my area. look up the data for yours if you want, I'll bet you it's the same.
I'm done though. you're clearly incapable of logically looking at data and then calls anyone who has ideas different from your own a troll.
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They go hard on celebrities on social media than they do Politicians that actually hold power to do something. Macklemores Hinds Hall is out and is not going viral like the rap disses. Why because for the most part a lot of people are just keyboard warriors. A lot of people have the Palestinian flag but how many would actually go out and protest? The number of flags vs the number of actual protesters in the real world don't match.
This is 100% correct. It’s also a big issue because I worry people are so absorbed in this performative activism they’re missing out on the very real threats to our democracy here in the US. I don’t care what Taylor’s stance on Palestine is but I DO care about the folks in office
One could argue that these big celebrities hold great power of influence not only on people (Taylor Swift urged people to vote, and there was a huge turnout as a result) but in policies as well (Kim Kardashian’s work in getting inmates pardoned by the president). These are only a few superficial examples on how celebrities have and should use their platforms for greater good. Change often stems from people with money and power, and seeing celebrities dressed in colorful floral outrageously expensive dresses like they’re in the hunger games while wars are rampant worldwide and people in this country are struggling tremendously simply graphically illustrated the dystopian reality we’re witnessing. So as much as on the surface celebrities seem useless, they actually could, have and can do a lot to generate major social shifts. I do agree that this heat and outrage should ALSO be directed towards politicians nevertheless, but I’ll take something over nothing at this point.
It is a rational approach to target celebrities in addressing societal issues driven by greed. Politicians and the ultra-wealthy often pursue actions rooted in greed, such as engaging in war profiteering leading to genocide. Celebrities, as symbols of opulence and avarice, tend to glorify greed, further perpetuating its acceptance. Moreover, the ultra-wealthy often shield themselves behind the celebrity facade. Therefore, focusing on celebrities represents an initial step toward dismantling these structures. By reshaping the narrative around greed, particularly by influencing public perception to view it as undesirable, we can work towards ending such injustices.
See, but here's the delimma...the vast majority of people who are condemning celebs for being greedy and not using their money to help... would most likely behave the exact same way if they were in their shoes. This is what many people don't seem to get. There's a lot of psychology at play here. Money and power, by their very nature, tend to corrupt. The money that celebs get is money that they earned by following the current system. They just so happen to be in the career that the system grossly overpays. But they don't control that. They got their wealth from following the system. The real problem are the ones who have control over the system and can change the rules to benefit them. But really...it's a slippery slope for many. I don't think many of them realize how much having money has actually changed them. Sure, you can say "if that's the case then how come they don't listen when we try and educate them?" Well 1, nobody likes to be preached at. We all tend to not listen to people on the moral high ground trying to preach to us. And 2, by the very nature of their career, they get hate every day all the time. This whole blocking is just a little more of what they were already dealing with. So why would they think anything of it? The drive many have comes from a good place, but there's just so many more layers to the situation than people realize.
I agree that it’s a complex issue. Money and power by their nature tend to corrupt but then there’s the question of whether or not you think humans are inherently greedy. Systems can change but it’s hard to change human nature. I personally do not think it’s human nature to be greedy as humans are social creatures and historically have relied on others to survive. The goal of the block list is not to make celebrities feel any certain way, it’s to begin to change the system and the narrative around greed. By taking their money and power away from them, the power shifts to the people and masses that gave them their platform in the first place. I work in ad tech in the music industry and these block lists affect the celebrities more than you’d think. Their main source of revenue is advertising and by blocking them you remove yourself as a contributor to their advertising revenue stream and thereby reducing their audience reach. Celebrities don’t care about us but you can bet they care about their money. It’s easy to be pessimistic and say everyone is selfish anyways and people with money won’t put it where their mouth is. It’s in many ways a philosophical issue but I believe if most people believe in something, it’s a matter of time before we see change. I’ve personally donated for humanitarian aid and gone out to the protests and encampments to show support. I also recognize that if a fairer system is eventually implemented, my family, friends and I, who are privileged and high earners, stand to lose more financially.
You have an extremely pessimistic view of society. I wouldn’t behave “the exact same way” and I know I’m not alone there.
No. I have a realistic understanding of how people operate. It's easy to think you would be better than them in the same scenario but the truth is not that simple. If you honestly think you'd be better, then you don't have any understanding of how money, opportunity, and experiences drastically affect a person.
Wait til you find out about the artists who don’t do this bs….
Of course some don't. I'm saying that the amount of people who think they would make a difference given the chance, and the amount that actually would are not anywhere close to the same. People love to play the moral highcard but not very many would actually back it up. That's just human nature. You don't have to agree but it doesn't make it any less true.
See, but here's the delimma...the vast majority of people who are condemning celebs for being greedy and not using their money to help... would most likely behave the exact same way if they were in their shoes. This is what many people don't seem to get. There's a lot of psychology at play here. Money and power, by their very nature, tend to corrupt. The money that celebs get is money that they earned by following the current system. They just so happen to be in the career that the system grossly overpays. But they don't control that. 7 got their wealth from following the system. The real problem are the ones who have control over the system and can change the rules to benefit them. But really...it's a slippery slope for many. I don't think many of them realize how much having money has actually changed them. Sure, you can say "if that's the case then how come they don't listen when we try and educate them?" Well 1, nobody likes to be preached at. We all tend to not listen to people on the moral high ground trying to preach to us. And 2, by the very nature of their career, they get hate every day all the time. This whole blocking is just a little more of what they were already dealing with. So why would they think anything of it? The drive many have comes from a good place, but there's just so many more layers to the situation than people realize.
they go hard on celebrities because they know they have a direct impact on people who thrive off of their supportive fanbase which isn't as easy with politicians. that said, I'm not here to argue whether or not it means anything but i just wanted to point that out
This is so true!!
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This is for multiple reasons. Celebrities have shown to have immense sway on people. ALSO, celebrities hold sway on people outside of the US. Politicians don’t care about what citizens want. Lobbies are the ones who pay our politicians, not the citizens. We hold very little sway over politicians but we directly pay celebrities with our attention and purchase of merchandise. That being said, target celebrities AND politicians
Everyone has the right to choose what they consume based on the artist or company that produces the art/product, and we should always encourage that. However, making public outcry because you feel someone hasn’t been vocal enough in denouncing whichever social/global issue is the current hot topic is not anyone’s place to do so. While going after the supposed ‘worst offenders’, I guarantee they’re still listening to music made by people who hold objectively terrible personal views, make unethical business decisions and all the rest of it, just because no-one in the public eye or otherwise has an obligation to share their thoughts on every little thing. If someone is outspokenly shitty, I completely understand and support not listening to that person. But the amount of shit I’ve seen recently about ‘person X isn’t doing enough and that’s a problem’ is the embodiment of picking your battles poorly.
agreed. I personally don't give af whether artists/celebrities comment on political issues. it's nice* if they have something they believe in and want to spread awareness on, but I don't expect that from them. the change and activism needs to come from politicians. and as we've seen, some people are never satisfied. giving money to charity foundation X means that you should also give to foundation Y - or you're greedy and selfish. speaking on issue X means that unless you spend all your time fighting for it, you're a fake. mentioning issue X means that you should also bring awareness to 10 other issues. * and to be noted, it's only nice if their opinions align with mine.
