As civilians struggle with resource shortages and the fear of massacre in the Middle East, the Met Gala on the other side of the world witnessed celebrities dressed extravagantly, walking into dazzling spotlights, completely devoid of political involvement. It’s a world where lives are incredibly divided, like two sides of a mirror: one reflecting shabbiness and poverty, while the other exhibits exorbitance and loftiness. An online protest soon emerged in response to the situation and took shape on TikTok, ironically the social media platform that sponsored the Met Gala.

How did it start?

Blockout 2024, also referred to as Operation Blockout, targets high-profile celebrities who were deemed to have failed in speaking out about the Israel-Hamas war and broader humanitarian crises, disappointing the public whose support provided them with fame and status. The criticism began on May 6, when an influencer, who also participated in the Gala, posted a TikTok video of herself wearing a lavish 18th-century style floral gown and headdress with the audio clip "Let them eat cake!" from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film “Marie Antoinette.” Images of Zendaya, a Met Gala co-chair, juxtaposed with photographs of Palestinian children, further incited a significant online reaction. Posts of celebrities in ostentatious costumes were soon compared to scenes from "The Hunger Games," where affluent citizens enjoy a lavish lifestyle while watching the suffering of impoverished districts. The first to rally among the public was a TikTok creator who made the following statement: “It’s time for the people to conduct what I want to call a digital guillotine — a ‘digitine,’ if you will,” drawing inspiration from the guillotine in the French Revolution.

What is the purpose of this movement?

The movement primarily consisted of pro-Palestine supporters who made themselves responsible for assessing whether A-listers had adequately responded to the conflict. The standard was that anyone deemed insufficient in utilizing their popularity to advocate for the Gaza crisis would be blocked by the followers of this movement. However, the boundary between what constitutes sufficient action or inadequate responses appears to be unclear and varies according to celebrities. It is believed that blocking the celebrities would reduce their commercial value and potentially sabotage their future working opportunities by eliminating cooperation with brands. Companies often look at data on followers and engagement of celebrities on social media to determine whether they should promote certain products. Blocking celebrities further encourages sending a message to people that one shouldn’t follow someone whose values do not align with theirs.

Personal Comments

Although clearly recognizing that the initiative of this movement was to address the humanitarian crisis and garner support for human rights in the face of war, the event had diverted in a way that leaned too much to the extreme. The inability to distinguish whether a celebrity had contributed sufficiently to the Israel-Hamas conflict with a clarified standard suggests that the supporters of this movement allowed their emotions to take over rather than rationality. It is undeniable that with more popularity comes more responsibility, yet the event had blurred the parameters, given that some had previously shown support for a cease-fire but were nonetheless condemned during this upheaval. Celebrities are products of the entertainment industry and are encouraged to be positive role models for the public, but requiring them to voice their opinions on a geopolitical matter is unnecessary in my perspective. Though the consequences of this boycott are currently unpredictable, it remains doubtful whether this social media-led movement, like many others, would generate meaningful change or turn out to be a waste of time. One conclusion we can certainly reach is that with the accessibility and coverage of social media, individuals can more readily utilize, or even weaponize, platforms to exert widespread influence—especially in today’s celebrity-centric world.