This forum is simply one of a kind. | Image: Alejandro Escamilla
Welcome to one of the most visited websites in the Spanish territory. Forocoches was created in 2004 by Alejandro Marin, a young man from Palencia who founded it when he was barely 24 years old.
It currently has 98 million page views each month and a whopping 600 thousand registered users . Although its initial conception was destined for the motor world, hence its name, the idea of expanding its theme to other areas of interest soon arose. In fact, the forum is divided into subforums dedicated to computer science-electronics, mechanics, travel and employment.
Forocoches General Section
But one of its sections seems to have acquired more relevance: the one known as “General”, is where users deal with current social issues and which has given rise to mythical moments and numerous trolling (pranks that are carried out through digital platforms, according to Internet jargon).
Let’s see how the coordination and the desire to laugh at the expense of others gave rise to mythical moments:
10. “I sell the points of my grandmother’s license”
When the Zapatero government approved in 2006 the system of the driver’s license by points, a forero opened a thread in which he announced that he was selling the points from his grandmother’s card .
The echo was such that many newscasts denounced the misrepresentation of the system (which has always been highly criticized) and the legal consequences that this could have, without realizing that it was all a fraud.
9. Navalcarnero CF, the club of the forococheros
During the broadcast of a third division match between Real Madrid and Navalcarnero, the forococheros dedicated themselves to sending tweets to the commentators who narrated the match, providing data and nicknames about the players who they were actually fake. For example, the Navalcarnero goalkeeper was nicknamed “The Navalcarnero troll”, something that the announcers began to repeat throughout the broadcast every time the goalkeeper intervened , without contrasting the information.
8. Monorail for Madrid
One of the funniest and most mythical trolls that fans of The Simpsons will appreciate. When Ahora Madrid became mayor of the city, they wanted to open a participatory forum called ‘Madrid decides’ that would allow residents to send their suggestions that they considered could make the city better.
What did someone from Forocoches do
As in the famous chapter of the series of the yellow family of Springfield, Marge against the monorail, this anonymous person wrote the famous speech that Lyle Lanley recites and that ends up leading the whole city to sing in unison a funny song about this transport . From there, it led to all kinds of jokes that were published as real proposals.
7. Shurperro, the canine hero of the little ones
The famous cookie brand TostaRica was also the target of Forocoches’ jokes. When they opened a contest on their website for children to choose the new image for their cookies, the forococheros took action so that their proposal was chosen . The option was Shiba Inu (aka Cool dog or “shurperro” according to the forum members), a well-known meme that swarms the Internet in which this dog is seen leaning on a shelf in a relaxed attitude.
Although it would have been a fun winner, from TostaRica they smelled the toast, and given the possibility that everything was a hoax, they eliminated shurperro.
6. “El tekila”, winner of Got Talent
One of the latest scandals on our television. Thanks to Forocoches users,Antonio “el Tekila” won the famous Telecinco musical contest against all expectations , which outraged members of the jury (such as Risto Mejide), aroused the anger of the public and set fire to social networks, which soon discovered that Forocoches was behind everything (again).
5. Curri Valenzuela, the sexiest in Spain
In 2009, the well-known men’s magazine FHM Espana set out to find the sexiest journalist on the national scene. With the aim of putting together a list created thanks to the participation of users, they opened a survey on their website that allowed them to vote for the candidates.
What was the surprise that the least expected option was the winner: Curri Valenzuela (born in 1945),one of the longest-serving journalists on Spanish radio and television took precedence over the other applicants. The feat received the name of Currigate, something that the Forococheros are proud of and fondly remember.
4. Mariachis al Parlament
As they did when the PSOE executive met in Ferraz and that ended with the resignation of Pedro Sanchez, Forocoches sent a group of mariachis to sing rancheras at the door of the Parliament of Catalonia , when the decision was being debated. Transitory Law after convening the referendum on October 1.
Not content with this, they raised enough money to buy a wreath that read “Democracy, Forocoches will not forget you,” which was deposited outside the building.
With lyrics created for the occasion, the musicians’ performance was recorded and broadcast on Periscope, although it can also be seen on YouTube.
3. Blas de Lezo, new British navy ship
At the beginning of 2016, the United Kingdom Environmental Research Center launched an open campaign for participants to decide the name of their new flagship. Of all the possibilities on the list, there was one that quickly began to gain followers: Blas de Lezo . This important sailor of the Spanish Navy was the cause of important defeats of the British Navy.
Although everything seemed to indicate that the ship would end up being called that, those in charge of managing the votes knocked down his candidacy, for obvious reasons.
2. Spanish Gibraltar
Another sign of “affection” towards English colleagues was this trolling through The Telegraph newspaper. In it the question of who should belong to Gibraltar, if to Spain or to England , was launched ; after one of the innumerable conflicts that the two governments have had over the domain of the penon. Well, suddenly the “Spain” option exceeded 90%, thanks to the mobilization of the entire forum, which turned unanimously to vote for this option.
The funniest thing of all was that the news was spread by Spanish media implying that the majority of English people who participated in the survey believed that Gibraltar should belong to our country, when in fact it had been a whole plan hatched in Forocoches.
1. John Cobra at Eurovision
What is probably one of the most embarrassing moments on television today was thanks to the forococheros. Months before the celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest, Spanish Television broadcast galas dedicated to finding our Spanish representative .
From Forocoches, John Cobra, a colorful character on the web and with no musical abilities, was proposed. The result of his intervention in one of the selection galas was a full-fledged embarrassment that drove Anne Igartiburu (who put up with the guy as well as he could) and the court, commanded by Jose Maria Inigo, out of his mind.
