Buddy do you know what you are? You’re not so much him/her she/they gay and all that crap. You’re just a loser who doesn’t know how to make any real money. Trying to tell people who do know how to make real money what they should do with their money. Government Aid is what ya’ll should be campaigning for not shaming private citizens to destroy their generational wealth to win pathetic virtue signaling points with people that they don’t even know, like you! No matter how much fame, wealth and big of an entourage that a celebrity may have the government will always have more resources at their disposal. So if you really want to help improve foreign aid start lobbying your political leaders to do better and stop pocket watching celebrities.
Thank you for this important video, Herby! P.S. I urge people to say Palestine and not just Gaza, because while yes, Gaza is the place that has captured global attention, make no mistake, ALL of Palestine is being occupied and oppressed.
@@herbyxrevolus and also to respond to this video further, I don’t believe the term “activist” as it’s used to describe people’s actual work is useful. I think it’s more meaningful to engage in work through an activist/intersectional/liberatory *lens.* That way, this lens can be applied to any & everybody’s work, be it community organizing, medicine, or art. The way “activist” is used now falls too easily into logics of capitalism that distill & co-opt anti-capitalist activism into “jobs,” “professions,” etc. Further, a lens cannot be used inconsistently, to truly use it you must apply it to EVERYTHING. I feel the same about my field of social work. A social work anti-oppressive lens taught throughout all levels of education is more useful than a specialized field where it’s taught. Doing the latter also sometimes implicitly gives other fields a pass for not having to teach about anti-oppression. I hope this makes sense, I have so many thoughts on this topic 😅
For your information, palestine is a name invented by the British when they governed that land in the middle east. The "Palestinian people" never identified as that. Jewish citizens who moved to Palestine after ww2 had a Palestinian citizenship. If anyone was oppressing palestine since 1948 it was the armies of Egypt Syria and Jordan who invaded the land of Palestine back then.
Notice how it’s only CERTAIN celebrities ppl unfollow. The ones that are already easy to hate on. Ppl aren’t unfollowing super beloved celebs that also aren’t speaking out on issues. I don’t see this as effective if you are biased in who you block
That's exactly what I noticed too. Especially in how most people wanted to just do it to people that didn't like. It's all just petty self agrandizing virtue signaling behavior honestly.
This reminds me of when people shamed and bullied celebs and corporations to post a black square or make a statement on BLM during the 2020 protests. And, as a black woman, I hated it so much. It seemed so performative and disingenuous. If they wanted to, they would. Now, what I did love is Jackie Aina and Sharon Chuter reaching out to beauty corporations and asking them to provide data on the black employees they had on a corporate and executive level and posting their responses on IG. Support, to me, is shown through your actions. I could care less about a social media statement after being forced to give it.
You'll hate to hear how all that turned out today. The Pull Up or Shut Up challenge was largely ignored by most conglomerates 3 years into it. They put up a Blackout makeup collection, where every company put in a black makeup product, so most put it an black eyeliner, slap a black packaging on an existing product, and that's it. By the second year, most companies had already ignored that collection, and the website, which already looked barren in the first year, looked even worse. By now I'm not sure it's even still up and running anymore. L'Oreal and some others were forced to fork out a few million dollars to invest in small Black-owned beauty brands, but they only awarded out a few thousand to low 5 figures to each project/ individual at a time. In the beauty world, that's not enough, and by the second year, they already considered it a done deal, couldn't force any money out of them. Last year, Sharon Schuter, the owner of Uoma Beauty, got her company sold out under her, while she was going through cancer treatment. She said she would fight it, but Uoma got sold to a conglomerate, so her chances are tragically slim. They're are more Black-owned beauty brands in Sephora now, but none of them are independent, they're all owned by large conglomerates, so ultimately, not Black-owned, hardly even Black-run. They often only have a Black as the CEO, who's probably always fighting for their lives in those white boardroom. So nothing's fundamentally changed. Everything is depressing.
Exactly! And when they did post, the online activists were screaming that they weren't doing enough. They are so intellectually dishonest and disorganized, that they end up eating each other.
I don’t care if it’s performative for places like Palestine, Congo and Sudan. They’re facing genocides and all types of horrendous shit. Information needs to be out there heavily. The performance means that people are still seeing the resources and donation links out there. Some people are crazed enough just to support or donate because their fave told them to. People forget how powerful parasocial relationships are. Back in 2020 BTS donated 1m to BLM and their fanbase matched it in 24 hours. Performative or not it is affective
I founded and ran a nonprofit for trans people for three years. Preach. I burned out so bad. There are too many needs and never enough volunteers. No one can do it all. It’s okay to just help some. Nonprofits need volunteers, board members, donors, supporters, advocates, and more. I think celebrities have little to do with it, unless they are sharing the content of advocates and activists, or donating. Like you said, we need to give the spotlight to the people who have been knee deep in it, for free, already.
shame will never be effective in “correcting” “bad behavior” from activism to parenting I think a lot of people still use shame bc of childhood trauma. Lot to sit with and unpack themselves but you’re so right shame will never work bc it triggers defensiveness which just triggers them to double down
YES! And even if the shame appears to get the desired result, it's building up resentment and a desire to avoid the catalyst of the shame. In this case, Palestine and the Congo are the perceived catalysts to shaming, therefore even if we get the desired result of "the celebs are talking abt it finally" through shame, the resentment will build inside them and will eventually blow up in our faces. Shame is not a beneficial tool of change.
Shame needs to be transformed into collective anger and collective respect. We have innate responsibilities to ourselves and each other. I kinda feel like everyone who was gonna be ashamed already is.
it's not comparable to parenting. children's vulnerabity is nothing like a famous privileged adult.. that being said, I get what you're saying but I'm confident that the 'less worse' celebrities (the ones who could actually think about the world and do something) wouldn't feel it as 'shame' but as us 'teaching' them something they KNOW they should've been learning.
@@miladeseitanexcept shaming was and is a parenting thing and it does translate to how others then use that shame and weaponize it and it shows how some folks still use it so it’s strange u don’t acknowledge that
You opened up the video with the EXACT thought I've been saying to myself while watching these videos of other UA-camrs talking about the celebrity ban. While I get and understand the reasoning behind it, those celebrities aren't the ones signing bills and putting policies in place that affect our everyday lives. THOSE politicians are the ones we should be giving grief and mayhem to. LOVE YOU HERBY!
I think the block out is valuable because it has not only inspired influencers and celebrities to speak out but i’ve seen so many creators “adopting” families and drawing attention to their GoFundMe’s which is so beneficial & i don’t think it would’ve happened without the digital guillotine
I agree! But I also think celebrities who spoke out and advocated when the block out happened are not genuine. They’re only doing it because their follows and sells are dropping. However, it DOES help in a way. But sucks that sometimes it feels performative.
Exactly people need to understand now that we don't want them to be activists we want their money and fans, that's it, some influencer was able to collect 200.000 of dollars in 24 hours
To quote the beautiful and talented Aliah Sheffield: “I hate ego-driven activism. Yall are all losing the plot and letting your ego and jealousy overshine the true problems we need to deal with.” We need to turn our focus on those in office snapping away our rights like Thanos 😒. And/Or doing what we can do to help where we can-IF we have the bandwidth. Especially in post COVID times.
We're STILL in Covid; that "post-Covid" lie is another reason to divest from celebrities tbh, because they helped sell us that LIE! People are still catching Covid and dying!
@@fromlissawithlove totally makes sense no worries! I know it's tough because early covid times were quite the shake up for most people, and a lot of people talk about covid in past tense/only reference that time.
I’ve been noticing a lot of poc women are on these blocklists regardless of their actions/voice on Palestine (Zendaya and Kehlani are good examples.) I wish people would be honest with their intentions with the lists, it’s dishonest to do this in the name of Palestine when you’re blocking Palestinian women who were openly threatened by Israel’s government because of their outspokenness on this topic.
I just knew people would take this as an opportunity to bash and cancel women. Why are there more female celebs and influencers getting blocked than male ones. EVERYONE needs to be blocked
I absolutely support holding celebs accountable, as they have an incredible amount of wealth and power, and they’re not even speaking out on the issues that matter (Gaza, Congo, etc). I just think merely blocking them isn’t gonna do much to move the needle except maybe make yourself feel better in the moment. Let’s be focused.
Power ? Power in the industry, yes. But less power than anonymous ultra rich people who own every media, every company, every brand, every place and 50 pourcent of the world wealth
i mean the whole point of blocking instead of shaming is that shaming them still gives them engagement and thus money, blocking them takes the attention they rely on away, and it HAS worked to make celebrities speak out like lizzo and hank green. i am all for a more effective solution to get them to speak out, but i honestly don’t think there is a better way to persuade them because their worlds are so disconnected from ours.
@diddy2612 Hate to say it, but yes, celebrities can bring more change than the average middle/lower class citizen living a normal life. The rich people in power are more likely to listen to the other rich people in power. People have been contacting representatives and sending emails continuously with no changes. All while a Minnesota lawmaker literally made entire new laws and regulations for safety because of Taylor Swift.
Blocking a bunch of entertainers will not change anything in Palestine or any other country in crisis. It’s sad that some people idolize celebrities so much that they expect them to be their saviors. People need to put their energy into focusing on politicians and policies especially in other countries, if they want change
People can place their attention on both the politics of the celebrities they engage with as well as devoting time to educating themselves about their political representatives stance on Gaza, the two do not negate each other. No one is asking any celebritiy to "save Gaza", and that's not the point of the block movement. It's to encourage the positive use of large platforms and discourage inaction or negative instances of large platforms, through directing social interaction, as it pertains to the conflict in Gaza. The goal is to encourage participation not to socially appoint (a) political champion(s). The modern day celebrity has a large impact on the politics of any given topic. If you focus on the celebrity you also place some energy into the social aspects that feed into politics, again the two aren't mutually exclusive. Though placing your focus on your politicians would most likely be the most effective strategy for political change I understand that people are more likely to divest or invest into the entertainment and media they enjoy watching that also aligns with their political views. I meet people where they are at because it's genuinely the best we can do over the internet. I might understand if a person wishes to participate in the block list because they don't have the time to learn about which politicians are pro or anti Palestinian liberation. I would only encourage them to place their attention on polticians aswell as their favorite celebrities, not discourage either of them.
It already changed a lot, so many gfms got a much needed boost, which directly translated to saved lives - and that was a point. More people talking - more money, and in this capitalistic hellscape it is the way that regular folks can help individuals escape if they chose to. We already tried protesting, contacting representatives (daily!) and spreading awarness. Now we need more, since we were not heard, or rather listened to, but we didn't stop doing those things.
I think you’re wrong about the idolization part. The fact that younger people are starting to block celebrities and sacrifice some of that social media comfort to take a stand, gives me hope that this is the beginning of the end of celebrity idolization.
My issue with this "digitine" movement is exactly as you said. It centralizes celebrities and wealthy folk at the expense of diverting attention from actual activists on the ground doing the work, spreading awareness, and strategizing for structural/political/economic/social reform. Not only that, I get the suspicious feeling that some of these online "activists" calling for others to block celebs use suffering people as a way to get their audiences enraged and to get views themselves. To me, this is just another manifestation of cancel culture and we all know how well that works to help people who are suffering... Also don't you find it funny how during the Covid lockdown celebrities were out here doing the most singing on cringe livestreams/ tik tok videos and everyone told them to just shut up. Now people are demanding they speak up. Oh the irony.
