# English Or Spanish > English or Spanish? is a February 2024 TikTok prank meme started by creator Alfonso Nieves, where targets freeze after being asked to choose a language, then hearing "whoever moves first is gay" in that language. "English or Spanish?" is a TikTok prank meme that started in February 2024 when creator Alfonso Nieves (@alfonsopinpon_) began approaching men in shopping malls, asking which language they speak, then telling them "whoever moves first is gay" in their chosen language. The targets would freeze in place, creating awkward and often hilarious standoffs. The phrase "English or Spanish?" quickly outgrew the original prank and became a standalone meme, with people freezing preemptively at the mere question. ## Origin On February 25, 2024, TikToker @alfonsopinpon_ posted his first video using this format. He approached two guys in a mall and told them in Spanish that whoever moves first is gay[4]. The video picked up roughly 185,500 plays and 7,900 likes over three months. It wasn't an instant smash, but it set the template for everything that followed. Alfonso Nieves chose the "English or Spanish?" opener for practical reasons. He films in areas with a high concentration of both English and Spanish speakers, so asking which language someone prefers is a natural icebreaker before delivering the punchline[1]. The question also catches people off guard. They think they're just being polite. Then the freeze begins. - **Platform:** TikTok - **Creator:** Alfonso Nieves (TikToker, @alfonsopinpon_) - **Date:** 2024 ## Overview The meme follows a simple formula. Alfonso Nieves, a prankster and content creator active in the Tacoma, Washington and Austin, Texas areas, walks up to men (often in shopping malls) and asks "English or Spanish?"[1]. When the target picks a language, Alfonso tells them in that language that whoever moves first is gay. In Spanish: "El que se mueva, es gay"[5]. The men then freeze completely, sometimes for uncomfortably long periods, refusing to be the first to move. The comedy works on two levels. There's the immediate absurdity of grown men standing perfectly still in a mall because a stranger with a phone told them to. And then there's the deeper layer: just how far some guys will go to avoid even the implication of being gay[2]. The question "English or Spanish?" functions as a trap. It sounds innocent, like someone just trying to figure out what language to speak. But for anyone who's seen the videos, it's a warning sign[3]. ## How It Spread The day after his first post, on February 26, 2024, Alfonso uploaded a second video that blew up with over 3.2 million plays and 418,200 likes[4]. He started incorporating English-language versions too. A video posted March 14, 2024 pulled in 4.6 million plays and 377,700 likes within two months[4]. Other creators began making edits using Alfonso's footage. On April 17, 2024, TikToker @nathan.legagnoux posted a viral edit that hit 5.4 million plays and 436,600 likes in a single month[4]. But the real explosion came on May 23, 2024, when @dr1nkz7 posted an edit set to "Static" by Steve Lacy. That video racked up approximately 39.1 million plays and 4.5 million likes in just one week[4]. The Steve Lacy track became the unofficial soundtrack of the meme, with countless other creators and fans adopting it for their own videos[1]. By late May 2024, the meme had evolved past the original prank format. On May 25, 2024, TikToker @bucky_1222 posted a slow fade-in meme reading "POV: you're walking in a mall and someone comes up to you and asks if you speak English or Spanish," which scored 4.1 million plays and 681,700 likes in five days[4]. People started creating increasingly absurd scenarios around the phrase. The question itself became the punchline, no follow-up needed[2]. Alfonso's channel grew to over 1.1 million followers, with 61 videos surpassing one million plays[1]. The trend also spread internationally, with Russian-speaking internet users recognizing it as their equivalent of "кто двинется тот гей" (whoever moves is gay)[3]. ## How to Use The meme works in a few different ways depending on the context: **Original prank format:** Walk up to someone (typically a man) in public, ask "English or Spanish?", wait for their answer, then say "Whoever moves first is gay" in the language they chose. Film the resulting freeze. Some creators use other language pairs or switch to the target's native language to catch them off guard[3]. **Edit/tribute format:** Take existing footage (often Alfonso's original clips) and set it to "Static" by Steve Lacy or another track. Add slow-motion, zoom effects, or dramatic editing to heighten the comedy of men standing frozen in malls. **POV/reaction format:** Reference the phrase "English or Spanish?" in a POV-style post or reaction meme. The humor comes from the audience already knowing what follows, so just the question alone triggers the joke. Common setups include "POV: someone at the mall asks English or Spanish?" paired with a freezing or panicked reaction[2]. **Anti-freeze format:** Some people film