Clanker Craze: 7.7M TikTok Views Launch Robot Slur Into Viral Orbit

After that London curbside scene, “clanker” hit Capitol Hill: Sen. Ruben Gallego’s bill joked about banishing “clankers” from phone menus as “robot discrimination” and “robophobia memes” trended. Social media imagines a future where robot boyfriends face parental grillings—one viral video features a dad coughing “clanker” at a robot suitor, demanding, “I don’t want you anywhere near my daughter!”
Clanker, the Star Wars robot slur, racks up 7.7 million TikTok views as “What does clanker mean?” and “Why are robots called clankers?” hit trending. Irony: humans boost robot status by insulting them—now even lawmakers are yelling at delivery bots curbside.





































