Blockout 2024: The Hunger Games in Real life

Worlds Apart: Met Gala 2024’s dazzling display contrasted with the tragic consequences of violence in Gaza, Images from Google Images

In a digital age where social media wields enormous power, "Blockout 2024" has developed as a movement to spark a widespread digital boycott of celebrities and influencers. People are protesting because they think that some of the most famous people in the world are choosing to stay silent or support Israel's ongoing conflict with Gaza, which has tragically taken over 35,000 lives, mostly women and children. 

It all started with the lavish Met Gala on May 6 in New York City, which set the tone for Blockout 2024. Stunning as it was, the event was a dream in comparison to the horrors taking on in Gaza. People on social media immediately made the connection to Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" books, which address the glaring disparity between the privileged and the oppressed. The public's outrage was heightened by the Met Gala, which this year was centered around J.G. Ballard's dystopian short novel "The Garden of Time," which further echoed the sentiment of The Hunger Games. The visual contrast between the lavish celebration and the harsh reality experienced by those in conflict areas brought home how different the lives of the rich and the suffering are.

The situation is very similar to the dystopian world described in the Hunger Games trilogy. Children from poor districts are made to battle to the death in the series, all for the amusement of the wealthy Capitol, who don't seem to care about the hardships these kids are going through. This stark inequality is a reflection of the world today, where the rich elite, like the people in the Capitol, don't seem to care about the growing humanitarian crisis.

The first Met Gala happened in 1948, the same year as the Nakba, or "catastrophe," which was when a lot of Palestinians were violently forced to leave their homes. People on social media have noticed this historical parallel and are making connections between how the people of the Capitol in "The Hunger Games" didn't care about what was happening and how the elite today don't seem to care about Palestinian suffering. With more and more people learning about the Palestinian genocide through the media, the gap between the powerful and the powerless grows wider.

As people on social media came together to call out the celebs and influencers who had been silent or shown support for the war, hashtags like #celebrityblocklist, #letthemeatcake, and #blockout2024 became famous. People were urged to stop supporting and boycott these public individuals and their businesses by spreading lists of them. Hayley Baylee Kalil (@haleyybaylee) an influencer, who caused a stir with her video during the Met Gala. In the video, she lip-synced to the popular movie line "Let them eat cake" from Marie-Antoinette, directed by Sofia Coppola in 2006. The quote showed how the rich did not care about the plight of the poor during the French Revolution. In light of the severe humanitarian situation, her video was viewed as a symbol of a larger insensitivity among the affluent.

The monologue that Katniss Everdeen delivers following a hospital bombing is the most striking similar.

 “I want to let the rebels know that I am still alive. I'm currently in District Eight, where the Capitol has just bombed an unarmed hospital full of men, women, and children. No one will make it out alive. I want people to realize they are fooling themselves if they believe the Capitol will treat us fairly just one moment. You know what they do and who they are. This is what they do and we must fight back! President Snow, I have a message for you. You can torture, bomb, and burn down our districts, but do you see that? Fire is catching and if we burn, you burn with us!” 

This speech hits home very strongly in light of recent events, especially the Israeli bombing of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which killed 400 civilians and hurt many more.

Blockout 2024 represents a call to conscience rather than only being a digital protest. It stresses the need of famous people and influential people realizing the power and responsibility that their platforms provide. We live in a society where the power of social media cannot be disregarded, especially when it comes to the silence of public figures. As the movement grows, it brings attention to an important point: people who have a huge influence and platform must raise awareness and speak out against injustice. People are now more educated and involved than ever before, and they expect their favorite celebrities to be transparent and sympathetic as a result of the growth of the internet.