Whether or not it’s real is beside the point. When this image startles the pranked individual, a scramble ensues to exit the page - the circumstances hardly provide time for reflection. It would appear that the Spaniards who pass him by are trafficking a keepsake of their own the photoshopped African body. He always said “ perfecto” when asked “ como estás?”. Might we ask Who is the true butt of the joke, the Spaniard who takes the bait? Or the object of humor, standing before the recipient with a basket full of trinkets and a fake smile? Ousmane’s inventory ranged from lighters and chewing gum to exotic keepsakes such as carved elephants and cowry shell jewelry. As he is the prototypical African immigrant in Spain, it is not a stretch to suggest a representational correspondence between Ousmane and El Negro de WhatsApp, cached in the phones of so many Spaniards. Like so many other Senegalese men, he sent money home to his family, whom he only saw once every several years. From coffee mug to Christmas cheer, El Negro de WhatsApp outgrew the category of prank before its first birthday to become “ the biggest meme produced by social media culture in our country”. In fact, the penis is not his at all, it was created thanks to photoshop, a quality of the image that is often overlooked. His left hand is supporting his 18-inch, flaccid, veiny penis. His wiry frame supports only three articles of clothing: a plaid bucket hat that shadows his eyes, a blue towel draped over his shoulders and a green fishnet tank top. In the original prank, he stands before a dirt road in front of several crumbling cinder block structures. The bait could also be an image, cropped in such a way that he is hidden until you scroll down. It began as a Bait and Switch prank you receive an innocent URL pertaining to something of interest (the bait), then as soon you bite, the link redirects you to El Negro de WhatsApp (the switch).

When the meme first emerged, I belonged to several WhatsApp groups (classmates, football team, etc.), in which I was usually the only non-Spaniard, and always the only person who claimed any Black ancestry. A single Google images search will provide you with a daily ration of his infinite reconfigurations. Like the cards aisle at Safeway, better yet, you can customize him yourself. Like the Senegalese street vendors that sell heart pins imprinted with all the common Spanish names, El Negro de WhatsApp has become available for any cause.

El negro del whatsapp photo