Although I agree with everything else i don't think the covid era is really comparable to now. People were mainly telling celebrities to shut up because a lot them were saying "we are ALL going through a hard time" while in their million dollar homes while with this people want them to use their voice to bring attention to something instead. Their little rendition of we are the world wasn't to raise a fundraiser to help struggling businesses I dont think, correct me if I'm wrong.
I saw someone say we need to block Oprah to stop her brand deals. This just seems like foolishness to me 🤷. Oprah can’t be my leader unless i absorb her influence…
Like she's already worth over a billion dollars 😂😂😂😂. Do you really think blocking her is going to devastate her or she's going to cry in her mansions or her jet? The irony is that she's actually very big with donating to charities and has been for a long time but they never mention that
I said the same for celebs- i fully understand blocking celebrities who are actively supporting/donating to Israel. I'm not sure it makes too much sense to spend so much energy trying to call out rich famous moderates though, at least not in this stage of things
The politicians getting paid off by Israel in the millions? Y'all are too optimistic for me, it makes sense to go after celebrities given that they are most likely to have influence and be somewhat connected and reliant on consumers. Politicians literally don't care and voting in a new one who will also get paid off isn't a solution.
@@arianna5270 period people act like blocking a celebrity means you are ignoring politicians. The energy people have towards people blocking celebrities is so strange.
Little precision: most celebrities don’t pay for their tickets or outfits. Big fashion designers invite them. The same companies that be firing people for speaking up against violence. And that most of us can’t even boycott because we can’t afford to buy their products anyways. The money goes to the costume institute that basically depends on the event so it’s essential. But celebrities and companies would rather spend on causes that offer them the possibility to be seen and admired. Donating do the MET doesn’t stop them from donating to other causes. They just don’t care (or are too scared to speak). But but but, if you’re afraid of speaking up, why not just donate at least? That’s what gets me. Blocking them isn’t a bad idea at all but I don’t think depending on them for this type of change will kill celebrity culture. If TS spoke up and produced results, wouldn’t that elevate her to another level of worship? I think we need a real change in our mindset. Celebrity culture needs to die for that
It takes maybe a minute to search for the celebrities you want to unfollow and actually unfollow them. I don't understand how social disengagement is cause enough for you to believe people depend on these celebrities to engage in political activism. Maybe if people actually gave up something in order to hold these celebrities accountable, then I'd understand why you believe people require these celebrities to be pro-Palestine. But you can disengage from inactive celebrities, donate funds to Palestinian families, research into your politicians stance on the issue all in the same hour. Disengagement does not produce political inactivity.
@@genuinerodent5243 you do lose something by cancelling celebrities. You lose the entertainment they provide, you can't be an activist 24/7. Eventually you'll need to unwine and watch some TV, Netflix, reality TV, UA-cam, you'll want to keep up with all the gossip on twitter etc etc
We know who gets invited to the Gala. Invitees and designers should receive an invitation to donate the equivalent amount to a pool that can direct funds to those doing the work. Most everyone playing in that strata can afford it. Hell, they can do a ‘spon’ if they want our attention. They can platform consenting activists to help in more effective ways than what most get up to. I’m under no illusion that such gestures will stop the wheel from crushing us but if it gets those outside of advocacy aware to do something? It has long been proven to help.
I support it, but so many celebrities lack the RANGE to be mouth pieces or leaders. Stepping up as leaders will cause so many to do yet MORE performance. These celebrities are CONTRACTED and do not necessarily have the freedom to be both human AND product.
We don't need leaders of celebrities. Money holds no judgement as to who spends it or what that person's political leanings are. Even if a celebrity doesn't actually believe in the cause they preach it doesn't matter, the attention and money they can draw to these issues is all literally anyone can do if they're not directly involved in the issue. Being a mouth piece for political advocacy doesn't require much effort. Not to dehumanize celebrities, but their mouths and their platforms are needed not their minds. If a celebrity can't actively contribute to political discussion they sure as hell can donate or amplify the voices of the oppressed group through sharing, reposting, liking, regurgitating their talking points, literally anything other than sitting on their hands.
I literally wanted to say this! People have stated that celebs aren't involved enough, and suddenly want the least involved people to "inform" and "bring awareness" to issues?
I mean J K R became a celebrity activist and became the mouth piece for a hate movement. So yeah block these celebrities but do it so you have time and space to PAY attention to other people, maybe follow activists instead or listen to the activist in your life and see what you can do to make thier job easier.
I feel like celebrities speaking on important issues leaves a lot of space for people to use their platforms to misinform. Requiring them to speak on certain issues suggests that the things they say will be correct whem we have no reason to believe thats the case
21:50 I agree! guilt-tripping leans to performative activism, which isn't sustainable. people need to understand liberation on a level that matters to them so they can meaningfully engage with change longterm, imo
Maybe it's because I've never followed more than 3 celebrities, but I peeped that this would be a mess and would be an attention seeking exercise when I saw no Black people leading it.
Thank you, simply based off the title alone. Too many ppl think celebrities saying something is going to change the world. Like 😂 why would it. That's what politicians are for 😮
26:35 didn’t know how much I needed to hear this. Most of my energy these last few months has been devoted to my students at an underfunded elementary school. I have pushed myself into a depressed exhausted state because I felt guilt if I did not learn something new and horrific every single day. The part of me that has been to therapy was like hey you need time to heal between work, learning, and acting, or you’re just going to burn out!! But I didn’t think I could. When things are of a global scale, where I have watched video after video of people dying, it felt too selfish to rest. Every cartoon episode was followed by guilt, an hour of gaming after a long shift felt wrong. But I can’t keep that up. I show up for my students first, then family and friends, and then I seek out what activism I can perform. And as my lift changes that order shuffles around but it has to be balanced. Because when it is balanced I can do bigger moments of activism, such as physical events. And thinking of it like that made it click in my mind of what exactly you meant by sustainable and unsustainable activism. I may have more to ramble about when I finish the video but I gotta let my brain and heart process for a bit. It’s wild to realize I felt guilty before if I watched videos like this in parts… dude ur literally a teacher you KNOW tackling things in parts can be beneficial!! Lol!!! Also thx for making me smile and laugh, u have an incredible energy keep it up queen
i've always stood by the idea that there's only SO much that the average person can do for these issues. advocacy is one of them! there's powers at play that, accept it or not, will do what they want to get what they want. all we can do as the public is add pressure.. that's about it. donating helps, protests help, writing emails to your local politicians help... but that's it. the only answer to these issues are the governments and other powers at play. there's been TONS of change facilitated in the past through activism and equally as much has gone NO WHERE even with activism. it just is what it is. do what you can to help.. educate yourself and others around you and THAT is enough. this isn't OUR faults, nor is it OUR responsibility. THE LEADERS OF THE WORLD are the ones that need to do something!!
I agree with you completely! Khadija says it best, you can always change your mind and I think we can only do that when we believe we’re capable of growth. And that courage to act on change may be amplified if empathy was practiced more commonly.
Honestly I think it's good that people are going ahead with this movement - celebrities aren't your friends, they represent corporate interests, and so given that, they're just straight up not suited to representing a movement. That said... with great platforms comes great responsibility. I don't think its unreasonable to expect celebrities to demonstrate the values their art suggests they have. But, my opinion is probably moot because I don't follow any celebrities to be listening to them in the first place 🙊 so that's easy for me to say.
I think its a waste of time to be honest. Most of them might open their mouths and say the wrong things. Look at what happened during the BLM protests...
Some of these celebrities don’t even bother to read the caption on the instagram post they’re sharing but you expect me to believe that they’re pivotal to the liberation movement??? I understand that a platform can have a huge impact regardless of who it’s coming from but I truly think EVERYBODY has the nuance/ education/ range to speak on issues where so much is at stake, and one wrong post can undo all the work that REAL activists have been doing for years.
21:31 I agree for the most part. Education, empathy, and eloquence are our three biggest weapons. My thing is the balancing act. When do we swing the pendulum from MLK to Malcom X (In their most sterotypical depictions)? Obviously we have to fight back when the state comes for us directly, but what do we do against a political opponent who has influence, but doesn't listen to reason and laughs in our faces when we explain ourselves? How do we carry ourselves when faced with people like that? Empathy will work against the average person, but it feels like there are so many people who aren't the average person...
I completely agree. And the biggest hindrance is that there is no gray area, it’s either one extreme or the next. The balancing act; combined with empathy, education, compassion and eloquence is what I wish we could achieve.
This is the first time in all my years on YT that I actually clicked on the sponsored app link and downloaded immediately. Thank you! Objective journalism is so damn important
I definitely agree. I think a lot of people are fixated on instant, material actions rather than systemic changes. Which makes sense-- shit is getting dire! Isolated material actions, like an influencer providing immediate relief to a Palestinian family by bringing awareness to their GoFundMe and completely funding it with their platform... Is amazing, and will "immediately" (pending that shit clears, etc etc) help that family. But it doesn't mean that influencer will be activated to do anything beyond that, and it DEFINITELY doesn't mean their followers will care beyond the 5 dollars one of them donated, either. This is a long game, and I think what a lot of people "new" to these discourses need to realize is that to play the long game, you have to find a way for it to be sustainable. The fervor I've seen from people online is beautiful to see, but I'm genuinely concerned that when these issues don't get resolved in the coming months, some crazy nihilism is going to set in. Systemic changes take a long time, a lot of work, a lot of disappointment and anger, and a lot of failed initiatives before the world starts to truly change. I don't want to live in a world where we keep having to make GoFundMes-- I want to live in a world so full of empathy and care that the "enforcers" of our capitalist regime can't live with themselves, that the cops put down their batons and quit of their volition not because they were told they were bastards, but because they see it and feel it for themselves. You're not going to get those kinds of radical paradigm shifts through peer pressure, public shaming, etc. But you might get individual actions. And those are good too, but... They're band-aids, and I dread to think that we're in such a tough spot that band-aids at this point are good enough.
I'm about to make a rude comment (and I'm really sorry for not packaging this well): I really needed this side of the coin to kind of process the thinking that came with Tee Noir's video. There's just so much work, man... and I don't know how to have impactful, absolute change as I have not seen it modelled in history or fantasy.
People have given celebrities so much control over their lives that they now believe that those celebrities hold the same power over everyone else. The politicians who are in the direct position to actually effect change don't care who is saying it they'll continue doing whatever they're doing unless this same energy is applied to them. Direct your energy towards the right places
politicians don’t care about the people they represent, and all actually disruptive protests have been met with police violence. the more people we have on our side fighting against these politicians, the more powerful we are. celebrities speaking out will get more people to care because they put more weight on what they say than they do on everyday people, and we need that if we want any actual change to happen.
@@name6770yes but we know celebrities are puppets for all intents and purposes. If they wanted to speak out they’ll probably just get blacklisted from the industry and they don’t wanna risk it.