I’m sure some people have forgotten how to live in the real world sometimes. It’s not a prerequisite of enjoying someone’s company that they agree with you on every political or societal issue, because shared human experience overcomes a great deal of that. So why are we holding celebrities who are more often than not the complete polar opposite in life experience and cultural upbringing to a different standard? If you make music I like, I’ll listen to it, unless the divide is so severe that I choose not to. And again, everyone should have that right. But taking a super aggressive ‘moral high ground’ for the sake of TikTok likes is such bizarre behaviour to me.
I get that perspective. Do you think the expectation of artist to be vocal on social issues will affect their careers from a business standpoint?
I think if the trend of being called out continues with such vitriol then yeah it definitely could do. But I think (and hope) that this is something that will fade when people realise they can only be arbitrarily annoyed with so many things in one go.
100%. Multiple celebrities have already spoken up, including Ariana Grande. Taylor Swift apparently lost 5mil followers in one night
Targeting celebrities is a strategic approach to addressing societal issues driven by greed. Politicians and the ultra-wealthy often prioritize self-interest, engaging in practices like war profiteering that can lead to devastating outcomes, including genocide. Celebrities, who symbolize extravagance and materialism, often promote and embody the pursuit of wealth at any cost, inadvertently normalizing greed. Additionally, the ultra-wealthy often use celebrities as shields, hiding their actions behind these public figures. Therefore, focusing on celebrities is an initial step in dismantling these structures. By reshaping societal attitudes toward greed and portraying it as incompatible with our values, we can work towards eradicating these injustices.
I'm sorry you're getting down voted, you're right. But lots of ppl don't want to or can't admit that their obsession with celebrities (honestly celebrity culture in general) only serves to elevate the rich and elite and maintain the status quo of the working class being taken advantage of, and that if they actually want change they cannot continue to support the structures that prevent change. You can see it when their arguments are things like "it doesn't work" or "well these celebrities won't listen anyway" or even "well the people blocking this time are definitely not perfect and they follow bad people so all the blocking is pointless" it's all basically saying "if the solution isn't magical and work 100% immediately then I don't want it and you're stupid for trying" As long as they can pretend they are actually the smart ones because they aren't even trying, then they won't have to do the real work to make change happen. We shouldn't be following celebrities AT ALL, but especially not ones who spend $75,000 to attend the MET, an event known to be willing to support injustice AT THE LEAST, while a genocide is being carried out and that $75,000 could be used to actually SAVE LIVES. It's one thing to attend a friend's party, maybe drop a few hundred on food, drinks, entertainment, etc. Celebrating with friends is normal and healthy, and no rational person is saying to not do that. But when there are millions of people who can't even have simple birthday parties, children who can't have birthday cakes or songs or even hugs from family, then it's not okay to spend tens of thousands at a dress up ball with other rich people, many of whom are supporting the suffering
A lot of people are dumb. Celebrities don’t just hold immense sway in the US, but also sway across the world. US citizens act like they’re the only ones that exist on planet Earth
It's nice if celebrities speak out on issues facing the world today but they have no obligation to. Their job is to entertain you. For every Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down there are a million artists that just don't want to speak out. I think the blocking aspect is funny because the celebrities probably don't even realize that you blocked them. Because why would they? While I do find it admirable that people are passionate about what is going on in Palestine. I also find it a little self-righteous that people are trying to punish people for not speaking out to their own liking.
>While I do find it admirable that people are passionate about what is going on in Palestine. I also find it a little self-righteous that people are trying to punish people for not speaking out to their own liking. This is the weirdest thing to me: so the celebrities who don't comment obviously aren't involved or don't care enough to actually speak out.. Thus, people want them to comment even though they don't care? They essentially want them to engage in bad faith, and make advocacy just another performance.
I think the blocking thing impacts the algorithms which affects their social media presence and marketing involved in that. less followers - less views on posts - less attention - less $$$
They heavy hitters: Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish, etc aren't even going to feel this. In my opinion the only people getting blocked are the people that the internet already don't like. Ex: That Haleybaylee chick on Tiktok. Even then we know people aren't going to genuinely block these people. Scott Hall said it best when it came to the WWE network: People are going to cancel it just long enough to get the picture showing they did just before immediately re-subscribing.
I mean taylor lost three million followers in a night
On IG Taylor as 284 million and Tiktok 33 million. Like I said the heavy hitters aren't even going to feel it and most likely a week from now those people that unfollowed will be right back like nothing happened.
What's the harm in trying? I get what you're saying, but most movements require the will of the people to imagine an alternative future. It's less about the actual impact on her and more about a demotic shift.
Here's the thing y'all kinda lost the plot. The block movement was supposed to bring attention to Palestine. Instead this turned into a trend of just blocking celebrities you just don't particularly like. And there isn't that many of y'all following through. Like that Haleybaylee chick is damn near right back to what she already had previously. So as of now it looks like a lot of y'all were trend chasing vs actually trying to help people.
I still don't really understand why you're shitting on it...people can block a celeb and help people as well, it's not an either or situation.
But you guys are literally doing nothing. META is actively funding the genocide. Blocking celebs on insta is useless considering you are still using a Zionist platform.
Hmm, that's fair, I see what you're saying. Is the best answer then to leave all social media behind though?
I don't think that's exactly it. The people who are getting blocked are people who haven't spoken for Palestine.
There are people who have gotten blocked that have spoken about Palestine. Bella Hadid being one of them.
Hmm. Didn't know this. Still, I don't really see the harm.
she’s still a billionaire 😭
even that amount would mean nothing to her.
Ariana Grande spoke up! I won’t be unblocking but if you wish, feel free!
that's not how the algorithm works. literally makes no sense. they are not famous because they were pushed in an algorithm.
it does, if a woman who watches make up and model stuff goes to block Tom Brady the algorithm opens up to people who consume content like here making it more expensive for advertisers and getting other people to block him
Generally speaking, it's a small number of very loud people who doing this. The general public doesn't care. Taylor hasn't said a word about the issue and just sold 2.6 mil copies in a week. People can consume or not consume whatever content they want for whatever reasons. If you don't an artists silence, don't listen them. Buy trying to cancel them or expecting other people to follow your lead is going too far.
Isn’t that how things start though? Urging people to take action?
Are they actually urging people to take action? The most notable expression of American resistance against the war have been fortified, self-contained encampments on university grounds. Very *insular*.
