Blockout 2024: celebrities face backlash over Gaza | The Take

Now trending: the ‘digital guillotine.’ It’s a campaign known as Blockout 2024 to block celebrities on social media. Launched after the Met Gala in New York, it’s meant to hurt celebrities’ ad revenue. Will it have an impact?

In this episode: 

- Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, Journalist 
- Dr. Marcus Collins, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Michigan

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Khaled Soltan with our host Malika Bilal. Catherine Nouhan and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

[agrlockwd]

Boycotting goes beyond Hollywood.
There’s Puma, Nestle, CocaCola, Sabra, Ahava cosmetics, Pepsi, Siemens, Walmart, Fry’s, HP, Chanel. Nike, Pantene. The list goes on.

[lorenam]

The theme of the gala was also particularly disgusting:
Millionaires hiding in a magic garden where they can stop time so that the people outside don't change the unjust system.
I'm not making it up, garden of time is the name of a short story, and that's what it is about.

[chadgunner]

Keep the movement going! We must never let celebrities, influencers, creators, oligarchs, and politicians forget that they are on the wrong side of history! 🇵🇸

[kentovewagenes]

This world is crazy... The people using their voice to block all the ignorant celebs is a great start ❤

[junebrilly]

Susanne Sarandon has always courageously stood on the right side of Social Justice. She is HEROIC. the only one I BELIEVE❤❤❤❤❤

[AAN]

Ive stop watching movies acted by those artist who supported genocide.

[yvonnerobinson]

BLOCK THEM ALL. THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN MONEY. SHAME ON THEM

[THomAs.H.P.]

Kids grow up smarter, the new generation won't tolerate a status quo that is wrong.

[jasmineredley]

I have to say, it did feel extremely dystopian and disrespectful to those suffering in Gaza by going forward with the very ego centric approach of the Met Gala. The world needs to change and not still be in the mindset of “not my problem” it is our problem and this is our world and the humans in it our all us. We have to get this right! We need to respectfully live in peace and fairness. It’s not about covering up our ugliness with consumerism. We can still enjoy life, but it’s time to be humble whilst our brothers and sisters and children are experiencing a Genocide.
Free Palestine 🇵🇸

[irenemonk]

It's about time we stopped fantasizing and making people rich that don't care about humanity most of the time.

[hayeserzorbas]

"Profit over everything else, including people... "
So so sadly true.

[abddurduran]

Israelis crimes against humanity and the genocide in Gaza will never be forgiven or forgotten by the history

[behind_the_camera.]

Let's took the platform what we have gave them. Palestine forever 🇵🇸.
Free Palestine.

[carol]

People Power works, we don't realise how powerful we are. There is more of US than them. ✊🏾

[desmonddwyer]

Stop going to there movies that will hit them in there wallet🤔🤔

[khalidpeacenowar]

Blockout *G4L G4DOT..* 💪🏼💪🏼🤣🤣🤪🤪❤️❤️🇵🇸🇵🇸

[norajacob]

Brilliant idea, when it affects them financially they then may listen.

[Staceypotterphotography]

So excited this is happening. I am in, 💯. We are not meant to live this way, we’re ready for a BIG change!!🙌❤️💪🙏

[mfeqsdg]

Your silence will not protect you. The world is changing. I love it ❤

[Lobosank]

My congressperson will not even answer the phone anymore. Hey the stock market hit 40, 000. Now what stocks are fueling this? Weapons manufactures?😮