Why Are People Blocking Celebrities? TikTok’s Blockparty and Operation Olive Branch Explained

225 0 0

On May 6, celebrities, influencers, and artists flocked to the highly anticipated Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser in New York City.

For many viewers, though, the display of sparkling outfits, celebrity show-outs, and exuberant wealth felt insensitive, even dystopian, given Israel’s military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. On TikTok, some users posted clips of the Met Gala juxtaposed with footage from Gaza and of Palestinian refugees, overlaid with audio from The Hunger Games movies, to criticize the dissonance.

Shortly after the Met Gala, TikTok user @blockout2024 began encouraging users to block celebrities on social media. “Block celebrities on social media so they don’t earn ad revenue from you,” the user explained in a TikTok, which now has over 2.5 million views. “Do you know the last time Kim Kardashian made money from me? It was December 13th of last year. It’s when I blocked her.”

The proposal — which is called the Blockout, or Blockparty — quickly gained traction on TikTok. The hashtag #Blockout2024 has been used more than 38,000 times since @blockout2024 made his initial appeal last week.

Some TikTok users have criticized these efforts for being unorganized or even performative, as more and more people started posting haphazard, often conflicting “celebrity block lists.” There are already indications that the Blockparty isn’t much of a party anymore.

But a new social media-based effort for Palestine is quickly gaining ground online. Operation Olive Branch, a grassroots Palestinian aid movement, offers a direct, tangible way to support Palestinian families.

So, if you’ve found yourself thinking, Why are people blocking celebrities lately?, here’s what you need to know about the Blockparty, Operation Olive Branch, and how to lend your support.

What is TikTok’s Blockparty?

Blockparty, or Blockout, is a movement on TikTok to block celebrities, and in some cases media organizations and other groups, on social media to deny them attention, online engagement, and ad revenue partly in an effort to compel those celebs to speak about what’s happening in Gaza.

Though it seems to be a reaction to the Met Gala, often considered fashion’s biggest night, and a general expression of support for Palestinians, culture writer Kate Lindsay points out that the trend’s precise goals and who, exactly, should be blocked remain murky.

The Tiktok user @blockout2024, who originated the trend, speaks only in general terms about celebrities, rather than focusing on a certain issue or linking the movement directly to Palestine or any other human rights issue. “There’s a lot of things going wrong in our world and I think it’s important to talk about them,” he said in one post. “When you have millions of followers that look at your content every single day, you have an opportunity to make very important changes in our world and to actively not do that every single day but instead selfishly promote your own products is kind of shallow.” Later in the video, @blockout2024 encourages viewers to support underground artists and local businesses.

Though the instinct is a noble one — and many people are acting on behalf of aid and solidarity with genuine intention — TikTok users have noted the lack of cohesion and problematic blocking lists. As one user pointed out, these lists have included celebrities who are no longer alive or have publicly advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza or donated to Palestinian aid funds or other human rights causes.

In short, there is a difference between (theoretically) withholding ad revenue from celebrities versus ensuring aid and resources are put in the hands of those who need it. And this is where Operation Olive Branch comes in.

What Is Operation Olive Branch — and How Do I Help?

Operation Olive Branch (OOB) is a volunteer-led grassroots collective working to amplify Palestinian voices and support their needs, per the OOB FAQ. The collective launched in February and, like Blockout, began on social media. Much of OOB’s work involves amplifying mutual aid campaigns of Palestinian families, which they track and maintain on a publicly accessible spreadsheet so that people can donate directly.

Popular Tiktok creator @quinnickleshow recently posted about OOB, urging his 2.6 million followers to read the stories of the many Palestinian families seeking aid and to support them. “I think people with a platform…owe it to you to use our platforms for good and to use it to amplify voices that need to be amplified…I hope you donate,” he said.

Comedian Erin Hattamer started the #PassTheHat hashtag in early May, which partners with OOB and encourages other users and bigger creators to support, share, and donate to GoFundMe and other initiatives that benefit Palestinian families. As a result of Hattamer’s campaign, an OOB organizer said, the organization saw an influx of support from creators — the same creators many Black, Indigenous, and organizers of color had been asking for months to show their support.

Meanwhile, creators like Lily Hi’ilani Okimura (@hiililylani), @anania00, and @moonboycentral have likewise voiced their support for or involvement with OOB. “The bare minimum is no longer liking, reposting, and sharing and commenting on these videos,” says Okimura. “We are now begging you guys to make videos, make posts about these fundraisers.”

If you’re interested in lending your support financially or through sharing and posting fundraisers, you can learn more about Operation Olive Branch here, or go to their spreadsheet to find a Palestinian family to support directly.