New Delhi: There is always a movement around celebrities, sometimes in favor or sometimes boycott, like Me Too started years ago where many stars opened up about the struggles they faced and the casting couch. Blockout movement is going on these days and list 2024 list of this movement has names of many famous celebrities and Alia Bhatt is also included in it. This blockout is a growing movement. After this, he attended the Gucci Cruise Show 2025 in London on May 13. Alia has been accused of having ‘friends’. He is included on this list because he has remained silent on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has not addressed the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Now let’s know what is ‘Blockout List’?
Some social media users are calling on celebrities to band together to condemn their inaction in dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and have created a ‘blockout’ to force stars to take a stand. Due to the blockout, users have been banned from viewing any content from some celebrities’ accounts on social media platforms including X, TikTok and Instagram. Some people have posted about celebrities they’ve blocked, using hashtags like #blockout, #blockout2024, or #celebrityblockout, while others have criticized those attending high-glamour events like the Met Gala.
Blockout participants say it’s a protest because celebrities have either not spoken out, or not enough, against Israel’s actions in Gaza during the war with Hamas. Israeli forces have killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza since the war began with deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
How does blockout work?
On social media platforms, users see content from people they follow as well as content from people selected for them by algorithms. In both cases, users can choose to mute or block the person’s account. Blocking the social accounts of celebrities means not being able to see any content released by them on social media. Let us tell you that the number of people interacting with content on social media brings in money for celebs, so the block aims to negatively impact views, engagement and paychecks. The blockout also aims to distract celebrity brands from their content.
How did the blockout begin?
Protests over the Israel-Hamas war have escalated, with college campuses occupied across the country. Amidst that movement, the focus was on what celebrities and influencers were and weren’t saying after last week’s Met Gala. The annual party is attended by many famous faces from the worlds of fashion, cinema, music, sports and more. Social media is flooded with pictures of this year’s event adorned with glamorous stars. At the same time, images were also shown of Israel launching a military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. This led some users to draw a contrast between the celebrity prosperity of the festival and the situation in Gaza. Using a photo of the two, she criticized celebrities for not using their platforms to speak up for victims.
Will it have any effect?
Beth Fossen, an assistant professor of marketing at Indiana University, said its power has yet to be seen. This depends on the celebrity and what they’re known for, he said — a celebrity whose brand is associated with humanitarian causes may be more influential than someone known primarily for talent. “If your identity is really tied to promoting something that the boycott criticizes, that could potentially have serious consequences for you,” Fossen said. There may be some influential people who gain their fame by promoting peace and then they remain silent on the issue, followers cannot forgive them.
Tags: Alia Bhatt, Bollywood celebrities, bollywood news, Israel attacked Gaza today
First published: May 24, 2024, 12:24 IST