guides
Why Are People Blocking Celebrities? The 'BlockOut 2024' And 'Celebrity Block List' TikTok Trend Explained
TikTok users have started a new trend of blocking celebrities. Some are calling it BlockOut 2024 while others are calling it the "Celebrity Block Party." No matter, it's a super viral form of protest at the moment.
The phenomenon started this month, mostly in response to the 2024 Met Gala juxtaposed with the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and the war in Gaza. Instead of hating on them (and giving them free publicity), these subtle digital protestors are blocking any celebrity who doesn't use their platform for good, thereby stripping them of their ad revenue.
However, where did this blocking celebrities trend start? Who's on the celebrity block list? Will this protest work? Let's explain.
Where Did The Blocking Celebrities Trend Start?
The 2024 trend seems to have started with one TikToker named @blockout2024. He posted his first video regarding the trend on Wednesday, the day after this year's Met Gala where the uber-rich paid $75,000 for a ticket and who knows how much more on their outfit.
The TikToker urged in a second video the motive behind the trend, saying, "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."
@blockout2024 You can also block news outlets that clickbait and artists on spotify
Why Are People Blocking Celebrities?
Per the TikToker's original video and his profile's bio, the BlockOut 2024 trend is targeted at celebrities who aren't using their platform to voice support for Palestine.
Amid pro-Palestinian student encampments and months-long boycotts of McDonald's and Starbucks (among other companies reportedly supporting Israel), boycotting strategically silent celebrities by way of blocking is viewed by some as a path to a cease-fire.
With the recent Met Gala, where celebrities flaunted their wealth, TikTokers are seeing the juxtaposition between their opulence and the suffering of those in Israel and Palestine. Lots of the discourse surrounding this has also gone towards backlash against influencer Haleyybaylee, who said, "Let them eat cake" in a flowery, expensive dress on the red carpet this week.
@blockout2024 #stitch with @SarahF ♬ original sound – blockout2024
@thewokemama Whew! Where to begin?
♬ original sound – Shirley Chisholm Folding Chair
What's The 'BlockOut2024' Hashtag?
#BlockOut2024 is the primary hashtag for the growing campaign. The catchy name was coined by the TikToker, @blockout2024, who began the trend. Other names are floating around too, like "Celebrity Block Party."
@adonaicaimmoloch LETS MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR US AND US ALONE #blockout2024 #blockout #boycott #boycottcelebrities #boycotthollywood #boycotttherich ♬ original sound – incognegro
Who's On The 'Celebrity Block List?'
The list is growing by the day. For sure, two of the main subjects are Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift, both of whom have massive platforms, but are historically silent when it comes to Israel-Palestine.
@keditzz_user #blocked #blockout2024 #metgala #boycott #celebrity #influencers #cancelled #taylorswift #zendaya ♬ Kawaii Aesthetic – LoES
Did Kim Kardashian Lose 3 Million Followers?
There are a couple of viral videos on TikTok right now in which people are saying that Kim Kardashian has already lost 3 million followers since the blocking celebrities trend started. Unfortunately, this is unconfirmed.
Per statistics on Social Blade, Kardashian has not lost a significant amount of followers on either TikTok or Instagram since Wednesday. It's unclear where this rumor started.
@itsmurshelena #kimkardashian #kimk #block #blocked #blockout2024 #🍉🍉🍉 #🍉 #fyp #matgala ♬ original sound – Murshelena 🇵🇸❤️
Will The Blocking Celebrities Trend Work?
As news of this trend spreads online, users are debating whether it will work. For instance, TikToker @jesstheprequeldoesmiami (a self-proclaimed "15-year marketer") speculated that the trend could work surprisingly well, citing negative engagement as a major strike for a celebrity's brand health.
Meanwhile, TikToker @adammadanat wonders if the strategy could be stronger, suggesting that users attack the brands of these celebrities too by going on their website, adding an item to their cart and then not closing the tab. According to him, this limits others from purchasing the item and harms the company at large.
Only time will tell if blocking celebrities will cause real change in the world. If nothing else, it will change your timeline, vacuuming out all of the drama and baggage associated with the internet's biggest influencers.
@adammadanat #stitch with @incognegro Lets discuss other ways we can target these celebrities money #longervideos #blockout #blockout2024 #tiktok #fyp ♬ original sound – Adam
For the full history of the "blocking celebrities" trend, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.
