# Spanish Laughing Guy Spanish Laughing Guy is Juan Joya Borja, a Spanish comedian whose 2007 TV interview about ruined paella pans became a subtitle-parody template in the mid-2010s. Users dubbed fake captions over Borja's wheezing laughter to cast him as tech executives, game developers or politicians mocking their own audiences. What started as an Egyptian political jab in 2014 spread into a viral 'Shocking Interview...' format on gaming YouTube by early 2015[1]. ## Origin In June 2007, Borja sat down with journalist Jesús Quintero on Canal Sur's late-night show Ratones Coloraos and told a story about leaving twenty paella pans in the sea overnight to soak, only to find the tide had swept away all but one by morning[1]. He lost control of the anecdote and cracked up, with Quintero slapping the desk alongside him. On June 21, 2007, Quintero's YouTube channel posted the segment, which racked up over 1.1 million views over the following eight years[4]. - **Platform:** Spanish TV (source clip) / YouTube (viral spread) - **Creator:** Unknown - **Date:** 2007 ## Overview The format works by replacing what Borja was actually saying with any absurd or damning admission the editor wants, letting his shaking, red-faced laughter carry the joke. In the source clip he tells host Jesús Quintero a beach-cook anecdote about losing paella pans to the tide at Chipiona, but the meme discards that story and treats his laugh as a reaction to whatever new product, patch or scandal is trending[2]. Videos in the format are typically titled with a 'Shocking Interview with…' prefix[5]. Stylistically the videos sit close to Downfall's 'Hitler Reacts' parodies, using a straight-faced foreign-language source as canvas for topical rage-bait[1]. Borja's wheezing, almost toothless grin and desk-slapping also got clipped as a static reaction image and a Twitch emote, spreading well past the original subtitle format[1]. ## How to Use Editors typically pick a Borja laughing clip, keep the original Spanish audio untouched, and lay English (or Arabic, French, etc.) subtitles over it that recast him as an insider at a company or institution admitting something damning or ridiculous. The title convention is 'Shocking Interview with a [Company] employee,' with the joke escalating as Borja's laughter builds[5]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Spanish Laughing Guy? Spanish Laughing Guy is Juan Joya Borja, a Spanish comedian nicknamed 'El Risitas,' whose 2007 TV interview became a template for fake-subtitle videos where he appears to laugh at damning or absurd admissions[1]. ### Where did Spanish Laughing Guy come from? The source clip is from a June 2007 interview on Canal Sur's Ratones Coloraos with host Jesús Quintero, uploaded to Quintero's YouTube channel that same month[4]. ### What does Spanish Laughing Guy mean? His Spanish nickname 'El Risitas' translates as 'The Giggles,' a reference to his signature wheezing, uncontrollable laughter[1]. ### How do you use Spanish Laughing Guy? Editors title videos 'Shocking Interview with a [Company] employee' and lay fake subtitles over Borja's laughing footage, casting him as a tech, game or political insider ridiculing their own audience[5]. ### Is Spanish Laughing Guy still popular? Borja's laughing face is still used as a reaction image and Twitch emote after his 2021 death, though the subtitle-video format peaked between the 2014 Egyptian parodies and the 2015 gaming wave[1]. ## References 1. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56925999]() 2. [https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2014/04/01/5339f619e2704ecc368b458d.html]() 3. [https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2014/10/16/543fcaa322601dad658b458a.html]() 4. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDiB4rtp1qw]() 5. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spanish-laughing-guy-el-risitas-interview-parodies]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/spanish-laughing-guy-el-risitas-interview-parodies Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library