I agree so much! People don’t change by being attacked or shamed. Shame doesn’t encourage someone to change, it encourages them to hide. The only way to change a person is to empathically educate those who have been misled.
Hard agree-it sounds trite, but allowing people the space to change in love is the only way permanent change (as opposed to behavior modification) happens. Period. Shame based behavior modification will always result in resentment and cultural and societal backlash, which is what we are currently experiencing.
Truly I think the best thing we can do is elevate people who are speaking out instead of giving our attention to people who aren’t. It’s counterproductive to try to force others to believe or speak about something they don’t believe in. There are entertainers who are also activists that deserve a platform. The block list feels like a desperate attempt to make a failing celebrity culture work in the way we wish it did.
Taking down a celebrity only affects those individual celebrities, and the power houses behind them remain in power. It's like attacking an influencer/creative and yet those that pay them... the ad companies are left unaffected. Hollywood will exist for escapism and if we had no Holllywood it doesn't mean the money they have will automatically go to heal the wars and lead to peace. There are better ways to actually do activism to make fixes rather than a spectacle to pretend we are actually doing something via social media, hoping to get more clicks, likes, and views... robbing Peter to pay Paul. We may be better off without the talking heads of social media who just want to get paid too for things they think we need like different news outlets or BetterHelp. C'mon... all that energy could be used to make a system to get food too all people starving in America, but yeah this will too fall on deaf ears as we continue with creatives/influencers who put on a show to pretend they actually care. When it's all about the Benjamin's, baby.
While I think celebrity activism alone won't directly stop the atrocities I do believe their voices hold weight. They have influence over large sums of people. And they sometimes even impact politics. For instance, Taylor Swift has directly impacted the legislation around AI and even impacted the amount of young people that voted years back through an Instagram post. Celebrities were also showing their support for Hilary a while back. Alot of people care more about what celebrities have to say than politicians. So it think that if celebrities can influence what people care about and subsequently who they vote for, politicians will have to care. That's the way they can they can make an impact, I think.
Celebrities are not obligated to talk or be activists, if we go that way then we should not be mad when a famous person would express political takes that we don't agree with..celebrities are just entertainers.
… The most iconic entertainers made art that spoke up against injustice. The music during the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam war and movement to end South African apartheid reflected the times. True artists make art that calls into question the status quo and asks the questions the people are asking.
@arianna5270 There are different kinds of artists. Some purely just want to entertain, some want to educate,some want to make people think. Not everyone cares about being the most 'iconic' Not every artist wants to go in that lane. Sorry if that's hard for you to grasp.
@@Streamfit-j2k Artists who monetize radical aesthetics want to make money off pretending to care while never risking too much by taking a stand are the problem, FOR ME. There have always been shallow artists who are meant to placate us, I don’t expect much of them.
@@Streamfit-j2k I get that, but I feel like the question at hand is : if you have the power to do something, why not do it? Donating is easy, especially when you are rich.
You are my new favorite content creator. Hands down. FD signifier sent me here but your Immaculate takes and beautiful energy that just radiates through the screen is going to keep me coming back. Much love, queen. ❤
I wonder if performative activism by celebrities can still be a good thing? Even if someone is promoting a cause for the wrong reasons (they’re afraid of losing money) is it not still helpful that they’re brining awareness 🤔
F.D. Signifier led me here. New subscriber! As a pro musician, I love your thoughts on this topic. I think one of the signs of genuine maturity is when we are able to live with the tension that exists between staying engaged and resting. (Love, I adore that you use that word with such reverence! Yes. The Rest is so needed, on a soul level.) There’s is no magic answer, formulaic solution, cut-and-dry, check mark done, situation. We live in there in between, ebbing and flowing as best we damn can between engaging with reality and Rest.
You could multiply Rihanna's net worth x100 and she still wouldn't be the richest person. You could put Beyoncé, Jay Z, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Madonna in a room and that net worth wouldn't even be in the top 1000. I find it weird how there are 2600 billionaires yet seems like the only ones the world complains about are the same 5, self made, entertainers that THEY made billionaires from tour tickets and music
there is no such thing as a 'self made billionaire/millionaire' etc. The only way in a capitalist world that you can hoard that much wealth is already being rich (Kardashians, Smith children), paying no taxes and underpaying your employees (Fenty). We need to stop protecting our favourite celebs just because we like them
You ate with this one!!!! To understand that the system is the target. Ra--- is what has built this world. To understand that we have to educate understand how the system affects each and every one of us. This is a segment that was needed!
29:07 This is very nuanced and very valuable to finally understand and come to a conclusion and census. Celebrities are not meant to be political activists and meaning that yes, to the average person it is upsetting that they refuse to their voices and platforms to speak up against genocides that are happening in many countries especially developing countries such as Haiti, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. That mainly Westerners, and I mean us Westerners are so keen and desensitized to ignoring these atrocities that are happening in Non-Anglophone countries and non-Developed countries. The thing is that celebrities especially, Hollywood celebrities are not our friends or relatable they are the ELITES. The *ELITES* meaning that they have so much wealth, influence, power, and social capital compared to 99% of American citizens and even the average American citizen or ordinary people who are just living their everyday lives trying to survive in a capitalist system and country. That they come home and have no time to care about issues that affect other people from around the planet. They’ve become so tired, exhausted, burned out, and depressed from overworking or even physically sick due to late stage capitalism and “unregulated capitalism”. It starts to affect the average citizen and human-being who are not elites & will never be part of the “bourgeois” society and elite club or system that these so called “billionaires in the United States, Canada & the U.K benefit from underpaid and exploited labor of their employees by being vicious psychopaths and corrupt, lying, & backstabbing monsters who want to hoard in the wealth for themselves and become vicariously selfish while benefitting from this exploitative system that they seem to apathetic and lack emotional empathy to many people who are underprivileged and disadvantage especially immigrants from non-White, non-Western, and developing countries who may be suffering exploitation, White supremacy, post colonialism, underpaid labor, child labor & child poverty meaning these children are malnourished and underfed due to hazardous working conditions and outrageous inequality from the bourgeois capitalists and bourgeois elites. It’s so sickening to hear that in 2024, THERE ARE MILLIONS OF AMERICAN CHILDREN WHO COME FROM LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD WITH BOTH PARENTS WHO MAKE LESS THAN A INCOME BRACKET OF $65,000
Timely and much needed discussion. It's all so tragic overwhelming. I usually refer to the movie title 'Everything, Everywhere, all at Once" when inundated with the news of... everything, everywhere all at once. The heaviness of it all? Yikes. Side note- this polished, iconic newscaster voice in the intro?? Chef's kiss 🤌🏾
Loved the ending because I’m big on hunger and housing crisis in the US and the end really made me feel better. I try to put resources (donating/volunteering) to help but that feeling of not doing enough is always there especially if all I can do is donate in the year
For the most part when it comes to charitable actions, we are told to help if we can, and with the younger generations wanting to help but barely being able to, they would want their idols to do it for them. IMO they’re asking the wrong people. There are more people behind the scenes that have much more influence that can make a tangible impact, but since celebrities are seen the most, we go to them instead of politicians and lobbyists. I understand celebrities have some influence but most of the action they take will appease people instead of making steps towards progress.
I love this, it becomes a lot and some people have to take a break from it because it is so stressful to see this happening. You feel like you're not doing enough when you want to just repost something and then when you're telling yourself to take a break and you feel like you're being a bad person or letting someone down. But, you're just a kid doing what you can. You want to donate but this is all the money you have until you get a job.
You have said so much of the same things I’ve been thinking. During summer 2020 I had a friend going around confronting other friends about not posting info graphics about police brutality one of these friends said something that out of context was sus so I asked her about it & turns out my friend left out the part where my friend clarified and they literally AGREED!!! Some people just want to be mad and feel justified & morally better when they truly aren’t doing much themselves
I appreciate the saying "everyone can't do everything" because i for one am the type of person to take on too much because i dont feel like im doing enough. So this saying reminds me that what i can do is enough, and i cant change the world by myself
That opening line is exactly how I feel. Stop expecting celebrities to speak out about everything. If i ever become famous I’ll be doing the Beyoncé method.
Great insight, so grateful to have found your channel. Real tired of friends and acquaintances who act morally superior because they made an IG post and wore a saucy activism tshirt.
I don't know all the answers but I just wanted to say congrats Herby on your sponsorship. I always leave your videos feeling informed and with more capacity for empathy. You always make me laugh at least once in these videos no matter how serious the topic.
I feel like for me, one of the ways I've been trying to fight activism burnout has been by prioritizing helping the community around me (in my case, Texas). It feels a little less daunting to think that, if others try helping those around them, a larger change will be affected overall. It's not the perfect strategy by any means, as many issues are a country-wide problem where larger resources are needed. In those cases I think that's specifically what pushing these large celebrities into saying/doing something comes into play, to make up for the gaps in smaller grassroots aid.
My boyfriend and I had a debate about this! And your view point is what I was trying to express. I don’t think forcing people to care or give will have any sustainable change. You articulated it much better than I could but I’m def sending this to him lol
The Met Gala reaction shocked me cuz I thought we were boycotting it. Same with the Grammies and every other huge show. But the reaction showed me people were watching it and getting upset. I thought we were gonna focus on politicians (letters, calls, speaking to other voters, town hall meetings) to try and pressure them into changing how we, the U.S., interact with Israel, DRC, Haiti, Sudan, and China (the Uyghurs are in concentration camps and being murdered.).
Fantastic video! Captured the nuances present here incredibly well. It connects with recent thoughts I have had…we need to give the word “hero” a rest but elevate “heroic.”
Keep in mind that I'm white so I can only speak on white supremacy in that capacity, but overall I'd agree with what you said. I think that the silent masses can be convinced through honest dialogue and understanding. I think the grey area begins once you reach the people unwilling to listen, those who prioritise wealth or anything else over the need of fellow humans.
True I think most people who actually see it will most likely take a stance. I think it’s just many people rely on the govt to tell them the truth and are too afraid to accept possibility that govt is lying. I especially noticed this with my boomer parents
love your takes in the video! you perfectly articulated a feeling i’ve been having for a while now. A majority of the “online activism” ive seen recently is just users shaming others for not consistently consuming and sharing all of this horrific content. it’s absolutely the worst way to get people to actually care about these issues. It comes off as a “im better than you because i share more terrifyingly graphic videos on my instagram story than you do” You can’t bully people into caring, and as you described not everyone can handle consuming their time with tragedy. Donating and continuing to educate yourself should always be prioritized.
