claque

noun

1. (collective)A group of people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo.

   “The most popular singers have been obliged to give free tickets and even to donate cash, lest the claque retaliate by frantic applause at the wrong moment.”

   “The claque isn't paid. In fact, claqueurs pay to get in. The inducement is that they can buy standing room for half price, without waiting in line.”

   “The political speeches began. What they lacked in originality, they made up in emphasis. It was clear that there was a claque of enthusiasts near the platform, whose Vivas! were caught be the microphones and magnified into a simulacrum of popular enthusiasm.”

2. (broadly)A group of fawning admirers.

   “The most obvious gay connection to opera is the cult of the diva. Stauncher even than the fans of Garland of Striesand, the claques of Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland (among others) have been fanatical in their devotion. Going beyond the usual "appreciation stage" the fans glorify and deify their stars: Callas was "La Divina," Sutherland "La Stupenda."”

3. (broadly)A group of people who pre-arrange among themselves to express strong support for an idea, so as to give the false impression of a wider consensus.