themselves being asked "English or Spanish?" and then deliberately move or dance flamboyantly as a counter-statement, flipping the prank's premise on its head[2]. ## Cultural Impact The meme sparked real conversations about masculinity and homophobia. Comedian Andrew Schulz publicly watched Alfonso's videos, finding it funny that men would freeze for so long just to avoid being called gay[2]. The Daily Dot's Kyle Calise drew parallels to the "No Homo" era of the late '90s and 2000s, when men would qualify any show of affection with a disclaimer[2]. Critics argued the prank should disappear because of its homophobic underpinnings. The whole thing only works because the targets are afraid of being perceived as gay[1]. But defenders pointed out that as the meme evolved, it shed much of that baggage. Later versions where people freeze at just the question "English or Spanish?" lost the direct reference to sexuality entirely and functioned more like a Gen Z version of the planking craze from 2011-2012[1]. Some participants pushed back on the prank's assumptions by doing the opposite of freezing. They'd dance, move freely, or otherwise signal that being called gay wasn't something they feared[2]. This counter-trend arguably did more to challenge the original premise than any critique could. ## Fun Facts - The "English or Spanish?" question works as a prank setup partly because asking someone's language preference is genuinely normal in bilingual areas of the US, making the trap invisible until it's too late[1]. - Alfonso Nieves' targets are almost exclusively men. Their female partners often react with surprise or disappointment at how long the guys stay frozen[1]. - The meme spread to Russian-speaking internet communities, where users recognized it as the English equivalent of their own "whoever moves is gay" playground game[3]. - Alfonso hit 61 videos with over one million plays each, all from variations of the same basic premise[1]. - Some creators attempted to outsmart the prank by answering with a third language, only for the prankster to switch to that language too[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is English or Spanish? It's a TikTok prank meme created by @alfonsopinpon_ (Alfonso Nieves) where he asks people which language they speak, then tells them in that language that whoever moves first is gay, causing them to freeze in place[1]. ### Where did English or Spanish come from? Alfonso Nieves posted the first video on TikTok on February 25, 2024, filmed in a shopping mall[4]. ### What does English or Spanish mean? When someone asks "English or Spanish?" online, they're referencing Alfonso's prank. The question itself became shorthand for the entire "whoever moves first is gay" setup[2]. ### How do you use English or Spanish? You can film a prank following the original format, create edits of existing footage set to "Static" by Steve Lacy, or simply reference the phrase in a POV-style post to trigger the joke for anyone who knows the context[4]. ### Is English or Spanish still popular? The meme peaked in May-June 2024 when viral edits and tribute videos flooded TikTok. As of mid-2024, Alfonso's channel had over 1.1 million followers and dozens of million-view videos[1]. ### Who created English or Spanish? Alfonso Nieves, known on TikTok as @alfonsopinpon_, created the format. He's a prankster and content creator based in the Tacoma, Washington and Austin, Texas areas[1]. ### Why do people freeze when asked English or Spanish? In the original prank, the question is followed by "whoever moves first is gay." Because many straight men don't want to be the first to move, they freeze. Over time, people started freezing at just the question itself, anticipating what comes next[2]. ### Is the English or Spanish meme homophobic? Critics say yes, since the prank relies on men's fear of being perceived as gay. Others argue the evolved version (where people freeze at just the question) strips away the homophobic element and turns it into a harmless viral challenge[1]. ### What song is used in English or Spanish edits? "Static" by Steve Lacy became the unofficial soundtrack after @dr1nkz7's edit using the song went viral with 39.1 million plays in May 2024[4]. ### What is the Spanish version of the phrase? In Spanish, the prank line is "El que se mueva, es gay," meaning "whoever moves is gay"[5]. ## References 1. [В чём прикол английского мема из Тик Ток «English or Spanish?» - tuzik538 | Ответы Mail]() 2. [Meme History: English or Spanish?]() 3. [What Does English or Spanish Mean on TikTok?]() 4. [English or Spanish? - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Doge (meme)]() 6. [English or Spanish? - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [ЧТО ЗА МЕМЫ? ► АРБУЗ АРБУЗ ПЁРНИ, ENGLISH OR SPANISH , ЛИСА В НАУШНИКАХ — ОТКУДА МЕМ? | Реакция - смотреть видео онлайн от «Хасл Медиа» в хорошем качестве, бесплатно опубликованное 31 августа 2024 года в 18:50:57 00:09:35.]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/english-or-spanish Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library