E.g. CNN threatened to broadcast a Reddit posters personal information to over 2 billion people worldwide unless he took down and apologised for a hilarious meme he (allegedly) made of president Trump wrestling CNN WWF style, that is actually blackmail.
by CNNknowsMyName July 6, 2017
Blackmail refers to a situation that arises when a person threatens another person with some form of punishment if they do not offer some form of concessions. Blackmail is usually the result of one person somehow obtaining embarassing information about another and threatening to disclose it unless some form of payment (money or favors) is offered. The term originates from the words "black" and "mail", which referred to the dark or threatening nature of the letters (mail) that were received detailing the threat. Although blackmail usually entails paying a price to obtain another person's silence about an embarassing situation, it need not involve an actual event before it can be conducted. The threat of embarassing someone for a contrived event can be enough to conduct blackmail effectively, provided the threat is believable.
Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition frequently tells companies that if they do not donate to their cause and hire their members, they will accuse them of racism and organize commerce-damaging protests. Whether any racism exists or not, the threat of income loss and negative publicity is enough to extract blackmail money.
by FigurinOutLife March 24, 2004
Something that my friend entitled Juice Shoe calls threatening to tell my crush I like him if I refuse to do her bidding.
by PteroIsabela February 3, 2021
noun: a horrible or funny embarrassing picture of a friend or someone that you know that you are able to use against them
verb: (to) blackmail; to take an embarrassing picture or to use an embarrassing picture against somebody.
verb: (to) blackmail; to take an embarrassing picture or to use an embarrassing picture against somebody.
by werecoolx3 August 28, 2010
Mail for black people.
by downloader676 April 23, 2011
by hlposerpwner May 6, 2010
When the people in your life use fear, obligation, and guilt to manipulate you. It is a very powerful form of manipulation in which the person directly or indirectly threatens to punish you if you don't compile with how they want you to behave.
Some examples of things Emotional Blackmailers say are: "If you really loved me..." "After all I've done for you..." "How can you be so selfish..."
Some examples of things Emotional Blackmailers say are: "If you really loved me..." "After all I've done for you..." "How can you be so selfish..."
by OneBadAsp October 22, 2006