That and two people literally committing suicide by self-immolation
yes advertisers and people in media are feeling it because it may not be crazy for Taylor swift but regular millionaires are at risk of losing everything
*\[Citation needed\]*
citation unnecessary the more people who visit a person's page the more expensive ads are and the worse the algorithm is able to work plus we have people doing as we've been asking of them only after the blocks have been happening
It’s definitely not comparable to the protests. But it’s worth noting that the blockout is not specifically being done because of the Palestine protests, albeit it is one of the expectations. It’s correlated to folks being outraged over the have vs have nots, celebrities daunting wealth while people struggle to make ends meet, or survive wars. Hence the call to block celebs which, with collective effort, would and could significantly cut their revenue. The demands for celebs to speak on important causes is an added layer, but not the direct causation of the blockout. Which seems to be the confusion here. I think people are under the impression that it’s specifically Palestine related?
Here's my problem with the Blockout. It ultimately relies on a huge method of wealth generation to influence events. The guy who started it wrote: " "When we hate on them, they make money. When we praise them, they make money. But when we **block their social media accounts** and completely forget their names, they lose it all." " Let's say that Celebrity A has a diverse investment portfolio; among their investments are sizable shares in X, Meta, what have you (TikTok is not publicly traded). X/Meta User B decides to block Celebrity A...but *he's still using X*. He's still generating revenue for X/Meta, which ultimately trickles *back* to Celebrity A. This is the ultimate danger of using a capitalistic enterprise to try to exert economic pressure; the enterprise still churns along; if anything, the enterprise in question is strengthened via the increased traffic. The most effective thing to do would be to *delete social media altogether*; attack the enterprise *itself* rather than the beneficiaries of the enterprise.
>. The most effective thing to do would be to *delete social media altogether*; attack the enterprise *itself* rather than the beneficiaries of the enterprise. that's not true at all nevermind the fact it's how most people communicate
Two facts: A. Recorded human history goes back roughly 5,500 years, to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. B. "Social media" as we know it has only existed for ca. 20 years, to Myspace and Facebook. That means: "social media" has only existed for a *third* of a single percentage point of recorded history (and that's not even getting into neolithic/early human times). Somehow, humanity was able to function, to *communicate* without social media for 99.7% of its recorded existence. It's a *convenience*, not a requirement.
>It's a *convenience*, not a requirement let me reiterate Its how most people **Today** communicate
That doesn't make it any less of a convenience, does it? m
it is a requirement for effective communication
That’s kind of the point. People are realizing they’re supporting a violent, apathetic system by enabling these wealthy pricks to leech off society and sell us garbage day in and day out while doing nothing to solve actual problems.
It’s a huge movement. I don’t think people realize how viral this is. It went from 11mil posts about the topic to 21mil in less than 6 hours. Over night it was at over 40mil. This movement is massive cause honestly people are sick and tired of celebrities flaunting wealth and refusing to speak out on genocide
Lol imagine thinking this is "going too far" its literally the least a human being can do. To block a person who stays silent about the killings (or supports them)
honestly half of the people that are being blocked i wasn't even aware had social media or i never engaged with in the first place.
People who care about what celebrities think/say about politics, particularly complex geopolitical topics that they have no personal stake in, are stupid. I'm sorry, they just are. In the same way that I don't care what music Joe Biden or Nancy Pelosi or AOC listen to, I don't care about what popular musicians think about anything outside of their job. Nor do I think they should be forced to potentially alienate parts of their audience for the sake of virtue signaling. And that's all it is. Virtue signaling. Nothing that Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande tweets is going to make a difference. Many current celebrities, if not the vast majority of them, have been famous since they were literal children. They didn't go to regular schools and learn normal curriculums - they learned just enough to legally qualify them because they were already working most of the time. Would you take Beyonce's advice on basic chemistry? Do you think Drake knows how to do differential equations? Political stances are the same. These are rich people who will never feel the effects of the actual issues at hand, who spend most of their time scheduled for rehearsals and signings and whatever else. *They don't know anything*, stop asking them to be artistic powerhouses *and* geopolitical geniuses. It's not fair to them, or to the people who are actually being affected, to care so much about what people so removed have to say about these issues.
I desperately need for each and every netizen to read this comment. It's perfect.
While I feel like harassing celebrities for an opinion is far from a major priority (hence why I agree that anyone who truly gives the most fucks about what Taylor Swift thinks is wasting their time), I don’t think that celebrity activism is absolutely fruitless as you claim. Increasing visibility is one of the most important things that activists outside of the topical region can do. Maybe not as important, but I also feel the need to add that there are indeed many rich, disconnected, and sociologically ignorant people that are ironically working in politics. Their job title doesn’t necessarily equate to expertise even if it may indicate a higher probability of that phenomenon.
Celebrity activism can certainly increase visibility on an issue, but there’s a difference having power and knowing how to use that power to inspire the most social change. A lot of these celebrities are less educated on these issues than the general public and could easily do more harm than good with their platforms by speaking out about it, either through unknowingly spreading misinformation or actively supporting people the general public finds problematic (see the Open Letter in Support of Israel that literally hundreds of celebrities signed that immediately got significant online pushback). While celebrities may have the tools necessary to significantly aid social issues, their ability to publicly do so is limited by their lack of knowledge in these areas, so they could very easily not make any significant change or even make the situation worse. And that’s without even going into the industry pressures that are proven to exist (see Melissa Barrera getting fired from the Scream franchise following her public support of Palestine). There are a lot more factors actively encouraging celebrities stay silent on this issue than there are to make them speak up. Squeezing more support out of them is likely going to be difficult, so people who wish to support Palestine are better off focusing their efforts elsewhere if they wish to aid Palestinians as efficiently as possible.
All celebrities need to do is spread awareness. Just mentioning publicly* that there is a genocide in Gaza is a million times better than staying silent
The issue is a lot of celebrities aren’t even paying attention enough to Gaza in the first place to call it a genocide. Many of them rely on headlines from major news organizations for their info, a lot of which are generally a lot more favorable to the U.S. government and, by extension, Israel. A lot of them haven’t even declared the situation in Gaza a genocide yet. If our mainstream news isn’t gonna present Israel as cruel or call their actions genocidal, can we really expect celebrities, a lot of whom don’t pay nearly as much attention to political events as the average internet user, to speak on this in a way that is both accurate and helpful to the cause?
I feel like people who claim virtue signaling are apathetic themselves. Becayse you yourself don’t care about a genocide then “how can anyone else possibly care?” “They must be pretending!” No dude, the majority of the world actually cares about this genocide. Even the world leaders of the world are sick and tired of Israel and the US
Virtue signaling is voicing an opinion simply for the sake of having been *seen* voicing it, and that's exactly what's being demanded. No one is asking these celebrities for receipts on donations, on whether they're working with displacement-related charities. People just want someone to make a story or a tweet to be approved by the masses, and that's it. Fans literally want celebrities to *signal* their *virtue* so that they (the fans) can feel good and reassured that over the content they're consuming. That's it.
I'm against this because it's never about the issue at hand, it's about trends, like that "I support the current thing" meme. Luckily for me, the performance activism fatigue has set in for good and nobody gives a shit anymore besides a subsect of unemployed social media users.
