A Cuban resident in the United States known on TikTok as @el.rey.cubano became the star of one of the week's most talked-about videos after sharing his reaction to riding a roller coaster, a clip that gathered 785,000 views in just a few days and sparked a wave of laughter among the Cuban diaspora.
The video, lasting 51 seconds, was published on July 19 and also recorded 38,300 likes, 2,867 comments, and 11,700 shares, figures that place it among the most viral content from the creator.
The profile of @el.rey.cubano is described as that of a Cuban living in the U.S. with his partner, entertaining his audience with his antics and his clashes with the realities of the first world— a formula that clearly resonates with thousands of followers.
The overflowing expressiveness, genuine fear, and exclamations in Cuban style in response to an attraction that feels routine for many Americans are the ingredients that explain the clip's virality.
This type of content serves as identity humor: the spontaneity of Cuba comically contrasts with the normalcy with which leisure is experienced by those who grew up in that environment in America, and this difference creates a massive identification among the diaspora.
It’s not the first time a video of this kind has shaken up social media. In January 2025, a Cuban regretted getting on a roller coaster with his wife, and his screams — "Oh my God, holy Mary, man!" and "This is the last time in my life that I get on this" — became popular phrases in the comments.
In March of that same year, another Cuban went viral for terrifyingly recounting an attraction in a park on the island with the phrase "I wouldn't go up there even if I were dead, that doesn't exist for me".
The trend continued in June 2025, when a Cuban woman exclaimed "Oh Lord, forgive me!" on an extreme attraction, and in October, a young woman's reaction generated the viral comment "tell me you're Cuban without saying it".
The phenomenon of Cubans in the U.S. documenting their adaptation to the first world with humor and authenticity has established itself as a unique subgenre within TikTok since at least 2024, with multiple viral cases showcasing the power of Cuban expressiveness to create community and laughter on both sides of the Florida Strait.
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