I love seeing the shift from "only" systematic changes to having an individualistic, empathy-lead approach to change. Nobody wants to get yelled at and people won't listen or open up to an idea when feeling "attacked'. I love that we're using and expanding on this idea more. I've never heard someone " take it that far" as to say that it is absolutely fundamental and that change won't work without and even refer to historic events. I think you're right. Political changes can only do so much. When the laws change, some individuals might too but there needs to be the education and exercise in empathy and community in order for us to stick together and have this solidarity. Thanks for this video 🧡 I'm so far gone from the celebrity world, I haven't heard of the digital guillotine. I've heard the block lists mentioned in passing without too much explanation, though. This helped me understand it bur think about it critically, of course c:
I agree empathy is the bridge to change. I’ve always have had this feeling. It’s been there ever since I’ve become estranged to some of my family bc of personal issues but the last straw was political views lol, but to elaborate - I was just listening to how to win friends and influence people and the first lesson is not to kick the hive if you want honey. You can’t shame or criticize others into doing what you want them to do. It doesn’t mean not to have constructive criticism when it’s the appropriate time, but it definitely not the first step or will be effective in the long run.
im really glad you posted this video, ive been having a lot of the same thoughts and feelings but its been difficult for me to really conceptualize them in a way thats coherent- and this video does that, so thank you :)
Can I just say I really appreciate the nuance and scholarly approach you bring to all your videos and your fun, silly, lighthearted, bright energy. Your truly such a light and I KNOW you’re going places ❤️
i agree with you. i think your explanation while you were editing makes sense however im not sure how many people can be fostered into empathy. i don’t have a better solution tho
This is something I still have developing feelings/perspectives on. I agree with questioning and providing critique to the digital guillotine, and at the same time, I've personally found some comfort in seeing people speak out through the use of it. It's not that I like celebrities putting out basic apologies on their socials, but rather the social implication of the common people separating from the need to put others on a pedestal. Seeing that change, even if it feels small, gives me a hint of hope for the people around me. I've also seen others here provide examples of celebrities/popular people 'adopting' families to help them financially, and that certainly has a positive impact on the situations at hand. That being said, I also like exploring the alternatives or branching pathways we can make using the digital guillotine or similar 'trends'. For example, we see those long block lists. I'm more curious about who we could *follow* instead, like people who are more outspoken on these situations (I'm aware there aren't always many that we publicly know of, but the potential is there). Others also mentioned diverting this attention on celebrities towards politicians instead, which I also agree with. I think something also paramount to our situations is resisting in other ways - providing accessible resources for education, "sailing the seven seas" (if you catch my drift), local places to help with divestment, etc. On another note: as you stated, empathy is integral to our goals, and I absolutely agree. You can hold someone accountable *and* treat them as human. The importance of how we approach someone who needs to be held accountable often gets lost on us because we were trained to operate on capitalism's clock - haste, desperation, etc. This pace makes us impatient and more likely to hinge on shame to motivate others. If we step back and realize that we are worth waiting for, that we have time on this earth, and can work together in more manageable steps, we can chip away at the hold that these systems have on our minds. Overall, this video is a great motivator to keep inspecting our methods to making a better world in our own ways.
Love the discussion of tactics and how to effectively hold power accountable, if anyone needs more info, I highly recommend reading Howard Zinn's "A People's History of America" to see the successes and shortcomings of organizing. Great video, solid discussion!
Bullseye Herby, you hit it right on the spot. I'd acknowledge that some form of internet activism could be useful (especially in terms of dissemination and signal boosting), but in the grander scheme of things it has a limited impact in the end, and it only covers one aspect in effecting change for our greater liberation. There are more important, tangible kinds of work in activism, and honestly...those kinds of work are usually boring as all heck (certainly not the type of work that could net you internet clout points!), but *vital* to do (otherwise you wouldn't reach your goals).
I totally agree with your school of thought on how to affect change, empathy is a powerful tool that I wish more people could harness. You are so correct about not everyone can do everything all the time. Just this weekend, I went to a Free Palestine protest/march right after celebrating my cousin’s graduation! I also went to a drag show earlier in the week and got to meet Mirage from season 16 of Drag Race and still saw several of my favorite local queens! It’s ok to enjoy life and take rest and still focus on the important issues. And you’ve earned a new subscriber! ❤
As I’m following along Talking about empathy and strategies to combat white supremacy- *describes Utopian thinking without saying utopian thinking* So I’m a total audience member, but really my mind is always searching for the narrative, I want to know the Earth’s story so my learning and activism is really simply coming from this desire to know and aim for a better ending. Like yeah I know the world is doomed in some way because death will come for the world too, but I’ve chosen to believe that humans are cool at least sometimes and I want our history and our legacy to reveal that, follow the arc of Justice and all that fine utopian jazz. watching this I was thinking about a new idea I came across recently, shared by the srsly wrong boys podacast. The 4/4/4 movement, a labour movement to split the work year into 4 months for work, 4 months for vacation and 4 months for democracy. I bring it up because, this whole episode had an undercurrent screaming utopian thinking. The idea that it’s not enough to point out the flaws of the world, but also need to create a desire for alternative existence. If I hadn’t just listened to that episode I would have brought up Bo’lo Bo’lo So I started off at that apolitical space because I didn’t know where to start, i think most apolitical people actually haven’t listened through or thought through yet, like they think they know and they smell bullshit so it totally disengages without a sincere attempt. That’s why the wrong boys suggestion is really resonating, social-ecological luxury, library socialism, and total liberation? sing it, Utopianism cured my depression lol
I learn so much every time I watch hear and LISTEN to your videos. Consistent state of practice should be a State motto. If we can’t know , master or fix everything, we can always reflect and learn, at each their own pace. Thank you Herby for your work ❤
I agree with you, but I can’t walk with that level of empathy right now. In that regard you are stronger than I am and than I may ever be. Good conversation.
The blocklist thing is so performative. Its fine to not like celebrity culture, but blocking people isn't really gonna do anything. There are plenty of celebrities that have spoken up or donated already, and look what our government is still doing. Also, the point of entertainment is relief and distraction, so why are we expecting the opposite from entertainers? Its not their job to make us aware of issues, we choose what we focus as an audience. Its possible to care about Palestine and enjoy pop culture at the same time, so why are we acting like the entertainment industry owes us activism on top of entertainment? Also, a lot of celebrities aren't well-informed enough on political issues, so I would much rather they not say anything than say something that'll make things worse.
Parasocial relationships, 24/7 news cycle that reports on their personal lives and next projects - the entertainment industry fosters this kind of obsession and to say we have the option to not look is absurd. Yes we can reduce our intake of celebrity culture but it is not completely avoidable when trying to get a middle class populous to pay attention to things that actually matter because god knows people dying isn’t moving enough…
@@emaeco6602 I'm not just saying we have the option to not look, I'm saying we have the option to pay attention to both. There's also a 24/7 news cycle reporting on world news that's available to us all. Sure, the industry pushes extreme attention, but at the end of the day you are the one who decides what you watch and listen to. Just because something's in your face doesn't mean you have to engage with it. We all curate our feeds, we're not helpless or being brainwashed.
The block will drive a lot of people to divest from celebrity culture and hopefully direct their attention elsewhere such as real activists. I agree it’s performative, but not useless.
My thoughts too i think it speaks on the ignorance on many fans who have no clue how geopolitics work and the history behind why stuff happen bc of lack of critical thinking and hive mind issues. It’s concerning bc it can turn to mob mentality and could give rise to authoritarian govt to develop to silence us all.
I keep watching the work Medea Benjamin is doing, she is very conscise while speaking on the topic of Gaza and her activism is focused directly on politicians. Check her out yall!
From the Ten Principles of Disability Justice, by Sins Invalid: "6. *Sustainability* We pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long-term. We value the teachings of our lives and bodies. We understand that our embodied experience is a critical guide and reference pointing us toward justice and liberation." "Show me an activist who can no longer feel joy, and i will show you a useless activist." - Peter Staley, ACT UP activist
I've always appreciated your distinction between activists and advocates. I don't know about anyone else, but when I was younger my mental health really suffered because I was so stressed about not being "enough" of an activist. The organizational tasks and constant risks of activism as we think of it leave me feeling drained and anxious, but I've found more sustainable ways to advocate and show up for the causes I believe in.
I am agreeing with you. The reason why the education bit is important is because of movements like voting uncommitted. It's not enought to say that we need to know why and what's next. From what I found the goal is if voting Dem uncommitted someone else can be sent to the DNC as an option on the ballot. I think we hear more about voting uncommitted than anything and that's what Cardi B and many like her me included got from that. We don't approve of either candidate and voting blue no matter what is wrong and plays into nothing changing. Now I know how people feel but look at what damage has been done in this administration vs the previous and then previous ones before that. It's progressively worse because they two sides of the same coin. Now as far as societal implications that is scary bc them folks that went to thw capital I think was just the start. But I really believe we keep trying to save something we see is collasping. We say we want change but don't know what that will take. And people romanticize it but change can be scary even without violent factors. So with it it's understandable people only want it in theory. Know that was long and hope that made sense. Love the video got 7 more minutes.
Click this Link to Download SAN App: san.com/herby
Thank you for supporting me and this channel🥹. It means a lot.
Buddy do you know what you are? You’re not so much him/her she/they gay and all that crap. You’re just a loser who doesn’t know how to make any real money. Trying to tell people who do know how to make real money what they should do with their money.
Government Aid is what ya’ll should be campaigning for not shaming private citizens to destroy their generational wealth to win pathetic virtue signaling points with people that they don’t even know, like you!
No matter how much fame, wealth and big of an entourage that a celebrity may have the government will always have more resources at their disposal. So if you really want to help improve foreign aid start lobbying your political leaders to do better and stop pocket watching celebrities.
🫶🏽🤲🏽👌🏽☑️sOoo good!!!👍🏽🖤BLESS🙏🏽🥰☮️
The real solution is Islam
the “kim, people are dying” ATE.
The line about living a life our ancestors could only dream of, while not letting their past become someone’s prologue IS TOP TIER
That’s the difficult and delicate balance.
Thank you for this important video, Herby! P.S. I urge people to say Palestine and not just Gaza, because while yes, Gaza is the place that has captured global attention, make no mistake, ALL of Palestine is being occupied and oppressed.
Of course, no thanks needed! And thank you for that tip friend. It's so useful!
@@herbyxrevolus and also to respond to this video further, I don’t believe the term “activist” as it’s used to describe people’s actual work is useful. I think it’s more meaningful to engage in work through an activist/intersectional/liberatory *lens.* That way, this lens can be applied to any & everybody’s work, be it community organizing, medicine, or art. The way “activist” is used now falls too easily into logics of capitalism that distill & co-opt anti-capitalist activism into “jobs,” “professions,” etc. Further, a lens cannot be used inconsistently, to truly use it you must apply it to EVERYTHING. I feel the same about my field of social work. A social work anti-oppressive lens taught throughout all levels of education is more useful than a specialized field where it’s taught. Doing the latter also sometimes implicitly gives other fields a pass for not having to teach about anti-oppression. I hope this makes sense, I have so many thoughts on this topic 😅
For your information, palestine is a name invented by the British when they governed that land in the middle east. The "Palestinian people" never identified as that. Jewish citizens who moved to Palestine after ww2 had a Palestinian citizenship.
If anyone was oppressing palestine since 1948 it was the armies of Egypt Syria and Jordan who invaded the land of Palestine back then.
Most Palestinians in Gaza are refugees from elsewhere in Palestine. Gaza is an open air prison full of displaced people.
Notice how it’s only CERTAIN celebrities ppl unfollow. The ones that are already easy to hate on. Ppl aren’t unfollowing super beloved celebs that also aren’t speaking out on issues. I don’t see this as effective if you are biased in who you block
Yes and almost all of them are women
That's exactly what I noticed too. Especially in how most people wanted to just do it to people that didn't like. It's all just petty self agrandizing virtue signaling behavior honestly.
