What's the difference between being "blacklisted" and being "boycotted?"

[ColbertWatcher]

Apparently, the Prop Hate supporters have resorted to playing the victim again (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4460391&mesg_id=4460391) by claiming to be on the wrong end of a "blacklist."

Okay, DU, for the sake of any lurking morans, what's the difference between being the target of a "boycott" and being "blacklisted?"

[wryter2000]

1. Just a wild-assed guess

Blacklists are kept by the government or people in charge...in other words, the people who have power over the rest of us. Boycotts are called by consumers, who have less power over others.

[atreides1]

2. For the lurking Morans

A boycott is a form of consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some other organization as an expression of protest, usually of political reasons.


A blacklist is a list or register of persons who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize them from a certain social circle. Conversely, a whitelist is a list or compilation or list identifying persons or organizations that are accepted, recognized, or privileged.

[HEyHEY]

3. You can't boycott a person.

[lob1]

7. And if you blacklist say, a grape, you may keep that grape

from getting a job as wine.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. LOL! n/t

[EFerrari]

21. LOL!

[WeDidIt]

17. You can sure as shit shun them there, though.

I love a little alliteration.

[secretoftheoldclock]

4. Pulling this out of my ass, but...

when you're blacklisted, you are banned from powerful people giving you jobs, etc., and boycotting means the public refuses to buy your product. So if Michael Jackson got blacklisted, he'd have a hard time cutting a record and going on the air, but if boycotted, the public would stop buying his albums.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. Thank you for including an example. Welcome to DU! n/t

[secretoftheoldclock]

9. Thanks and interesting question...

[merwin]

5. The difference...

Blacklist: A list of persons or organizations that have incurred disapproval or suspicion or are to be boycotted or otherwise penalized.
Boycott: To abstain from or act together in abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with as an expression of protest or disfavor or as a means of coercion.

A blacklist could be a list of people you are boycotting :)

[AntiFascist]

12. I had a discussion like this with my partner yesterday...

he wants to distribute a list of people and businesses to boycott at the protest on Saturday. I'm all in favor of boycotting, but when it comes to creating a list and distributing it I'm a little hesitent for various reasons. I can't quite voice my reasons, but maybe it has do with the fact that a list is somewhat permanant and people are capable of changing their minds. For example, the daughter of the owner of El Coyote was given an opportunity to change her viewpoint at a press conference, but she chose not to and the boycott of the restaurant continues.

[winggirle]

8. All I can say is...

WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA politics...it is more racy than most states and it does not even allow it's public citizens certain rights...

California should be its own Nation because a lot of things done in California most of the time, remain within the walls of Californians supreme court....

just a little knowledge, i did not pledge any money towards any other Prop besides (12) Veterans baby...

taff

[gollygee]

10. Someone on the other thread made a good point

That a blacklist is a more or less secret list made up by people in power, and the people who are on the list might not know they are on it, might not know why they got on it, and almost certainly have no way to defend themselves.

That's not what is going on here. People know why they're on the list, it is not secret, their own actions put them there, and they can tell people whatever they want about why they gave money in support of Proposal 8.

[ColbertWatcher]

13. I like that point about secrecy. Thank you for posting. n/t

[TheWraith]

11. A blacklist is a list of people who are denied employment and/or services.

It's generally enforced by a government or trade organization.

A boycott is a wide-scale voluntary avoidance of companies or groups usually associated with an unpopular practice, in the hope of getting them to alter their behavior.

The difference is a boycott is always public, entirely voluntary, has no government or official backing, and is intended to pressure for change rather than as a punitive measure.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. "intended to pressure for change rather than as a punitive measure."

Another good point, thank you for adding this!

[DinahMoeHum]

15. Blacklisting is imposed from the top down. . .Boycotting is initiated from the bottom up.

n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Yup. Simple and to the point. Thank you. n/t

[Karenina]

19. Boycotts are public knowledge. Blacklists, not necessarily...

[EFerrari]

20. That's right. Blacklists are a form of terrorism in a way.

Imposition of power via secrecy and threat.