Rosie O’Donnell’s call for 'economic blackout protest' in US sparks backlash
WASHINGTON, DC: Rosie O’Donnell faced intense backlash after calling for an economic blackout in the United States from her new home in Ireland.
Posting her proposal on Instagram, O’Donnell sparked a flood of critical responses, with many social media users pushing back against what they saw as a politically motivated stunt.
Rosie O'Donnell shares a post calling for a 'mass blackout'
On Wednesday, October 22, the former 'The View' co-host Rosie O' Donnell shared a post on Instagram calling for a “Mass Blackout” and announcing, “The largest economic blackout protest in US history begins November 25th.”
The post urged workers to stay home, avoid public gatherings, and refrain from dining out, with the image's headline stating, “We’re not asking. We’re shutting it down.”
It further outlined, “No work, No Spending, No Restaurants, No projects, No Events,” adding, “No Backing Out. Prepare for the Impact.”
The post also advised, “To prevent 'spike spending' before and after the Blackout. We ask that all participants purchase goods needed from community-owned stores and markets leading up to and after the dates. This helps with sustained impact and keeps our money out of the mega businesses' pockets.” It concluded with a capitalized call: “Coordinated National Pushback. Maximum Local Impact.”
While experts suggest that such a protest would likely have little effect on the overall economy, hundreds of Instagram users reacted strongly, criticizing and mocking O’Donnell’s call to action.
Outrage over Rosie O'Donnell's call for economic blackout in US
Several Instagram users expressed their outrage at Rosie O’Donnell’s radical call to action under her post.
One commenter wrote, “What did restaurants do to you? You wrote it 2x. Lots of mom and pop places will go under. Service staff survives on the tips. Many of those workers live pay check to pay check," and another added, “That’s so nice of you to pay my rent and car note since my check will be short a week.”
A commenter asked, "I thought you left America?"
Some criticized O’Donnell for her distance from the US, questioning her right to weigh in. “This one at that, that doesn’t even live here anymore!! Why does she even have a right to speak this when she chose to run!!” one follower wrote. Another took aim at her wealth, stating, “I love how multi millionaires are calling for people who work paycheck to paycheck not to show up for work.”
Frustration with celebrity opinions ran high, with one Instagram user venting, “How about we boycott celebrities! They think their opinion is so important!! Unfollow all celebrities on social media!! They need us, we don’t need them! Don’t buy anything that promotes them, no movies, no music, no concerts, no merchandise. Ghost them all!!”
A social media user said, "A lot of small biz will suffer with a week of no sales, myself included. Maybe not even be able to pay rent or employees with that much revenue loss."
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