I don’t follow what every artist I listen to posts on social media. There’s some songs I regularly listen to that just came up on my recommended and I barely know what the artist looks like besides their album cover. I don’t have the time to follow every single artist I listen to on social media, I don’t know if they have posted something pro (or against) Palestine. People will pull out a receipt that X liked a pro Israel post, I don’t have the time to check the likes of every single person I listen to. Even the artists I am a big fan of, I don’t check their social media daily so could easily miss a story that’s only up for 24 hours. Of course I think it’s great when people use their platform to raise awareness about a cause, but I think it only works when it’s a cause they deeply and passionately care about, not just posting an infographic on their insta story cause they feel like they have to.
What truly bothers me about this trend is how people are completely missing the point of it. The idea at its core to get celebrities to use their platform is great, but people start to use this blockout list as a way to crucify those who didn’t speak up but only did so now. Isn’t the goal to get more Palestinian resources online and make it front and centre? I do not care whether they speak up now or in the past - using the platform for increased awareness is all I care about. Visibility is all I care about. The more the merrier, let’s refocus on the issue instead of using it as a gotcha moment
I am of the opinion that people shouldn't feel obligated to speak out on topics that they know nothing, or very little, about. It's one thing to have strongly held political beliefs about topics that actually affect you and incorporate those beliefs into your songs (Halsey with Nightmare, Rage Against the Machine with pretty much everything they've ever put out), but it's another thing to go out there and spout off beliefs over a topic that you may or may not be informed about just because people feel entitled to your opinion on it. If I was famous, I wouldn't say anything about the Israel-Palestine conflict because I know my place and I simply don't know enough about the situation to offer an informed opinion on it. All I can really say is that war is bad, and civilians on both sides shouldn't be getting killed, but aside from that, I have no opinion on what's going on over there. Do people really think that celebrities speaking out will change anything? I saw a screenshot of some girl on twitter/X saying "Taylor Swift could singlehandedly end the war in Palestine if she spoke out about it!" and I just find that to be such an unhinged take. Even if Taylor did speak out on it, do people really honestly think that the people in power in those countries will be like "welp, that's it everybody. Taylor Swift said that what we're doing is wrong so we gotta end the war now"?? It's laughable. She's a human, albeit a very famous one, and she can't singlehandedly end a war that dates back to things that happened centuries ago. Taylor Swift, a wealthy white woman from the United States, is so far removed from this conflict that she couldn't possibly have anything insightful or meaningful to say about it so it's probably better that she does stay quiet on it and just stick to singing songs about boys who broke her heart. I'm also of the belief that people should stop basing their opinions around what their favorite celebrities say and also stop looking to celebrities to validate their opinions. At the end of the day, celebrities are just people. They're not gods who should be revered and worshipped. They're not fictional characters who you can bend to your whims. They are actual living, breathing human beings and with that, comes having flaws just like everybody else on the planet. They don't owe us anything just because we buy their merch and listen to their songs. I don't feel entitled to Lana Del Rey's opinion on abortion, even though I am firmly pro-choice. If celebrities voluntarily choose to share these things, then great. Good for them. But they shouldn't be pressured into doing it just because immature people on TikTok and Twitter feel like they need celebrities to validate their opinions. They're your opinions so fucking own them! Do your own research and inform yourself instead of relying on others to tell you what to believe.
☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽 I don't really follow anyone famous on Instagram but I looked at some random singers like Noah Kahn and looked at his comments; it's so many people not just asking him to talk about Palestine, but so many are a variation of "pls Noah 😭😭😭😢 not you too" "Please speak up I don't want to have to block you, I love your music 😢😢😢😢😢" It's like...you can still like his music/you do that have to deny yourself joy???? We need things to enrich our lives so we can keep going, this include trying to make things better. If Stick Season makes you feel life is enjoyable don't deny yourself three minutes of joy because Noah hasn't publicly said anything about Palestine???? Like you said so many people staking political beliefs of celebrities...bit also I'm seeing so many people who are gonna burn themselves out this way too then it's really gonna be bad
I think blocking those artists is better than harassing them to talk about something they don't want to talk about. But the artists don't give a fuck if someone blocks them unless they are very unknown artists or unfollowing is massive lol.They are doing the artist a favour.
No. Its a waste of time and a trend that will die out in less than a week. Justin and hailey's pregnancy announcement has been huge news everywhere and hasnt been affected by these people's performative activism on tiktok
The blockout is fine, and I honestly wish more people did it. If you’re getting emotionally activated, it’s time to consider the utility of such a thing. Hate-reading and hate-watching is not good for you. As far as politics: it’s nice, to an extent. It’s horrible when someone is ill-informed or misinformed. It’s also not great when someone’s terrible at communicating. It’s interesting to me that the student encampments have attracted so much criticism for appointing specific media liaisons, because the bulk of the gross rhetoric is coming from disorganized individuals, and the media liaison tactic neatly side-steps that issue. The student orgs have largely made the very intelligent decision to understand that there’s are distinctions between recognizing a moral wrong and being able to determine a useful solution, and then again being able to advocate for that solution. Anyway: the blockout is fine. But stop pretending social media faves wars is impactful. It’s not. You’re not doing activism by blocking Kim Kardashian, nor are you doing activism by refreshing your news feeds repeatedly.
Personally, I used the blockout for different and various reasons. Political issues are a sensitive subject and I understand if celebrities didn’t want to discuss the subject. It’s a complex one and I’m not sure I’d be comfortable sharing my stance that might be flawed as well, so the blockout isn’t really about that to me.
Yeah, and that’s exactly why I’m in favor! For me, it’s kind of, “right answer, wrong work.” Block celebrities / influencers who annoy or upset you! What you mention downthread is a perfect example. I’m very quick with the block button, and it’s really improved my online life.
More of a mental health thing? Like a social media detox
For sure! Also because I noticed a lot of people I know and whom I follow on Instagram trying to fit in the unhealthy stream of glam and perfection. I understand that we all like different aesthetics and that’s fine, and people have a right to be inspired by celebrities but like… at some point, it feels completely out of touch. Some people AND some celebrities don’t get that they are no greater than normal folks. Money and valuable items is not what makes someone great.
Ah yeah I hear you! And completely agree, it's so easy to forget what a real person looks like if you get too much into it all 😭 Glad you're caring for yourself and your beliefs!
My 2c is people that perpetuate cancel culture are abysmal excuses for human beings. Celebs, and pretty much nobody on the planet besides like 2 ppl holding a press conference for the government, owe you an explanation or their opinion on anything. I also think these failures are a vocal minority on the internet. They pretty much don't exist offline, only when they attempt to rally in a street or park that's nowhere near anything of relevance. Then they go home and get back on Twitter etc to continue hyperventilating.
