Mabuse

Can someone explain this?

Both of my daughters’ Zoom Internet dance classes are cancelled because of Blackout Day. So I thought,okay, with all that time I’m going to sit them down and teach them about American music and the black contributions that make our music so good. But then I go to iTunes to buy Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace it’s all shut down for the day. Is stopping us from buying music while we’re shut down really a helpful gesture?

The Questyen

It's not for you to say what is a helpful gesture or not. The people behind Blackout Tuesday have requested that you don't buy or sell anything on this day.

Giantrobo

Not to get political here but it's a "Peaceful Protest" that people have been begging for...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackout_Tuesday

Mabuse

Well, I guess I’m doing my part. By doing nothing.

Am I not supposed to listen to music?

DJariya

You're not supposed to stream YouTube, stream music or promote yourself in any way. That's why so many today have put black boxes on their social media accounts and will not post anything today. Lots of YouTube programs have gone dark today.

Meathead

Apple only shut off the music section of the iTunes store... if they were participating why not the whole store?

Mabuse

Can I use Prime Music? The messaging on this hasn’t been very good. Not sure what I’m supposed to do.

I woke up the neighborhood to Aretha Franklin’s Young Gifted and Black and Living Color’s Cult of Personality. All on Prime. Did I do good?

fujishig

I thought it was a music industry thing, are movie studios and the like participating too?

GuessWho

Spotify is running as always

brayzie

At first I can see questioning the effectiveness of it. But like Giantrobo said, this should give people critical of non-peaceful protests something to support. And it helps to create awareness. Yeah, no one can really ignore protests, riots, store boarding up and curfews, but even an inconvenience like this might cause people to look more into the issue. It's like when Wikipedia shut down for a day to protest SOPA and spread awareness about.

Inhumans99

Since no one answered your question yet, if I were your neighbor I would want to throttle you for blasting music early in the morning but I think you did good. You certainly could have picked worse songs to listen too.

Mabuse

My neighbor is a well known fuck head. Haven’t you heard? Do a search. He’s notorious.

Thanks for the compliment.

Inhumans99

Also wanted to note in this thread that yup...certain music services were shut-down to honor the protesters (I am cool with that) as when I asked my Google Home device to stream Sirius XM's Cinemagic channel yesterday afternoon (which is great if you like listening to movie scores or songs that were in films) it said something went wrong so I chalk it up to them not streaming as part of the Wednesday Blackout Day.

Today, everything is back to normal.

cultshock

I'd heard of the blackout happening, but I guess I just didn't experience it, as I mainly use Spotify for streaming and was mostly listening to European metal bands.

Man, people around here are getting suspended left and right, everything and everyone is just going nuts these days. I have a feeling that all this stress will end up taking a huge toll on society.

atrium

Who the hell is going to be swayed in their political persuasions because they can’t listen to music for 24 hours? This is slacktivism at its finest.

Giantrobo

There's more to it than that.

kefrank

Can we have a permanent blackout on the term "slacktivism"?

For those genuinely interested in more about the thought behind Blackout Day, in addition to the wiki link that Giantrobo posted, you can check out this site:
https://www.theshowmustbepaused.com/

atrium

No. Not until it stops being a thing.

kefrank

Ok, let's compromise. Can we put a blackout on using the term "slacktivism" as a lazy way to dismiss actions that one just doesn't want to take the time or energy to really understand?

Spiderbite

Why? It's the truth and the word sticks. It is such a lazy way to stand for something and actually do nothing. Might as well give the usual "thoughts and prayers" statement.

Son: "What did you do to protest injustice back in 2020, Daddy?"
Daddy: "I blacked out my instagram profile and bought a T-shirt. Things were crazy back then."
Son: "You were so brave to take a stand."

brayzie

Why assume that’s all these people are doing? Maybe people protested in the streets AND spread awareness on social media via “Blackout Tuesday.”

Me personally I think people should also completely protest Twitter itself for allowing hate speech from Trump all this time. I would like to see a “Blackout Week” to send a greater message. I don’t know how strong the economic effect is of one day, but who knows.

Maybe if other media platforms followed suit, TV networks, etc. We’re so dependent on entertainment and pop-culture. And if an inconvenience at least forces them one more time to be reminded of what’s going on, and not simply ignore it in that moment through escapist entertainment and media, that’s something. And in conjunction with everything else people are doing: peaceful protests, holding media accountable (NY Times pro-fascist Opinion piece), demanding social media change their operations, demanding police be held accountable, etc, then even that little bit helps.

Josh-da-man

#endslacktivisism

atrium

What do we think is more likely? That Blackout Day is making a tangible difference in the fight for racial equality and police brutality; or that people are likely to participate in it and pat themselves on the back for a job well done thinking they made a difference?

I don't believe in rewarding people for doing nothing because I think it makes them more likely to not participate in actually meaningful protests. If you want to make a difference, gtfo there and make your voice heard. Don't settle for the most passive protest of all time.