Yup, and people don’t even want to block UA-camrs 💀
This reminds me of when people shamed and bullied celebs and corporations to post a black square or make a statement on BLM during the 2020 protests. And, as a black woman, I hated it so much. It seemed so performative and disingenuous. If they wanted to, they would. Now, what I did love is Jackie Aina and Sharon Chuter reaching out to beauty corporations and asking them to provide data on the black employees they had on a corporate and executive level and posting their responses on IG. Support, to me, is shown through your actions. I could care less about a social media statement after being forced to give it.
You'll hate to hear how all that turned out today. The Pull Up or Shut Up challenge was largely ignored by most conglomerates 3 years into it. They put up a Blackout makeup collection, where every company put in a black makeup product, so most put it an black eyeliner, slap a black packaging on an existing product, and that's it. By the second year, most companies had already ignored that collection, and the website, which already looked barren in the first year, looked even worse. By now I'm not sure it's even still up and running anymore. L'Oreal and some others were forced to fork out a few million dollars to invest in small Black-owned beauty brands, but they only awarded out a few thousand to low 5 figures to each project/ individual at a time. In the beauty world, that's not enough, and by the second year, they already considered it a done deal, couldn't force any money out of them. Last year, Sharon Schuter, the owner of Uoma Beauty, got her company sold out under her, while she was going through cancer treatment. She said she would fight it, but Uoma got sold to a conglomerate, so her chances are tragically slim. They're are more Black-owned beauty brands in Sephora now, but none of them are independent, they're all owned by large conglomerates, so ultimately, not Black-owned, hardly even Black-run. They often only have a Black as the CEO, who's probably always fighting for their lives in those white boardroom.
So nothing's fundamentally changed. Everything is depressing.
Exactly! And when they did post, the online activists were screaming that they weren't doing enough. They are so intellectually dishonest and disorganized, that they end up eating each other.
Yeah also most of the people posting those squares didn’t educate themselves even a little bit…
I don’t care if it’s performative for places like Palestine, Congo and Sudan. They’re facing genocides and all types of horrendous shit. Information needs to be out there heavily. The performance means that people are still seeing the resources and donation links out there. Some people are crazed enough just to support or donate because their fave told them to. People forget how powerful parasocial relationships are. Back in 2020 BTS donated 1m to BLM and their fanbase matched it in 24 hours. Performative or not it is affective
@@niyaakbar1098it’s not tho
I founded and ran a nonprofit for trans people for three years. Preach. I burned out so bad. There are too many needs and never enough volunteers. No one can do it all. It’s okay to just help some. Nonprofits need volunteers, board members, donors, supporters, advocates, and more.
I think celebrities have little to do with it, unless they are sharing the content of advocates and activists, or donating. Like you said, we need to give the spotlight to the people who have been knee deep in it, for free, already.
shame will never be effective in “correcting” “bad behavior” from activism to parenting
I think a lot of people still use shame bc of childhood trauma.
Lot to sit with and unpack themselves but you’re so right shame will never work bc it triggers defensiveness which just triggers them to double down
YES! And even if the shame appears to get the desired result, it's building up resentment and a desire to avoid the catalyst of the shame. In this case, Palestine and the Congo are the perceived catalysts to shaming, therefore even if we get the desired result of "the celebs are talking abt it finally" through shame, the resentment will build inside them and will eventually blow up in our faces. Shame is not a beneficial tool of change.
Shame needs to be transformed into collective anger and collective respect. We have innate responsibilities to ourselves and each other.
I kinda feel like everyone who was gonna be ashamed already is.
it's not comparable to parenting. children's vulnerabity is nothing like a famous privileged adult.. that being said, I get what you're saying but I'm confident that the 'less worse' celebrities (the ones who could actually think about the world and do something) wouldn't feel it as 'shame' but as us 'teaching' them something they KNOW they should've been learning.
@@miladeseitanexcept shaming was and is a parenting thing and it does translate to how others then use that shame and weaponize it and it shows how some folks still use it so it’s strange u don’t acknowledge that
Shame worsens and even makes things worse. This is why things are collapsing
You opened up the video with the EXACT thought I've been saying to myself while watching these videos of other UA-camrs talking about the celebrity ban. While I get and understand the reasoning behind it, those celebrities aren't the ones signing bills and putting policies in place that affect our everyday lives. THOSE politicians are the ones we should be giving grief and mayhem to. LOVE YOU HERBY!
BINGO! They’re also the ones supplying the side that the world wants celebrities to speak up against.
Exactly! We need to keep the focus on them!
But we can start somewhere.
@@coolkidruby3429 agreed!
How many celebrities have been cancelled for not speaking up for the Genocide happening in Congo and Sudan?@@coolkidruby3429
I think the block out is valuable because it has not only inspired influencers and celebrities to speak out but i’ve seen so many creators “adopting” families and drawing attention to their GoFundMe’s which is so beneficial & i don’t think it would’ve happened without the digital guillotine
100% they have money do they have power, and I’m happy they’re using it
Exactly! I agree.
I agree! But I also think celebrities who spoke out and advocated when the block out happened are not genuine. They’re only doing it because their follows and sells are dropping. However, it DOES help in a way. But sucks that sometimes it feels performative.
Exactly people need to understand now that we don't want them to be activists we want their money and fans, that's it, some influencer was able to collect 200.000 of dollars in 24 hours
@@fluffymood665even if some just donate a few grand each it helps a ton.
To quote the beautiful and talented Aliah Sheffield: “I hate ego-driven activism. Yall are all losing the plot and letting your ego and jealousy overshine the true problems we need to deal with.” We need to turn our focus on those in office snapping away our rights like Thanos 😒. And/Or doing what we can do to help where we can-IF we have the bandwidth. Especially in post COVID times.
we are not in post covid times unfortunately
We're STILL in Covid; that "post-Covid" lie is another reason to divest from celebrities tbh, because they helped sell us that LIE! People are still catching Covid and dying!
@@oz4648 True, I should’ve said lockdown and initiate extensive_longlasting_trauma.exe 😅…
Ah, how we cope.,,
@@oz4648 You’re right. What I should have said is post the initial spiral into madness that were the dawn of the 2020’s 😂
@@fromlissawithlove totally makes sense no worries! I know it's tough because early covid times were quite the shake up for most people, and a lot of people talk about covid in past tense/only reference that time.
I’ve been noticing a lot of poc women are on these blocklists regardless of their actions/voice on Palestine (Zendaya and Kehlani are good examples.) I wish people would be honest with their intentions with the lists, it’s dishonest to do this in the name of Palestine when you’re blocking Palestinian women who were openly threatened by Israel’s government because of their outspokenness on this topic.
People saying block Kehlani is crazy, i follow her on most socials she always posts about palestine and other causes!! ppl r trippin’ balls
@@SarahBugarijaAt this point people just want to block celebs to “humble” them it no longer has anything to do with palestine
Facts! I wish they’ll just say they are envious of celebrities and are bigots for once!
I just knew people would take this as an opportunity to bash and cancel women. Why are there more female celebs and influencers getting blocked than male ones. EVERYONE needs to be blocked
exactly. Its clear that its not about anything but hating celebrities. People need to just say that.
I absolutely support holding celebs accountable, as they have an incredible amount of wealth and power, and they’re not even speaking out on the issues that matter (Gaza, Congo, etc).
I just think merely blocking them isn’t gonna do much to move the needle except maybe make yourself feel better in the moment. Let’s be focused.
You must not want any change if you’re looking for celebrities. Put that energy in your local politicians
I don’t agree with hold celebs or influencers “accountable” because they aren’t talking about political issues.. they aren’t obligated to..
Power ? Power in the industry, yes. But less power than anonymous ultra rich people who own every media, every company, every brand, every place and 50 pourcent of the world wealth
i mean the whole point of blocking instead of shaming is that shaming them still gives them engagement and thus money, blocking them takes the attention they rely on away, and it HAS worked to make celebrities speak out like lizzo and hank green. i am all for a more effective solution to get them to speak out, but i honestly don’t think there is a better way to persuade them because their worlds are so disconnected from ours.
@diddy2612 Hate to say it, but yes, celebrities can bring more change than the average middle/lower class citizen living a normal life. The rich people in power are more likely to listen to the other rich people in power. People have been contacting representatives and sending emails continuously with no changes. All while a Minnesota lawmaker literally made entire new laws and regulations for safety because of Taylor Swift.
Blocking a bunch of entertainers will not change anything in Palestine or any other country in crisis. It’s sad that some people idolize celebrities so much that they expect them to be their saviors. People need to put their energy into focusing on politicians and policies especially in other countries, if they want change
People can place their attention on both the politics of the celebrities they engage with as well as devoting time to educating themselves about their political representatives stance on Gaza, the two do not negate each other.
No one is asking any celebritiy to "save Gaza", and that's not the point of the block movement. It's to encourage the positive use of large platforms and discourage inaction or negative instances of large platforms, through directing social interaction, as it pertains to the conflict in Gaza. The goal is to encourage participation not to socially appoint (a) political champion(s).
The modern day celebrity has a large impact on the politics of any given topic. If you focus on the celebrity you also place some energy into the social aspects that feed into politics, again the two aren't mutually exclusive. Though placing your focus on your politicians would most likely be the most effective strategy for political change I understand that people are more likely to divest or invest into the entertainment and media they enjoy watching that also aligns with their political views. I meet people where they are at because it's genuinely the best we can do over the internet. I might understand if a person wishes to participate in the block list because they don't have the time to learn about which politicians are pro or anti Palestinian liberation. I would only encourage them to place their attention on polticians aswell as their favorite celebrities, not discourage either of them.
It already changed a lot, so many gfms got a much needed boost, which directly translated to saved lives - and that was a point. More people talking - more money, and in this capitalistic hellscape it is the way that regular folks can help individuals escape if they chose to. We already tried protesting, contacting representatives (daily!) and spreading awarness. Now we need more, since we were not heard, or rather listened to, but we didn't stop doing those things.
Don’t say that because they’ll attack you and start foaming at the mouth.
@@genuinerodent5243 couldn't have said it better
I think you’re wrong about the idolization part. The fact that younger people are starting to block celebrities and sacrifice some of that social media comfort to take a stand, gives me hope that this is the beginning of the end of celebrity idolization.
My issue with this "digitine" movement is exactly as you said. It centralizes celebrities and wealthy folk at the expense of diverting attention from actual activists on the ground doing the work, spreading awareness, and strategizing for structural/political/economic/social reform. Not only that, I get the suspicious feeling that some of these online "activists" calling for others to block celebs use suffering people as a way to get their audiences enraged and to get views themselves. To me, this is just another manifestation of cancel culture and we all know how well that works to help people who are suffering...
Also don't you find it funny how during the Covid lockdown celebrities were out here doing the most singing on cringe livestreams/ tik tok videos and everyone told them to just shut up. Now people are demanding they speak up. Oh the irony.
100%!!
Although I agree with everything else i don't think the covid era is really comparable to now. People were mainly telling celebrities to shut up because a lot them were saying "we are ALL going through a hard time" while in their million dollar homes while with this people want them to use their voice to bring attention to something instead. Their little rendition of we are the world wasn't to raise a fundraiser to help struggling businesses I dont think, correct me if I'm wrong.
