The easy way to get “15-minutes of fame” has revolutionized since the launch of YouTube. Now, many social media junkies are using the easy-to-use mobile video app from Twitter known as Vine.
Since it’s debut in January, many people, including celebrities, have downloaded the application or simply, app.
Most of these “viners,” as Vine users are known, can be “vine verified,” sounds legit, doesn’t it? Becoming “vine verified” means you are active, have many videos and followers and that you’re the person you say you are and not “fulanito de tal.”
With that said, here are five Latino viners who with their “six-seconds of fame” have dominated the social media frenzy, vine verified or not!
Meet the five best Latinos on Vine
Rudy Mancus • @Rudy Mancuso, vine verified • Over 2.6m followers
At the top of our list is Rudy Mancuso from New York City. This filmmaker, musician, viner and foreigner, as described on his Twitter, is probably the funniest person to encounter on Vine. His series of skits like “Mi Madre,” featuring his mother, “Speedo Simone,” a lover of the sea, “Hispanic Superman” and the Cuban version of Siri, made Mancuso the 12th most followed vine maker in the world, according to TMZ. He has appeared in Univision and even made a jaunty jingle about gum for a Trident TV spot.
Jessi Smiles • @Jessi Smiles, vine verified • Over 2.5m followers
This Cuban-American residing in Miami, Fla is without a doubt one of the funniest “chicas” on vine. Her charisma, witty and sarcastic humor, and good looks is what got Jessi to the top. In an interview with Fusion, ABC and Univision’s venture, Jessi said she was always the funny girl in high school, but not popular and because of vine she now gets recognized all the time!
“I know in L.A. or Times Square there are a lot of people but I did not expect to be recognized with my huge sunglasses on,” she said.
Her vines are mainly about “ways to fail at being sexy” and raw girl talk. Heck, she even had singer Pharrell Williams to make an appearance in one of her videos.
David Lopez • @David Lopez, vine verified • Over 1.6m followers
From Calfornia, comes David Lopez, a vine verified user with over one million followers. He has nearly 500 posts of amusing and hilarious skits about paranormal activities, the thug life and more. Lately, he has adopted the role of “Juan” in a series of vines called “The Life of Juan,” portraying a Mexican in his endeavors and mishaps living in the United States. His sense of humor and sarcasm is also transmitted through his Tweets:
Lejuan James • @Lejuan__James • Over 185k followers
He’s called Juan Atiles, but is known in the social media world as “LeJuan James,” in honor of his idol, basketball player Lebron James. LeJuan is of Puerto Rican and Dominican decent and resides in Orlando, Fla. The young comedic actor made his leap into the public eye with his hilarious skits portraying the Hispanic community and their culture. Through his vines, you can get a real taste of the Caribbean, and I’m not talking food, I am talking hardcore merengue and bachata dancing, and imitations of its people. His popularity in vine nailed him interviews with Telemundo and CNN en Español.
Matthew Windey • @Matthew Windey • Over 120k followers
Matthew Windey, from Barranquilla, Colombia, calls himself “El Man de Vine.” His six-second videos are made up of hyperbole skits of accent imitations (the Argentine one is my favorite), Spanglish problems like “achicken” being the English translation of “apollo” and “in heart” being the translation of “infarto.” More so, his 120k followers have fallen in love with his series of “Susano Jose,” reflecting the real deal in Latino households. Not only does he play “Susano Jose,” but also does the role of the mother, which makes it even more enjoyable.
Originally published on VOXXI as Best of 2013: Latinos who add ‘sal y pimienta’ to Vine