Chasing Clout

Chasing clout is when someone does and says things for the sole purpose of becoming more popular. It is most often used to describe people on social sites that are shallow and desperate to gain followers and become famous.

The phrase became popular in 2016 as a way to criticize "fake" people that pretend to be something in order to get more attention. It comes from the hip-hop music scene, along with the "Clout chaser" term and has become particularly popular on social sites, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

On social media, people may chase clout by posting comments and sharing photos that promote their fake lifestyle. Or they may pretend to be someone else to become friends with a famous person that has more "clout" that they can leech from. People that take part in this type of clout chasing are called "Clout leeches."

People on social media that take advantage of social movements may be called "Performative activists." This term became popular in 2020.

There has been some criticism of the "chasing clout" phrase since people have begun calling anyone who wants to be successful a "clout chaser." The difference between people that just want to be successful and clout chasers is that clout chasers are willing to forfeit their identity just to get fame.