I saw someone say we need to block Oprah to stop her brand deals. This just seems like foolishness to me 🤷. Oprah can’t be my leader unless i absorb her influence…
Also, what happens after they speak out?
Thry start being hypocritical and unblock her 😂 @@nessarmbui2606
@@nessarmbui2606FOR REAL!!
Exactly
Like she's already worth over a billion dollars 😂😂😂😂. Do you really think blocking her is going to devastate her or she's going to cry in her mansions or her jet? The irony is that she's actually very big with donating to charities and has been for a long time but they never mention that
I think we should keep the focus on the politicians signing off on this
We can walk and chew gum…
I said the same for celebs- i fully understand blocking celebrities who are actively supporting/donating to Israel. I'm not sure it makes too much sense to spend so much energy trying to call out rich famous moderates though, at least not in this stage of things
The politicians getting paid off by Israel in the millions? Y'all are too optimistic for me, it makes sense to go after celebrities given that they are most likely to have influence and be somewhat connected and reliant on consumers. Politicians literally don't care and voting in a new one who will also get paid off isn't a solution.
@@arianna5270 period people act like blocking a celebrity means you are ignoring politicians. The energy people have towards people blocking celebrities is so strange.
I mean we need to especially since they already trying to find ways to take our rights so we can’t even protest in the future so yes I agree
Little precision: most celebrities don’t pay for their tickets or outfits. Big fashion designers invite them. The same companies that be firing people for speaking up against violence. And that most of us can’t even boycott because we can’t afford to buy their products anyways. The money goes to the costume institute that basically depends on the event so it’s essential. But celebrities and companies would rather spend on causes that offer them the possibility to be seen and admired. Donating do the MET doesn’t stop them from donating to other causes. They just don’t care (or are too scared to speak). But but but, if you’re afraid of speaking up, why not just donate at least? That’s what gets me.
Blocking them isn’t a bad idea at all but I don’t think depending on them for this type of change will kill celebrity culture. If TS spoke up and produced results, wouldn’t that elevate her to another level of worship? I think we need a real change in our mindset. Celebrity culture needs to die for that
It takes maybe a minute to search for the celebrities you want to unfollow and actually unfollow them. I don't understand how social disengagement is cause enough for you to believe people depend on these celebrities to engage in political activism.
Maybe if people actually gave up something in order to hold these celebrities accountable, then I'd understand why you believe people require these celebrities to be pro-Palestine. But you can disengage from inactive celebrities, donate funds to Palestinian families, research into your politicians stance on the issue all in the same hour. Disengagement does not produce political inactivity.
@@genuinerodent5243 you do lose something by cancelling celebrities. You lose the entertainment they provide, you can't be an activist 24/7. Eventually you'll need to unwine and watch some TV, Netflix, reality TV, UA-cam, you'll want to keep up with all the gossip on twitter etc etc
@@theanimerapper6351 What does that matter and why is it relevent to the main point of my previous comment?
So well said
We know who gets invited to the Gala. Invitees and designers should receive an invitation to donate the equivalent amount to a pool that can direct funds to those doing the work. Most everyone playing in that strata can afford it. Hell, they can do a ‘spon’ if they want our attention. They can platform consenting activists to help in more effective ways than what most get up to.
I’m under no illusion that such gestures will stop the wheel from crushing us but if it gets those outside of advocacy aware to do something? It has long been proven to help.
I support it, but so many celebrities lack the RANGE to be mouth pieces or leaders. Stepping up as leaders will cause so many to do yet MORE performance. These celebrities are CONTRACTED and do not necessarily have the freedom to be both human AND product.
Great point!
We don't need leaders of celebrities. Money holds no judgement as to who spends it or what that person's political leanings are. Even if a celebrity doesn't actually believe in the cause they preach it doesn't matter, the attention and money they can draw to these issues is all literally anyone can do if they're not directly involved in the issue.
Being a mouth piece for political advocacy doesn't require much effort. Not to dehumanize celebrities, but their mouths and their platforms are needed not their minds. If a celebrity can't actively contribute to political discussion they sure as hell can donate or amplify the voices of the oppressed group through sharing, reposting, liking, regurgitating their talking points, literally anything other than sitting on their hands.
This!
I literally wanted to say this! People have stated that celebs aren't involved enough, and suddenly want the least involved people to "inform" and "bring awareness" to issues?
These contracts are not immutable. They’re enforced and encoded by people. These pipes can come out of the ground.
"Their past doesn't become another groups prologue" Was actually too good
brilliant
I mean J K R became a celebrity activist and became the mouth piece for a hate movement. So yeah block these celebrities but do it so you have time and space to PAY attention to other people, maybe follow activists instead or listen to the activist in your life and see what you can do to make thier job easier.
This part
Celebrities get called out for not speaking out about war etc. But when they do they are getting told to shut up.
I feel like celebrities speaking on important issues leaves a lot of space for people to use their platforms to misinform.
Requiring them to speak on certain issues suggests that the things they say will be correct whem we have no reason to believe thats the case
21:50 I agree! guilt-tripping leans to performative activism, which isn't sustainable. people need to understand liberation on a level that matters to them so they can meaningfully engage with change longterm, imo
Maybe it's because I've never followed more than 3 celebrities, but I peeped that this would be a mess and would be an attention seeking exercise when I saw no Black people leading it.
Thank you, simply based off the title alone. Too many ppl think celebrities saying something is going to change the world. Like 😂 why would it. That's what politicians are for 😮
One celebrity that I will give them their flowers is...Kehlani Ashley Parrish!!!
And they still put her on the block list...
26:35 didn’t know how much I needed to hear this. Most of my energy these last few months has been devoted to my students at an underfunded elementary school. I have pushed myself into a depressed exhausted state because I felt guilt if I did not learn something new and horrific every single day. The part of me that has been to therapy was like hey you need time to heal between work, learning, and acting, or you’re just going to burn out!! But I didn’t think I could. When things are of a global scale, where I have watched video after video of people dying, it felt too selfish to rest. Every cartoon episode was followed by guilt, an hour of gaming after a long shift felt wrong. But I can’t keep that up. I show up for my students first, then family and friends, and then I seek out what activism I can perform. And as my lift changes that order shuffles around but it has to be balanced. Because when it is balanced I can do bigger moments of activism, such as physical events. And thinking of it like that made it click in my mind of what exactly you meant by sustainable and unsustainable activism. I may have more to ramble about when I finish the video but I gotta let my brain and heart process for a bit. It’s wild to realize I felt guilty before if I watched videos like this in parts… dude ur literally a teacher you KNOW tackling things in parts can be beneficial!! Lol!!! Also thx for making me smile and laugh, u have an incredible energy keep it up queen
i've always stood by the idea that there's only SO much that the average person can do for these issues. advocacy is one of them! there's powers at play that, accept it or not, will do what they want to get what they want. all we can do as the public is add pressure.. that's about it. donating helps, protests help, writing emails to your local politicians help... but that's it. the only answer to these issues are the governments and other powers at play. there's been TONS of change facilitated in the past through activism and equally as much has gone NO WHERE even with activism. it just is what it is. do what you can to help.. educate yourself and others around you and THAT is enough. this isn't OUR faults, nor is it OUR responsibility. THE LEADERS OF THE WORLD are the ones that need to do something!!
I agree with you completely! Khadija says it best, you can always change your mind and I think we can only do that when we believe we’re capable of growth. And that courage to act on change may be amplified if empathy was practiced more commonly.
I mean when Drake signed the artist4ceasefire and still ended up on that blocklist 😭
Nah, they're blocking him for the pedophilia and misogyny accusations💀
Drake deserved to be blocked regardless idc
Honestly I think it's good that people are going ahead with this movement - celebrities aren't your friends, they represent corporate interests, and so given that, they're just straight up not suited to representing a movement. That said... with great platforms comes great responsibility. I don't think its unreasonable to expect celebrities to demonstrate the values their art suggests they have. But, my opinion is probably moot because I don't follow any celebrities to be listening to them in the first place 🙊 so that's easy for me to say.
I think its a waste of time to be honest. Most of them might open their mouths and say the wrong things. Look at what happened during the BLM protests...
Some of these celebrities don’t even bother to read the caption on the instagram post they’re sharing but you expect me to believe that they’re pivotal to the liberation movement??? I understand that a platform can have a huge impact regardless of who it’s coming from but I truly think EVERYBODY has the nuance/ education/ range to speak on issues where so much is at stake, and one wrong post can undo all the work that REAL activists have been doing for years.
Not everybody **
21:31 I agree for the most part. Education, empathy, and eloquence are our three biggest weapons. My thing is the balancing act. When do we swing the pendulum from MLK to Malcom X (In their most sterotypical depictions)? Obviously we have to fight back when the state comes for us directly, but what do we do against a political opponent who has influence, but doesn't listen to reason and laughs in our faces when we explain ourselves? How do we carry ourselves when faced with people like that? Empathy will work against the average person, but it feels like there are so many people who aren't the average person...
I completely agree. And the biggest hindrance is that there is no gray area, it’s either one extreme or the next. The balancing act; combined with empathy, education, compassion and eloquence is what I wish we could achieve.
*Exactly*
I love this channel and here for the block out. People need to focus on things that actually matter and start fighting back for our rights.
This is the first time in all my years on YT that I actually clicked on the sponsored app link and downloaded immediately. Thank you! Objective journalism is so damn important
Thank you friend. I agree! 🤎
Support likes yours is so important too 😭 Thank YOU!
I definitely agree. I think a lot of people are fixated on instant, material actions rather than systemic changes. Which makes sense-- shit is getting dire! Isolated material actions, like an influencer providing immediate relief to a Palestinian family by bringing awareness to their GoFundMe and completely funding it with their platform... Is amazing, and will "immediately" (pending that shit clears, etc etc) help that family. But it doesn't mean that influencer will be activated to do anything beyond that, and it DEFINITELY doesn't mean their followers will care beyond the 5 dollars one of them donated, either. This is a long game, and I think what a lot of people "new" to these discourses need to realize is that to play the long game, you have to find a way for it to be sustainable. The fervor I've seen from people online is beautiful to see, but I'm genuinely concerned that when these issues don't get resolved in the coming months, some crazy nihilism is going to set in.
Systemic changes take a long time, a lot of work, a lot of disappointment and anger, and a lot of failed initiatives before the world starts to truly change. I don't want to live in a world where we keep having to make GoFundMes-- I want to live in a world so full of empathy and care that the "enforcers" of our capitalist regime can't live with themselves, that the cops put down their batons and quit of their volition not because they were told they were bastards, but because they see it and feel it for themselves.
You're not going to get those kinds of radical paradigm shifts through peer pressure, public shaming, etc. But you might get individual actions. And those are good too, but... They're band-aids, and I dread to think that we're in such a tough spot that band-aids at this point are good enough.
I'm about to make a rude comment (and I'm really sorry for not packaging this well):
I really needed this side of the coin to kind of process the thinking that came with Tee Noir's video.
There's just so much work, man... and I don't know how to have impactful, absolute change as I have not seen it modelled in history or fantasy.
