White oval-framed sunglasses with dark lenses known as Clout Goggles

Clout

2017catchphraseclassic

Published August 17, 2026

Clout is internet slang for social influence, the ability to move a room or an algorithm. The word was popularized as political jargon by Chicago journalist Mike Royko in the 1960s, then hit rap and YouTube culture in 2017 alongside Denzel Curry's oversized white Clout Goggles and FaZe Banks' CloutGang collective.

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Overview

Clout is slang for social influence, the ability to move a room or an algorithm. Someone with clout can trigger a reaction just by showing up, whether that reaction is a co-sign, a hashtag, or a fight2. By the late 2010s the word was fused with rap culture, YouTube drama, and a specific pair of oversized white sunglasses called Clout Goggles1.

The word itself is old. It traces back to the Middle English "clūt," a scrap of cloth, first recorded before 900 A.D., before picking up figurative senses of a hard blow and, later, political muscle2. Urban Dictionary users skew mocking about the modern version, defining it as "wanting attention on social media" tied to figures like Jake Paul4.

Origin & Background

Platform
Print journalism (word origin) / YouTube (2017 viral spread)
Creator
Mike Royko
Date
2017

The political sense of clout was popularized in the 1960s by Chicago journalist Mike Royko, who used the word to describe influential politicians and community bosses in the Richard J. Daley era. Royko formalized his definition in a June 7th, 1973 Chicago Tribune column titled "What 'Clout' Is And Isn't," arguing the word belonged specifically to Chicago machine politics3. Dictionary.com still lists that political sense alongside older meanings like "a hard blow with the hand" and "a nail for attaching sheet metal to wood"2.

How It Spread

Clout hit rap culture in 2017. On June 1st, YouTuber Live Vlone posted a clip of rapper Denzel Curry putting on thick, oval white sunglasses and saying, "These ain't glasses, baby, these are Clout Goggles"1. The frames were a reissue of a 1993 Christian Roth style once worn by Kurt Cobain, put back on the market in May 2017 as rappers including Playboi Carti, Lil Pump and Lil Yachty were already wearing similar shapes1. On July 25th, GQ dubbed them "the white sunglasses you're seeing everywhere," pinning the trend on mumble rappers chasing followers1.

The word crossed into YouTube drama that summer. In August 2017, FaZe Banks branded his circle of creators "#CloutGang" as a counter to Jake Paul's Team 10, and an August 20th DramaAlert interview with Banks, Alissa Violet and RiceGum on the beef racked up 2.1 million views in four days3. Around the same time, "chasing clout" turned into a common insult on YouTube and rap Twitter, aimed at anyone accused of doing something purely for attention4.

By 2018 the slang had leaked far enough that outsiders needed a translator. A May 5th, 2018 r/OutOfTheLoop thread asking what "clout" and "clout gangs" even meant pulled more than 1,900 upvotes in three days, with a top reply mapping out the so-called "Clout House" occupied by FaZe Banks, Alissa Violet, RiceGum, Wolfie and Sommer Ray3.

How to Use This Meme

"Clout chaser" typically brands someone as fame-hungry or fake, while "no clout" and "zero clout" work as dismissive burns4. "Doing it for the clout" is a common accusation aimed at posts that look staged for engagement, and Clout Goggles as an object still shows up as a visual shorthand for trying too hard1.

Frequently Asked Questions