The Roadmap
How a Spanish comedian's laugh conquered the internet
Juan Joya Borja (1956–2021)
Nicknamed "El Risitas" (The Giggles)
Born in Seville, Spain, Juan became famous for his infectious, wheezing laugh that could make anyone smile. His appearance on a 2007 Spanish late-night show would unknowingly create the internet's most enduring symbol of pure joy and laughter.
He could barely finish his stories because he was laughing so hard, and that laugh became ridiculously contagious. Little did he know, his joy would become the universal language of laughter across every corner of the internet.
From Dongles to Digital Immortality
The Humble Beginning
Started as jokes about adapter frustration in tech communities
The Catalyst
Apple's port removals gave the meme its perfect moment to shine
Breaking Boundaries
Spread beyond tech to become the go-to reaction for any absurdity
Digital Immortality: KEKW
Becomes Twitch's most beloved emote - the universal symbol of laughter in gaming and beyond
Infinite Evolution
Adapts to every platform and format - TikTok, AI voices, reaction videos, endless remixes
Timeless Legacy
Transcends its origins - now the internet's eternal symbol of joy, laughter, and shared human experience
The Alchemy of Joy
What started as dongle frustration became something magical when paired with El Risitas's infectious laugh. His uncontrollable joy transformed our collective "you've got to be kidding me" into "let's laugh about this together." The meme taught us that shared laughter heals shared frustration.
The genius was timeless: Take the most joyful laugh in internet history and let it become the soundtrack for every moment when life gets absurd. The result? A meme that transforms any frustration into pure, infectious, universal joy.