People have given celebrities so much control over their lives that they now believe that those celebrities hold the same power over everyone else. The politicians who are in the direct position to actually effect change don't care who is saying it they'll continue doing whatever they're doing unless this same energy is applied to them. Direct your energy towards the right places
politicians don’t care about the people they represent, and all actually disruptive protests have been met with police violence. the more people we have on our side fighting against these politicians, the more powerful we are. celebrities speaking out will get more people to care because they put more weight on what they say than they do on everyday people, and we need that if we want any actual change to happen.
@@name6770yes but we know celebrities are puppets for all intents and purposes. If they wanted to speak out they’ll probably just get blacklisted from the industry and they don’t wanna risk it.
I agree so much! People don’t change by being attacked or shamed. Shame doesn’t encourage someone to change, it encourages them to hide. The only way to change a person is to empathically educate those who have been misled.
Hard agree-it sounds trite, but allowing people the space to change in love is the only way permanent change (as opposed to behavior modification) happens. Period. Shame based behavior modification will always result in resentment and cultural and societal backlash, which is what we are currently experiencing.
Truly I think the best thing we can do is elevate people who are speaking out instead of giving our attention to people who aren’t. It’s counterproductive to try to force others to believe or speak about something they don’t believe in. There are entertainers who are also activists that deserve a platform. The block list feels like a desperate attempt to make a failing celebrity culture work in the way we wish it did.
Taking down a celebrity only affects those individual celebrities, and the power houses behind them remain in power. It's like attacking an influencer/creative and yet those that pay them... the ad companies are left unaffected. Hollywood will exist for escapism and if we had no Holllywood it doesn't mean the money they have will automatically go to heal the wars and lead to peace. There are better ways to actually do activism to make fixes rather than a spectacle to pretend we are actually doing something via social media, hoping to get more clicks, likes, and views... robbing Peter to pay Paul. We may be better off without the talking heads of social media who just want to get paid too for things they think we need like different news outlets or BetterHelp. C'mon... all that energy could be used to make a system to get food too all people starving in America, but yeah this will too fall on deaf ears as we continue with creatives/influencers who put on a show to pretend they actually care. When it's all about the Benjamin's, baby.
my fav youtuber and fav gay person
Omg, what I nice thing to say. I’m blushing 🤭
While I think celebrity activism alone won't directly stop the atrocities I do believe their voices hold weight. They have influence over large sums of people. And they sometimes even impact politics. For instance, Taylor Swift has directly impacted the legislation around AI and even impacted the amount of young people that voted years back through an Instagram post. Celebrities were also showing their support for Hilary a while back. Alot of people care more about what celebrities have to say than politicians. So it think that if celebrities can influence what people care about and subsequently who they vote for, politicians will have to care. That's the way they can they can make an impact, I think.
Celebrities are not obligated to talk or be activists, if we go that way then we should not be mad when a famous person would express political takes that we don't agree with..celebrities are just entertainers.
God forbid someone have the audacity to disagree with you
… The most iconic entertainers made art that spoke up against injustice. The music during the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam war and movement to end South African apartheid reflected the times. True artists make art that calls into question the status quo and asks the questions the people are asking.
@arianna5270 There are different kinds of artists. Some purely just want to entertain, some want to educate,some want to make people think. Not everyone cares about being the most 'iconic' Not every artist wants to go in that lane. Sorry if that's hard for you to grasp.
@@Streamfit-j2k Artists who monetize radical aesthetics want to make money off pretending to care while never risking too much by taking a stand are the problem, FOR ME. There have always been shallow artists who are meant to placate us, I don’t expect much of them.
@@Streamfit-j2k I get that, but I feel like the question at hand is : if you have the power to do something, why not do it? Donating is easy, especially when you are rich.
You are my new favorite content creator. Hands down. FD signifier sent me here but your Immaculate takes and beautiful energy that just radiates through the screen is going to keep me coming back. Much love, queen. ❤
I wonder if performative activism by celebrities can still be a good thing? Even if someone is promoting a cause for the wrong reasons (they’re afraid of losing money) is it not still helpful that they’re brining awareness 🤔
Only punctually
Thank you for highlighting this. It's such an important conversation. We need to find a healthy relationship of escapism and confrontation.
I wish people give this energy to politicians instead of celebrities. just saying
F.D. Signifier led me here. New subscriber! As a pro musician, I love your thoughts on this topic. I think one of the signs of genuine maturity is when we are able to live with the tension that exists between staying engaged and resting. (Love, I adore that you use that word with such reverence! Yes. The Rest is so needed, on a soul level.) There’s is no magic answer, formulaic solution, cut-and-dry, check mark done, situation. We live in there in between, ebbing and flowing as best we damn can between engaging with reality and Rest.
You could multiply Rihanna's net worth x100 and she still wouldn't be the richest person. You could put Beyoncé, Jay Z, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Madonna in a room and that net worth wouldn't even be in the top 1000.
I find it weird how there are 2600 billionaires yet seems like the only ones the world complains about are the same 5, self made, entertainers that THEY made billionaires from tour tickets and music
😮… so you’re saying… from the 2600 billionaires 5 were self made but from help with the original 2600???
@@emaeco6602 "they" I mean the world, not the other billionaires. I can assure you Elon wasn't interested in making 2 black women billionaires
People complain about Zuckerberg, Musk, Bezos, Buffett, Bill Gates all of the time.
there is no such thing as a 'self made billionaire/millionaire' etc. The only way in a capitalist world that you can hoard that much wealth is already being rich (Kardashians, Smith children), paying no taxes and underpaying your employees (Fenty). We need to stop protecting our favourite celebs just because we like them
@@pisceanbeauty2503But they still use their products.
"Part of freedom is to experience joy" yes you get it! Wonderful
You ate with this one!!!! To understand that the system is the target. Ra--- is what has built this world. To understand that we have to educate understand how the system affects each and every one of us. This is a segment that was needed!
29:07 This is very nuanced and very valuable to finally understand and come to a conclusion and census. Celebrities are not meant to be political activists and meaning that yes, to the average person it is upsetting that they refuse to their voices and platforms to speak up against genocides that are happening in many countries especially developing countries such as Haiti, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. That mainly Westerners, and I mean us Westerners are so keen and desensitized to ignoring these atrocities that are happening in Non-Anglophone countries and non-Developed countries.
The thing is that celebrities especially, Hollywood celebrities are not our friends or relatable they are the ELITES. The *ELITES* meaning that they have so much wealth, influence, power, and social capital compared to 99% of American citizens and even the average American citizen or ordinary people who are just living their everyday lives trying to survive in a capitalist system and country. That they come home and have no time to care about issues that affect other people from around the planet. They’ve become so tired, exhausted, burned out, and depressed from overworking or even physically sick due to late stage capitalism and “unregulated capitalism”. It starts to affect the average citizen and human-being who are not elites & will never be part of the “bourgeois” society and elite club or system that these so called “billionaires in the United States, Canada & the U.K benefit from underpaid and exploited labor of their employees by being vicious psychopaths and corrupt, lying, & backstabbing monsters who want to hoard in the wealth for themselves and become vicariously selfish while benefitting from this exploitative system that they seem to apathetic and lack emotional empathy to many people who are underprivileged and disadvantage especially immigrants from non-White, non-Western, and developing countries who may be suffering exploitation, White supremacy, post colonialism, underpaid labor, child labor & child poverty meaning these children are malnourished and underfed due to hazardous working conditions and outrageous inequality from the bourgeois capitalists and bourgeois elites.
It’s so sickening to hear that in 2024, THERE ARE MILLIONS OF AMERICAN CHILDREN WHO COME FROM LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD WITH BOTH PARENTS WHO MAKE LESS THAN A INCOME BRACKET OF $65,000
LETS GO another post your videos are so educational and entertaining
Timely and much needed discussion. It's all so tragic overwhelming. I usually refer to the movie title 'Everything, Everywhere, all at Once" when inundated with the news of... everything, everywhere all at once. The heaviness of it all? Yikes.
Side note- this polished, iconic newscaster voice in the intro?? Chef's kiss 🤌🏾
Celebrities should only be heard in interviews
After glorilla at the Whitehouse I wouldn't want no celebrities representing me
@@aRIE_vcr “Crime Bill” Joe is desperate. Trump’s getting back in for sure.
Loved the ending because I’m big on hunger and housing crisis in the US and the end really made me feel better. I try to put resources (donating/volunteering) to help but that feeling of not doing enough is always there especially if all I can do is donate in the year
For the most part when it comes to charitable actions, we are told to help if we can, and with the younger generations wanting to help but barely being able to, they would want their idols to do it for them. IMO they’re asking the wrong people. There are more people behind the scenes that have much more influence that can make a tangible impact, but since celebrities are seen the most, we go to them instead of politicians and lobbyists. I understand celebrities have some influence but most of the action they take will appease people instead of making steps towards progress.
I kinda agree…but some of the gurls won’t move I fear. So what do we do in that event?
I love this, it becomes a lot and some people have to take a break from it because it is so stressful to see this happening. You feel like you're not doing enough when you want to just repost something and then when you're telling yourself to take a break and you feel like you're being a bad person or letting someone down. But, you're just a kid doing what you can. You want to donate but this is all the money you have until you get a job.
❤thank you for your words and work. I’m resting tonight so these words are helpful. And I appreciate your advocacy.
You have said so much of the same things I’ve been thinking. During summer 2020 I had a friend going around confronting other friends about not posting info graphics about police brutality one of these friends said something that out of context was sus so I asked her about it & turns out my friend left out the part where my friend clarified and they literally AGREED!!! Some people just want to be mad and feel justified & morally better when they truly aren’t doing much themselves
I appreciate the saying "everyone can't do everything" because i for one am the type of person to take on too much because i dont feel like im doing enough. So this saying reminds me that what i can do is enough, and i cant change the world by myself
That opening line is exactly how I feel. Stop expecting celebrities to speak out about everything. If i ever become famous I’ll be doing the Beyoncé method.
Great insight, so grateful to have found your channel.
Real tired of friends and acquaintances who act morally superior because they made an IG post and wore a saucy activism tshirt.
Thank you for this! Just found about this channel through FD Signifier. Very excited to wade through the back-catalogue!
I don't know all the answers but I just wanted to say congrats Herby on your sponsorship. I always leave your videos feeling informed and with more capacity for empathy. You always make me laugh at least once in these videos no matter how serious the topic.
I feel like for me, one of the ways I've been trying to fight activism burnout has been by prioritizing helping the community around me (in my case, Texas). It feels a little less daunting to think that, if others try helping those around them, a larger change will be affected overall. It's not the perfect strategy by any means, as many issues are a country-wide problem where larger resources are needed. In those cases I think that's specifically what pushing these large celebrities into saying/doing something comes into play, to make up for the gaps in smaller grassroots aid.
omg this is great, and so related to the video i just filmed!! Fiq always does the best shoutouts
My boyfriend and I had a debate about this! And your view point is what I was trying to express. I don’t think forcing people to care or give will have any sustainable change. You articulated it much better than I could but I’m def sending this to him lol
The Met Gala reaction shocked me cuz I thought we were boycotting it. Same with the Grammies and every other huge show. But the reaction showed me people were watching it and getting upset. I thought we were gonna focus on politicians (letters, calls, speaking to other voters, town hall meetings) to try and pressure them into changing how we, the U.S., interact with Israel, DRC, Haiti, Sudan, and China (the Uyghurs are in concentration camps and being murdered.).