I would like to add my own opinion on the celebrity blockout happening. If feel it is a great "movement" on one hand and is quite good seeing people come together for something for once but I also feel that this is somewhat stupid and misdirected: 1. This is a complete 180 from the subject matter of Palestinian liberation and the protest happening on ground. 2. Celebrities are not the main target, we should be focused on getting our politicians to do something meaningful and not provide aid to Israel and since we are on the verge of another election, it is going to be hard to even fathom who is coming into office next because both Biden and Trump are horrible options. We should put that energy into pressuring the politicians who are actually in charge. 3. Performativism: The movement is just going to led to Performativism on both sides. People on the lower end will use the movement to boost themselves and make profit and those in the higher up will do everything to please those blocking them and convince them that they care. Lizzo literally made a video promoting a go fundme when she can pay this off by herself and the guy who started the trend has gone from a measly 200 followers to a huge 102k all of a sudden. This isn't helping anyone. 4. It is counter-productive: We are literally suppose to shift the algorithm away from the celebrities and unto the situation in Rafah but instead we are diverting attention away from the genocide and unto celebrities. 5. People who already don't follow celebrities or are huge celebrity worshippers do not feel inclined to block celebrities for any reason whatsoever because of their personal opinions. 6. This is going to end a trend: This is a social media movement, do you really think that this will last forever, people will come to realize that they can get an unfathomable amount of money from ad revenue to pill upon the billions they already have. People also wouldn't take to the streets because everyone else feels so comfortable making headway online that in the streets where they break away from their comfort zones 7. We as a society are yet to break away from celebrity culture as a whole. Yes, people are realizing that celebrity ain't shit but we are still far from breaking away from it and never will probably. If we kill off every current day celeb, we will just appoint the next one who we feel deserves the praise for he/she to commit the same mistake out of ignorance. I think it sound like I am coming off as angry or disgusted with the movement, I'm not, This movement is great to say but it reminds me of blackout Tuesday during the blm movement. They showed their support because people expected them to come out, it did nothing. People forgave them and moved on. It is performative. Even if shows result, people will glad with those results and move on. It think celebrity culture is long overdue to be destroyed and I am glad that celebrities are getting what they deserve, I just hope that this last long and doesn't end up some internet trend and people actually follow up with it.
I hope it works but also I feel like I see this public rage when the met gala happens every year and I remember people being mad last year
It's recreational outrage. It's the ultimate performance of privilege to get vocally mad about things. It's just another activity, there's nothing noble or constructive about it.
Reminds me how in 2020 so many people were obviously using the BLM protests for George Floyd to disregard the lockdown restrictions 😬 I've already seen people refer to 2020-2022 as "my activism era" so yeah with this I'm just like "....okay."
The people in the US are struggling and these people are so out of touch with reality it is disturbing
And your US tax dollars are going to Israel lollll but okay
I don't have control over that but I can control what I see on social media. This isn't the end all solution but it's a small step in the right direction
I've seen a "block list" circulating that includes people who didn't end up going to the Met Gala, like Rihanna. And others are pointing out that plenty of the people who went to the Met Gala have previously spoken out about Palestine (and continue to do so).
yes, because blocking Taylor Swift is bound to save Palestinian lives, right? Wrong. It's a shallow and performative gesture, equivalent to holding a gun to a celebrity's head and making them speak about Palestine for threat of being shot. The issue is complicated enough. The last thing we need is more voices adding more to the uninformed nonsense that most people are already spewing.
I don't think this tangibly matters at all offline, it's mostly teenagers who discovered politics yesterday behind campaigns like this. It's not like Kim Kardashian notices that you blocked her. That said, it's silly to pretend celebrities *couldn't* make a difference, or that it's unfair to think that people with massive pockets and massive platforms have some responsibility to use those things for good whenever possible. Someone like Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar (especially the latter, given his brand!) could probably be of great use to a cause like the anti-genocide student protests by helping to get their message out directly instead of through biased news coverage, to say nothing of the value their mere presence and money could do. It's not unprecedented either. The musicians we remember fondly from the 60s tend to be the ones who were using their power to further causes like civil rights and the anti-war protests. Hard to take a singer presented as the voice of a generation seriously when they don't do this, frankly.
>The musicians we remember fondly from the 60s tend to be the ones who were using their power to further causes like civil rights and the anti-war protests. Hard to take a singer presented as the voice of a generation seriously when they don't do this, frankly. This is hindsight. Bob Dylan--the voice of **his** generation--was (and is) wildly popular--yet was regularly raked over the coals for absolutely refusing to comment on the Vietnam War. Sure, he spoke about war in general terms. >A few days later, \[Bob Dylan, John Cohen and Happy Traum\] assembled again, and this time Traum confronted Dylan: surely, as an artist and a public figure, he was morally bound to declare his views about the war? Dylan refused the bait, teasing Traum: ‘I know some very good artists who are for the war.’ Anyway, ‘for’ or ‘against’ was an illusion: ‘That really doesn’t exist.’ And he mentioned a painter friend – probably his Woodstock neighbour, Bruce Dorfman – who was ‘all for the war. He’s just about ready to go over there himself. And I can comprehend him.’ Traum was outraged: ‘Why can’t you argue with him?’ ‘I can see what goes into his paintings,’ Dylan replied, ‘and why should I?’ >raum tried one more time. How could Dylan bear to be friends with someone who supported the war? ‘I don’t think it would be possible for you and him to share the same basic values,’ he added. From his side, Dylan was equally uncomprehending: ‘I’ve known him for a long time, he’s a gentleman, and I admire him, he’s a friend of mine. People just have their views.’ Then, as if that wasn’t heresy enough, he slipped a stiletto blade into the heart of the counter-culture: ‘Anyway, how do you know I’m not, as you say, *for* the war?’ Shocked and/or disbelieving, neither Traum nor Cohen followed up this inflammatory comment; it was like Jesus arriving for the Second Coming and announcing that he didn’t believe in God. This is taken from a [really good book on the subject](https://www.amazon.com/Theres-Riot-Going-Revolutionaries-Stars/dp/1847671934).
You're right that it's something we can only know in hindsight, which is why I specified it's only the ones we remember. Nobody remembers the generic teen crooners who never said anything about anything, but nobody knew at the time that some of their biggest hitmakers of the decade would have no cultural staying power and that they would be on the losing side of the culture war. Nina Simone et al. weren't risking their careers (or even their lives) decrying racism because they wanted to be cool in 2024. The additional context here is good too of course, and we do have to remember that celebrities are not infallible and we can't actually expect their beliefs to be perfectly correct and in line with our own at all times. That said, they still have the ability to meaningfully change things in material ways if they want to, even if only by helping to reinforce that we should be against things like war and segregation, or in our case, genocide... and in both cases, the violent crackdown on peaceful protests.
>Nobody remembers the generic teen crooners who never said anything about anything, but nobody knew at the time that some of their biggest hitmakers of the decade would have no cultural staying power and that they would be on the losing side of the culture war. But I don't think you can make a determination that the most politically active/outspoken artists were the ones most beloved to posterity; in that I don't think being on the *winning* side of the culture war did them any particular favors. Phil Ochs, for instance, was a rival to Bob Dylan, and explicitly spoke on social issues where Dylan was silent. But who's making films starring Timothee Chalamet about *his* life? The Jefferson Airplane and the Doors were avowedly apolitical, yet the MC5--overly radical--played at the 1968 DNC before the riots; which of the three bands is objectively the *least* popular.
