In the universe of television, rarely does a phenomenon manage to break the boundaries of the ephemeral to become a piece of global culture. However, La Isla de las Tentaciones, with its formula of chaos and drama, has managed not only to captivate Spain, but also to generate a viral impact that has reached the entire digital world. And at the epicentre of this phenomenon is José Carlos Montoya.
What began as a spontaneous reaction from a contestant on the reality show has ended up being one of the most commented memes on platforms such as TikTok and Twitter, and now even Kanye West has joined the phenomenon. This viral outpouring has even made its way into international media outlets such as The Guardian and The Independent, which not only analyse the clip, but also compare its impact with other large-scale media phenomena.
‘The Spanish viral clip that could change reality TV forever’. This was the headline of The Guardian’s analysis last Friday, and with good reason. The clip in question shows Montoya running along the beach after discovering, live on camera, that his partner has been unfaithful. The scene, ‘Montoya Please’, quickly settled into the collective memory and, the more it was seen, the more debate grew about the limits of television ethics, popularity and media exposure.
The Independent has analysed the clip as ‘a historic moment in Spanish television’. The article highlights the ability of virality to displace other television phenomena such as The Traitors, where tension and conflict were played out in a much more controlled and measured context. What Montoya has achieved is to go beyond the sphere of entertainment. He has opened up a global conversation about the limits of what is acceptable on television and how fame can be born out of chaos.
Companies echo the meme
Companies such as McDonald’s and Netflix were quick to share the clip, while top football teams such as Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea took the opportunity to add Montoya to their marketing strategies, associating his famous shout with spectacular plays and sporting moments. Even LaLiga and the US Open joined the trend, demonstrating that the meme has gone beyond the world of television to become a global digital communication tool. Real Betis, Montoya’s team, did not hesitate to include him in an amusing recreation of the viral to promote their most recent signing.
A new form of fame?
Temptation Island has achieved what few programmes can: to take us to the edge of human exposure, where emotions are sold as spectacle and genuine reactions are transformed into unintentional comedy. Montoya, who started out as a simple reality contestant, has become a pop culture icon. In the age of social media, a reality contestant no longer needs to be known only for his or her participation, but for becoming a walking meme, a character that transcends the screen and infiltrates every corner of the Internet.
What is fascinating about the phenomenon is how it has managed to connect with global audiences. The meme, born in Spain, has been replicated in countries such as Italy, France and the United Kingdom, where it is being studied as a ‘before and after’ in the history of television.
Kanye West: The Unexpected Follower
The phenomenon has been such that even Kanye West, one of the world’s most media-friendly figures, couldn’t help but react to the meme. The rapper responded to a tweet showing Montoya’s clip with the text ‘Kanye PR team right now’, an irony about the way social media transforms any moment into viral content, something that has not gone unnoticed by West’s team. This interaction adds another layer to the global nature of the phenomenon and shows how what began as entertainment content has reached an almost absurd level of notoriety.
Now, the question on everyone’s mind is: what will Montoya’s legacy be: will he be remembered as an enduring icon or just another broken toy of the entertainment industry? The only thing that is certain is that, as long as Temptation Island continues to produce these moments of emotional and social excess, the Montoya phenomenon will continue to expand, beyond television and prime time. And in the meantime, the spectacle is still guaranteed.
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