Fantastic video! Captured the nuances present here incredibly well. It connects with recent thoughts I have had…we need to give the word “hero” a rest but elevate “heroic.”
Keep in mind that I'm white so I can only speak on white supremacy in that capacity, but overall I'd agree with what you said. I think that the silent masses can be convinced through honest dialogue and understanding. I think the grey area begins once you reach the people unwilling to listen, those who prioritise wealth or anything else over the need of fellow humans.
True I think most people who actually see it will most likely take a stance. I think it’s just many people rely on the govt to tell them the truth and are too afraid to accept possibility that govt is lying. I especially noticed this with my boomer parents
love your takes in the video! you perfectly articulated a feeling i’ve been having for a while now. A majority of the “online activism” ive seen recently is just users shaming others for not consistently consuming and sharing all of this horrific content. it’s absolutely the worst way to get people to actually care about these issues. It comes off as a “im better than you because i share more terrifyingly graphic videos on my instagram story than you do” You can’t bully people into caring, and as you described not everyone can handle consuming their time with tragedy. Donating and continuing to educate yourself should always be prioritized.
Advocate vs Activist - there IS a difference! Appreciate you, your content, and collabing with us.
This has been the most balanced take on...well, everything going on in the world. Subscribed immediately. Keep up the great work 💕💕💕
I love seeing the shift from "only" systematic changes to having an individualistic, empathy-lead approach to change.
Nobody wants to get yelled at and people won't listen or open up to an idea when feeling "attacked'.
I love that we're using and expanding on this idea more. I've never heard someone " take it that far" as to say that it is absolutely fundamental and that change won't work without and even refer to historic events. I think you're right.
Political changes can only do so much. When the laws change, some individuals might too but there needs to be the education and exercise in empathy and community in order for us to stick together and have this solidarity.
Thanks for this video 🧡
I'm so far gone from the celebrity world, I haven't heard of the digital guillotine. I've heard the block lists mentioned in passing without too much explanation, though. This helped me understand it bur think about it critically, of course c:
I agree empathy is the bridge to change. I’ve always have had this feeling. It’s been there ever since I’ve become estranged to some of my family bc of personal issues but the last straw was political views lol, but to elaborate - I was just listening to how to win friends and influence people and the first lesson is not to kick the hive if you want honey. You can’t shame or criticize others into doing what you want them to do.
It doesn’t mean not to have constructive criticism when it’s the appropriate time, but it definitely not the first step or will be effective in the long run.
im really glad you posted this video, ive been having a lot of the same thoughts and feelings but its been difficult for me to really conceptualize them in a way thats coherent- and this video does that, so thank you :)
Can I just say I really appreciate the nuance and scholarly approach you bring to all your videos and your fun, silly, lighthearted, bright energy. Your truly such a light and I KNOW you’re going places ❤️
i agree with you. i think your explanation while you were editing makes sense however im not sure how many people can be fostered into empathy. i don’t have a better solution tho
This is something I still have developing feelings/perspectives on.
I agree with questioning and providing critique to the digital guillotine, and at the same time, I've personally found some comfort in seeing people speak out through the use of it.
It's not that I like celebrities putting out basic apologies on their socials, but rather the social implication of the common people separating from the need to put others on a pedestal. Seeing that change, even if it feels small, gives me a hint of hope for the people around me.
I've also seen others here provide examples of celebrities/popular people 'adopting' families to help them financially, and that certainly has a positive impact on the situations at hand.
That being said, I also like exploring the alternatives or branching pathways we can make using the digital guillotine or similar 'trends'.
For example, we see those long block lists. I'm more curious about who we could *follow* instead, like people who are more outspoken on these situations (I'm aware there aren't always many that we publicly know of, but the potential is there). Others also mentioned diverting this attention on celebrities towards politicians instead, which I also agree with. I think something also paramount to our situations is resisting in other ways - providing accessible resources for education, "sailing the seven seas" (if you catch my drift), local places to help with divestment, etc.
On another note: as you stated, empathy is integral to our goals, and I absolutely agree.
You can hold someone accountable *and* treat them as human.
The importance of how we approach someone who needs to be held accountable often gets lost on us because we were trained to operate on capitalism's clock - haste, desperation, etc. This pace makes us impatient and more likely to hinge on shame to motivate others. If we step back and realize that we are worth waiting for, that we have time on this earth, and can work together in more manageable steps, we can chip away at the hold that these systems have on our minds.
Overall, this video is a great motivator to keep inspecting our methods to making a better world in our own ways.
25:00 this whole part. A little empathy won't hurt you, but not having it hurts yourself and others
Love the discussion of tactics and how to effectively hold power accountable, if anyone needs more info, I highly recommend reading Howard Zinn's "A People's History of America" to see the successes and shortcomings of organizing.
Great video, solid discussion!
Bullseye Herby, you hit it right on the spot.
I'd acknowledge that some form of internet activism could be useful (especially in terms of dissemination and signal boosting), but in the grander scheme of things it has a limited impact in the end, and it only covers one aspect in effecting change for our greater liberation.
There are more important, tangible kinds of work in activism, and honestly...those kinds of work are usually boring as all heck (certainly not the type of work that could net you internet clout points!), but *vital* to do (otherwise you wouldn't reach your goals).
I totally agree with your school of thought on how to affect change, empathy is a powerful tool that I wish more people could harness. You are so correct about not everyone can do everything all the time. Just this weekend, I went to a Free Palestine protest/march right after celebrating my cousin’s graduation! I also went to a drag show earlier in the week and got to meet Mirage from season 16 of Drag Race and still saw several of my favorite local queens! It’s ok to enjoy life and take rest and still focus on the important issues. And you’ve earned a new subscriber! ❤
I loved this video. Comprehensive, well-rounded, and communally focused. Beautiful!
As I’m following along
Talking about empathy and strategies to combat white supremacy- *describes Utopian thinking without saying utopian thinking*
So I’m a total audience member, but really my mind is always searching for the narrative, I want to know the Earth’s story so my learning and activism is really simply coming from this desire to know and aim for a better ending.
Like yeah I know the world is doomed in some way because death will come for the world too, but I’ve chosen to believe that humans are cool at least sometimes and I want our history and our legacy to reveal that, follow the arc of Justice and all that fine utopian jazz.
watching this I was thinking about a new idea I came across recently, shared by the srsly wrong boys podacast. The 4/4/4 movement, a labour movement to split the work year into 4 months for work, 4 months for vacation and 4 months for democracy.
I bring it up because, this whole episode had an undercurrent screaming utopian thinking. The idea that it’s not enough to point out the flaws of the world, but also need to create a desire for alternative existence.
If I hadn’t just listened to that episode I would have brought up Bo’lo Bo’lo
So I started off at that apolitical space because I didn’t know where to start, i think most apolitical people actually haven’t listened through or thought through yet, like they think they know and they smell bullshit so it totally disengages without a sincere attempt.
That’s why the wrong boys suggestion is really resonating, social-ecological luxury, library socialism, and total liberation? sing it, Utopianism cured my depression lol
I learn so much every time I watch hear and LISTEN to your videos. Consistent state of practice should be a State motto. If we can’t know , master or fix everything, we can always reflect and learn, at each their own pace. Thank you Herby for your work ❤
I agree with you, but I can’t walk with that level of empathy right now. In that regard you are stronger than I am and than I may ever be. Good conversation.
The blocklist thing is so performative. Its fine to not like celebrity culture, but blocking people isn't really gonna do anything. There are plenty of celebrities that have spoken up or donated already, and look what our government is still doing. Also, the point of entertainment is relief and distraction, so why are we expecting the opposite from entertainers? Its not their job to make us aware of issues, we choose what we focus as an audience. Its possible to care about Palestine and enjoy pop culture at the same time, so why are we acting like the entertainment industry owes us activism on top of entertainment? Also, a lot of celebrities aren't well-informed enough on political issues, so I would much rather they not say anything than say something that'll make things worse.
Parasocial relationships, 24/7 news cycle that reports on their personal lives and next projects - the entertainment industry fosters this kind of obsession and to say we have the option to not look is absurd. Yes we can reduce our intake of celebrity culture but it is not completely avoidable when trying to get a middle class populous to pay attention to things that actually matter because god knows people dying isn’t moving enough…
@@emaeco6602 I'm not just saying we have the option to not look, I'm saying we have the option to pay attention to both. There's also a 24/7 news cycle reporting on world news that's available to us all. Sure, the industry pushes extreme attention, but at the end of the day you are the one who decides what you watch and listen to. Just because something's in your face doesn't mean you have to engage with it. We all curate our feeds, we're not helpless or being brainwashed.
The block will drive a lot of people to divest from celebrity culture and hopefully direct their attention elsewhere such as real activists. I agree it’s performative, but not useless.
Thank you!
My thoughts too i think it speaks on the ignorance on many fans who have no clue how geopolitics work and the history behind why stuff happen bc of lack of critical thinking and hive mind issues. It’s concerning bc it can turn to mob mentality and could give rise to authoritarian govt to develop to silence us all.
I keep watching the work Medea Benjamin is doing, she is very conscise while speaking on the topic of Gaza and her activism is focused directly on politicians. Check her out yall!
Ive been hoping for your take on this!
From the Ten Principles of Disability Justice, by Sins Invalid: "6. *Sustainability*
We pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long-term.
We value the teachings of our lives and bodies. We understand that our
embodied experience is a critical guide and reference pointing us toward
justice and liberation."
"Show me an activist who can no longer feel joy, and i will show you a useless activist." - Peter Staley, ACT UP activist
I've always appreciated your distinction between activists and advocates. I don't know about anyone else, but when I was younger my mental health really suffered because I was so stressed about not being "enough" of an activist. The organizational tasks and constant risks of activism as we think of it leave me feeling drained and anxious, but I've found more sustainable ways to advocate and show up for the causes I believe in.
I am agreeing with you. The reason why the education bit is important is because of movements like voting uncommitted. It's not enought to say that we need to know why and what's next. From what I found the goal is if voting Dem uncommitted someone else can be sent to the DNC as an option on the ballot. I think we hear more about voting uncommitted than anything and that's what Cardi B and many like her me included got from that. We don't approve of either candidate and voting blue no matter what is wrong and plays into nothing changing. Now I know how people feel but look at what damage has been done in this administration vs the previous and then previous ones before that. It's progressively worse because they two sides of the same coin. Now as far as societal implications that is scary bc them folks that went to thw capital I think was just the start. But I really believe we keep trying to save something we see is collasping. We say we want change but don't know what that will take. And people romanticize it but change can be scary even without violent factors. So with it it's understandable people only want it in theory. Know that was long and hope that made sense. Love the video got 7 more minutes.
I support disillusionment but I abhor performative disillusionment rooted in monkey ego
Agreed
New subscriber here! I came from FDs repost and I'm staying for sure. This was a whole educational kiki, I was just nodding along for the entire vid