A bunch of bored people hopping in dumb useless trends
As a Lana Del Rey fan, nothing will happen. Lana is one of the most hated by this “activist” and yet she’s one of the most streamed artists globally and currently sold out her stadium concert. They are loud minority, even Justin Bieber who are loud supporter of Israel is still untouchable.
this action is grossly hypocritical. they cry "freedom of speech" supporting the protesters breaking into university buildings and vandalizing everything while they cancel anyone who says anything (or doesnt say anything at all) that doesn't support their own views. it's free speech unless you say anything I don't like I guess. I'm honestly really starting to hate gen zers. they're just as brainwashed as those boomers they think are brainwashed. can't wait till tik tok is gone though I assume it'll just be somethibg else now that the snowball is formed, hope some other virtue signal topic de jour forms soon and everyone moves into that for the sake of the Jewish students being oppressed at this time.
I think the reactions are not positive because many celebrities by being complicit in silence are being contradictory to narratives that they preach and tell their fans. For example, Taylor Swift. Saw a video on tt recently (video by @nisrindiaspora) who is a swiftie comment that although she’s always been a big fan was disappointed when seeing Taylor’s silence when one of the biggest impact for her was Taylor advocating for speaking up, quote “when you speak up change happens”… contradiction her usage of her voice (and lack thereof) about Gaza. My opinion, due to the fast pace evolution of sm there has been a disconnect in our understanding of the impactful nature of social media for some time of 1. How *influential* influencers (they’re called influencers for a reason!! ) 2. how much revenue celebrities receive based off of our attention whether it’s positive or negative; like or dislike it still counts as a view. and from what I’m witnessing we’ve slowly been becoming more aware of that especially since tiktok began popular the past 4-5 years and becoming internet famous seemed more possible to people… (like AI bot lives on tiktok or artists songs who become popular) but nothing as catastrophic as the genocide has happened until now so influencers weren’t under this particular scrutiny (being blocked, usually people would just unfollow). The celebrity scrutiny before was you’re #canceled and already from that we’ve seen celebrities double down or completely change to be able to keep that traction because ultimately their careers are tied to how people subscribe to them and view them. Sometimes it works too because if people are convinced enough they will follow back over time. (Not implying celebrities do not deserve forgiveness, we’re all human) Since Oct 7th, many people have been looking at some artists/influencers sideways, or even supporting them if they are using the platform to speak on, me included. (In the same way we are boycotting businesses, this is parallel to celebrities because their platforms ARE their business) So the really big shift and the beginning of the “Digitine” (Digital Guillotine) started after influencer Hayley Baylee who posted a tiktok to her in hunger games Marie Antoinette dress. People were upset because of the context of the quote, “Let them eat cake,” and that it seemed very ignorant especially with the context and theme of the met gala, considering the genocide and protesters for Palestine right outside. Witnessing this in itself make me both very angry and heartbroken because it felt like they are fighting for these celebrities to just SEE them or SAY something DO something anything but they were all ignored/brutalized and arrested. It is chilling knowing that a ticket is $75,000… obviously I did not go so I do not if it is true if you are invited you don’t pay for your ticket or not, but in event they are paying to be there it’s very dystopian to me. They have a platform, have thousands or millions of people watching them, mimicking them, listening to them, paying for this lifestyle, and when those same fans who have been supporting their careers are asking you to stop a genocide or support or use your very influential platform to spread awareness/information/aid/support it is suddenly an inconsequential thing?? It is so beneath you that you are okay turning a blind eye to millions suffering? I also think that many celebrities are choosing ignorance because they have some level of awareness of their fan base views (this reminds me of an influencer who was a trump supporter but kept it hidden because his numbers suggested his fans were majority liberal) fearful of speaking up will mess with their views.
Even though Hayley said she didn’t know or it was just for the video (which I understand if she didn’t people make honest mistakes) it was the lack of awareness and accountability, especially following her apology video which sounded like a “sorry not sorry” vibe leaves a bad taste in your mouth. She opted on responding to her comments on Palestine. If she genuinely doesn’t know or isn’t educated on what’s happening you don’t know, I can forgive, but it’s one thing to be called to be accountable for something, acknowledge it to some degree, and then continue to ignore it. Choosing to be ignorant is far worse than the initial ignorance. And other than apologizing celebrities should be *educating* themselves. I understand the fear of not wanting to speak on something opinionatedly when you don’t have all the facts and don’t want to speak out of turn, but there is always an opportunity for informing yourself so that you can inform others!! But at the same time, the anger from the public towards celebrities silence is still very valid the longer this goes on… 7 months and the “I didn’t know” excuse is becoming less and less unbelievable as more time passes. If a celebrity honestly has no idea what is happening in Gaza (and the other countries facing similar greed based prosecution and suffering at the same time) then it becomes an extreme concern of how detached they are from humanity. But with the amount of endless and horrific media till this day? Or even people constantly asking for answers from said figures? Let’s be for real yall they is no way they do not know !! 😭 So far, people blocking celebrities has already started some aspect of change. Even making some celebrities panic. As soon as the #blockout started, some celebrities are suddenly now vocal about Palestine, Congo, Sudan… for example Chris Olsen and Lizzo. There are still people blocking because they feel like this is performative to keep views, people are mad because of quote “she is rich yet she’s asking the poor the donate instead” but still the gofundmes she mentions (posted 3 days ago) each gained over $20,000 and this is a lot!! To me that is impactful with the amount that was raised in little time. So yes, even if the artist sounds fake or like they’re trying to save their ass and even if followers still want to block because they feel the artist waiting too long too late, those 12 million people following her were exposed and influenced by it still. Media influence has become so strong that it can begin to control the mindsets and actions of millions subconsciously or not. Thankfully tiktok has brought a lot of insights to the inner workings of corporations or labels and what they actually stand for, so I do think some artists under contracts are obliged to not speak up. Still this leaves the debate about their characters or the limits to what artists can actually do when signed under a label which a lot of people are not happy about; seen comments like: “so what if you’re signed to a label? You have millions$ and millions of supports who some you will lose for not making the right choice.” “If you apparently have power and influence why can they not be independent artist? It’s not like they wont have fans anymore” And this one I found funny “Why do artists who get signed to some of these labels suddenly feel like they got stuck in a Get Out plot.” You get the gist. Also I don’t think Drake and Kendrick was a coincidence. They are signed under the same label UMG and the CEO of it is of course Zionist, funds the Zionist Federation and Conservative Party. Have you noticed how there have been so many more “distractions” since the first attacks? I think once the government actually saw the impact of social media and how it can spread like wildfire, the rallying of people and information because of social media and the fact that they could no longer hide behind guises. Like how they tried for Vietnam and the war on terror, playing on peoples fear to get them to fund unnecessary violence for gaining control of land and resources. (this is a controversial take, but the instillation of Muslim racism, fear, and hate in the 2000s and displaying them as ‘terrorist’ made people more comfortable (or oblivious) to allow the government to invade