Here’s The Problem With A Celebrity: During times of global crisis, celebrity culture can feel overwhelming. When Israel’s offensive in Rafah, Gaza, coincided with the Met Gala in New York, this emotion was painfully visible. No one on social media missed the stark contrast between the glamorous event and the terrible situation in Gaza, where more than 30,000 people have died in the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

Pro-Palestinian groups scolded the Met Gala’s celebrity attendees for remaining silent about the issue. The controversy escalated after influencer Haley Kalil uploaded a TikTok video—which she subsequently removed—in which she lip-synced to “let them eat cake” while dressed like Marie Antoinette. Following this, @ladyfromtheoutside, a TikTok user, started a “digital guillotine” campaign, asking fans to unfollow celebrities who remained silent over the dispute, including Justin Bieber, Drake, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. Reducing their internet following will have a financial impact.

 Activists from Generation Z have already organized boycotts of companies and schools they hold responsible to demand an end to the conflict and divest from Israel. Nevertheless, dealing with famous people in the same way is trickier. Writer Shenequa Golding said on the podcast “I Know That’s Right” that people shouldn’t hold celebrities to account when it comes to complex social issues. She went on to say that some famous people may be able to speak out, but others would not, and asking for their opinion could be disappointing.

 According to Golding, author of “A Black Girl in the Middle,” fans should not put too much stock on celebrities talking about heavy topics because their entertainment ability does not guarantee they are politically literate. While it’s encouraging when famous people speak out of their own will, she said that if they do it to win back fans, people may doubt the sincerity of their comments.

 The level of community involvement in the boycott will determine its success or failure. But there’s a big catch: internet conversations are very fleeting. When famous people cave to pressure, it could make them look fake and hurt the campaign’s credibility.

 Although it is admirable that Generation Z wants to see the war end, it’s unclear that blocking hundreds of celebrities will be the best way to do so. Because famous people are fallible, this strategy could detract from efforts that make a difference. It could be more productive to direct resources toward programs that help individuals impacted by the conflict while tackling its underlying causes.