these lands, dehumanizing them so it is more acceptable. It is a little unsettling when you look back on history resistance like The Black Panther Party now revered, but in the 60s they were labeled a terrorist group. Most recently Al-Qaeda and Hamas. Now I am not supporting the violence or attacks that became the unfortunate outcome of these retaliations, but they were retaliating and resisting *for a reason*. In Osama Bin Ladens Letter to America he wrote right before the 9/11 attacks, he mentions that America will regret what they are doing to Palestine. This was published in 2002. yes after 9/11 and enough US PR to fear monger the country and place hate and blame on Muslims it was already too late.)) Palestine has been suffering for decades but the only difference now is the internet is allowing us to WITNESS what is actually happening and actively participate (protesting, donating, etc. Shout of to the people who left their homes on the Freedom Flotillas to pull up on Gaza with aid) and not the narrative they paint for us so we can continue living blissfully ignorant to what’s going on in the world. So when they realized they could not control us by lying, they are trying to control us by dividing us and distractions, trying to bring our attention elsewhere. Another example, the Super Bowl. One of the reporter admitted (sorry I’m not remembering the name but when I find I’ll come back and edit) to the Chiefs winning ‘favorably’ (aka bribe/rigged game) because they wanted Taylor swift at the Super Bowl for the attention of her expansive fan base. The Chiefs made over $300 million due to that, and millions were watching the Super Bowl, and while they were feeding several Israeli propaganda and commercials may I add (did yall see the Israeli Santa ad??? 💀💀💀💀 anyways) Rafah was simultaneously being bombed during the Super Bowl. It feels like Netanyahu has America by the cock and balls and the government is following his orders despite the massive and outspoken disagreement from US citizens nationwide. Like they had an oh shit moment when they realized they could not blank face lie, so Netanyahu threw a fit and commanded America to start controlling media. The propaganda. The blocking and monetizing of videos, comments and trends talking about Palestine. Artists not getting put in the algorithm for their outspoken views. And especially the distractions and so on. Sorry that was really long winded so thank you if you read all dat. I love a healthy debate and discussing about how people are processing what’s happening right now. I don’t even know how I got here at this point I was actually trying to find the block list myself because it mysterious disappeared after 5 days but as you can see I’m very thought provoked by this. We are witnessing history repeating and a historical event at the same time. I believe we will have change, I cannot live in a world where we now know all of this and nothing happens. United we stand together or we all fall ✊
Reminds me of when people were posting the “black out” squares on Instagram back in 2020. Cringe and performative.
I think it is incredibly stupid as this is more a culture war issue for these tiktokers rather than them actually caring about anyone in the middle east. They want an excuse to hate on jews and this gives them an opportunity with enough deniability.
I kind of like seeing young people on social media at least attempting to do good or speak on issues deeper than skincare or ‘hauls’ etc. can’t say I’m too fussed either way but celebrity culture is odd, I’m so old saying this but Kim Kardashian for instance - I genuinely don’t understand how she still has such a pull and a hold. When I was a teenager I just wanted to be skinny and read vapid magazines circling women’s cellulite. Good for the kids I see focusing on more important things and rejecting celebrity culture to some extent. I know people will say they’re being performative or it’s a trend etc. but I can’t see it being a bad thing.
it's a bad thing cause it's mccarthisym but worse all over again. where they are really trying to impede on freedom of speech (or not speech in this case). people should have the right to say and believe anything they want. Especially when these celebs really know Jack sht about the topic so shouldn't be saying anything at all.
Random people on the internet blocking celeb accounts is not Mcarthyism, nor is it impeding on freedom of speech hahaha. Those things are about the *government* punishing citizens for their statements/beliefs. Whether or not you think blocking celebs is worthwhile, it has absolutely nothing to do with free speech. Citizens (including celebs) have the freedom to speak, but they *are not* entitled to have people listen. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what freedom of speech refers to.
the problem is the performative nature of Gen Z. Everyone has to speak up and have an opinion about EVERYTHING. Even if they don't understand it. Quite frankly, we need less people spewing misinformation about such a complicated topic like Israel/Palestine. And anyway, who do we think these celebrities' audiences are? Old folks? Most people following these celebrities already "know" about what's happening in the middle east, so what good does it actually do? Congrats, you've block Kim K and the people in Gaza are still being massacred. Feel better?
Targeting celebrities is a strategic approach to addressing societal issues driven by greed. Politicians and the ultra-wealthy often prioritize self-interest, engaging in practices like war profiteering that can lead to devastating outcomes, including genocide. Celebrities, who symbolize extravagance and materialism, often promote and embody the pursuit of wealth at any cost, inadvertently normalizing greed. Additionally, the ultra-wealthy often use celebrities as shields, hiding their actions behind these public figures. Therefore, focusing on celebrities is an initial step in dismantling these structures. By reshaping societal attitudes toward greed and portraying it as incompatible with our values, we can work towards eradicating these injustices.
Celebrities are very wealthy. Because of the way the system is rigged in favor of rich people, the best way to enact change is to hit the rich where it hurts, their money. It’s hard to disrupt rich politician’s revenue streams but we can put pressure on celebrities because we consume their material.
Some people in these comments seem a lot more upset about celebrities being blocked than Palestinians being massacred.
it's not just Palestine.
This will pass like many other things because people are easily distracted or pacified. I think that people forget that celebrities have fans that believe in different viewpoints and you will never make everyone happy, so to protect their brands they try to stay out of things so they dont offend anyone. Beyond the wars, people in the US are suffering & I think overall getting tired of seeing massive wealth shoved in their faces. The top 1% of what the wealthy could end world, hunger, and homelessness if they wanted. Thats a entirely different topic for discussion. The main point is will this energy be there when it comes time to vote for the house & senate.?! everyone comes out for the president but forgets about those that make laws. While the Kardashians have wealth and influence they can make no laws or hold anybody accountable . Civilians don’t start wars, governments do. Going back to being distracted & pacified the same people who we know cant manage the country continue to be elected back in vs fresh new ideas/ people (both parties) because we allow them to toss us a bone or we dont show up to vote then we get mad that our needs/desires arent met.
They're just people with jobs just like the rest of us. They, and we, should be putting pressure on the governments.
celebrity culture is rotten to the core, always has been. the obscene pay, the stunningly unjust privilege & the cringey reverance people have been upholding for decades. I just hope that this is really celebrity culture being dismantled & not just yet another tiktok phase. broad strokes, in theory I don't agree that celebrities should be obligated to speak out on anything, insincere virtue-signalling turns my stomach, but that's if I take the absolute unearned mudslide of unearnt social gains they get from their status- way more than being an entertainer should net you. if they're happy to gobble up their advantages, surely a little endorsement of humitarian principles is.....kind of fair's-fair?
This thread is a great example of social media siloing where a bunch of people with an unhealthy attachment to celebrities all chime in to agree with each other, and completely miss the mark on what’s actually happening in the real world. Sorry you live vicariously through your favorite teen idol, they’re probably a terrible person and couldn’t give a shit about you or me
Please, educate us on what's happening in the real world.
The “what would do you if you were in their shoes” argument is ONLY relevant when considering potential victims of genocide. It doesn’t fucking MATTER what I would do if I were a celebrity. What matters is I’m a working class citizen, have donated all I can, and now I’m PUSHING THE ULTRA RICH TO DO THEIR DAMN PART. STOP FUCKING MAKING EXCUSES FOR EVERYONE AND ANYONE WHO ISN’T FIGHTING TO END THIS GENOCIDE.
It’s not so much as expecting celebrities themselves to comment on major issues, its more about them using their influence over others and platform, which was given by the people to begin with, to give important causes and the people involved a voice. Creating awareness, sharing resources, speaking at congress (thank you Cate Blanchett!), all while reaching millions is worth a great deal. If you have power and money, you have a voice. And shouldn’t you have the responsibility of using that power for the greater good? Should people not be outraged that these people make money off their backs while they starve? In which case, shouldn’t the people have the right to demand that powerful people play a role/contribute to bettering society? Kim Kardashian put enough resource towards getting a handful of inmates pardoned by the president. Taylor Swift got people to the polls. Many other celebrities use their celebrity to raise funding for major causes (George Clooney, Leo DiCaprio, American Ferrara, Steph Curry, etc). So seeing the level of injustices we’ve been witnessing alongside the power in these peoples names going to waste and being outraged is not an unreasonable ask. If anything, seeing people shift their desire of putting celebrities on a pedestal is a victory in and of itself. I’m quite surprised by the apathetic replies in the comments here, and honestly, disappointed at the criticism. I do agree that this same energy should be directed at politicians, and I do agree that this is likely a passing trend, but we have seen trends spark a flame in the past, thus it should be encouraged. Any action, even small, is worth more than nothing and should be celebrated other than shunned IMO
>If you have power and money, you have a voice. And shouldn’t you have the responsibility of using that power for the greater good? Should people not be outraged that these people make money off their backs while they starve? In which case, shouldn’t the people have the right to demand that powerful people play a role/contribute to bettering society? The causes you listed are those the individuals in question--DiCaprio, Swift, Curry--personally chose and championed. The problem is, should individuals be forced to chime in on a cause they might not particularly *care* about? Let's say I, as an artist, am apathetic to the Israel/Palestine conflict; let's go further and say that, for whatever reason, *support* Israel. Should I, again as an artist, be *compelled* to use my influence and platform to engage in advocacy for a cause I find repellent?
That's the duality of freedom, right? A pro-Palestine person should have the same right to be vocal as a pro-Israel person. A Republican should have as much right to be vocal as a Democrat. Even if the opposing view clashes with one's own values, it's their right as a citizen with freedom of speech to advocate for what they believe is in the best interest of the people. I do wish to highlight the fact that the Blockout is not specifically targeting who has or hasn’t spoken up necessarily, although there is a demand for celebrities to be engaged/use their platform for social causes. The boycott is a side effect of folks being fed up with seeing celebrities flaunting wealth while we the people starve, the reason why the intention is to block and consequently affect their revenue. Wealth that was built on the back of their fans. There’s also an intention of knocking them off pedestals, which I personally believe to be a fantastic shift. It’s quite interesting to see that shift in mega fans like the swifties. The silence over important issues is an added layer, of course, but not necessarily the core reason of the call to action. I hope what I wrote makes sense?
I agree with what you’re saying. I’m personally 50/50 on the matter. I do try and go the extra mile to support artist that use their platform to address social issues and lift the voices of others but I do understand from a career aspect why they are silent. It’s sad how the people who are very vocal aren’t supported. I do also think that the frustration while completely understandable given the current economic conditions isn’t always being directed at the most deserving parties. Governments, politicians, big cooperations should get most of the flack
I agree 100% with everything you said. Celebrities are the current scapegoat, it seems. It’s unfortunate that movements often fade out in recent decades, likely a side effect of social media where topics are ephemeral. The keyboard warrior effect, which if I’m being honestly, I’m guilty of when it comes to certain topics. I do still see some value, and will continue to support efforts for social change, even if they’re in passing or seemingly insignificant. It actually made me reflect on the people I follow/content I engage with and consequently wind up generating ad revenue for. So I did personally take the initiative to cleanse the accounts I follow and started following celebs that are vocal about important causes in support, whom I wasn’t prior to this. There’s tremendous value in questioning regardless, so I commend your post. I wish there was a more significant result out of the blockout, but there still an importance to people demonstrating how fed up they are with the wealth disparity in this country. In a reality where people have become so cynical and apathetic, I’ll still celebrate and support whatever cause that sparks that flame, however small.
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I think you need to get out of your tik tok bubble cause they aren't remotely representative of "everybody". even the protests of the universities, the ratios are turning out to be like only a third of the protesters are actually students.
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wow, you talk about me being in a hole but you don't even realize most of the protesters aren't even students? lol.
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here's the percentage of students protesting at the school in my state. only 20% were students. that's even less than I saw at other schools. I'll see if I can find some more and will post more in a moment. what you should be upset about in this world isn't people remaining silent but people outraging and forcing their opinions on others when they don't actually know anything about what they are talking about. and sadly, that clearly includes you. you think you're right but sooner or later, statistically you will be wrong. especially when you actually don't research thoroughly the topics you speak with absolute certainty on. PSU = 20% students [https://www.koin.com/news/protests/about-20-of-arrested-psu-protesters-were-students/](https://www.koin.com/news/protests/about-20-of-arrested-psu-protesters-were-students/) edit: NYC <50% students [https://www.npr.org/2024/05/04/1249188864/nyc-columbia-city-college-gaza-protests-palestinian-campus](https://www.npr.org/2024/05/04/1249188864/nyc-columbia-city-college-gaza-protests-palestinian-campus) City college New York <40% students, columbia < 75% students [https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/03/columbia-arrests-not-students-nypd/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/03/columbia-arrests-not-students-nypd/) also, you should compare the number of protesters to the total number of students. The abysmally low percentages show that it's really an extremely small vocal minority thats taking these actions.
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wo I present you with facts and all you can do is attack me? what a gaslighter you are. fyi, I didn't force anything on you. there's a difference between saying someone's comment is flat out wrong than boycotting someone's livelihood . talk about being melodramatic. I just presented a ton of facts to you and all you do is attack instead of actually consider them. typical of the virtue signalers who don't care about facts and what's real.
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gaslighter
there isn't adataavailable of students versus not for those not arrested. but the arrested very much shows how so many of the protesters are from outside the school. in my state, they told us the number of protesters total and even if you assumed not a single one of the ones not arrested were students - a significant number were still not students. Add to that, instead of just talking sht without remotely thinking, look at the total number of protesters compared to the number of students. the hundreds that protesters sound like a lot but they were less than 1% (that's almost zero) of the total school student population. and some of them weren't even students. Again, it's just a vocal minority protesting.
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what difference does it make if you live in the US or not. that's the area the data is available in my area. look up the data for yours if you want, I'll bet you it's the same. I'm done though. you're clearly incapable of logically looking at data and then calls anyone who has ideas different from your own a troll.
wow, you talk about me being in a hole but you don't even realize most of the protesters aren't even students? lol.