The Penguins of Madagascar may have been just a spin-off of the Madagascar series, but it was arguably more successful in meme terms than the original series. From "You, higher mammal!" to "Say something smart, Kowalski," the penguins' big personalities shine through in every meme trend they are a part of.

But their popularity isn't just reserved for their English audiences; the Spanish dubs of the series inspired its own meme on TikTok in 2020, sparking an inside joke that has lasted well into 2023. Here's why people are making fun of "Los Pingüinos Me La Van a Mascar" and their regrettable-sounding Spanish names.

Where Does The 'Los Pingüinos Me La Van a Mascar' Come From?

The meme was sparked off in 2020 by TikToker @frankypinto24, who introduced the penguins by their Spanish names, Kawasaki, Cago, Krico, and broke down laughing before he said Estriper. The original TikTok can be accessed via a duet with @gaelvm1412.

@gaelvm1412 #dúo con @frankpint los pingüino me la van a mascar XD #fyp #parati #foryou ♬ Nunca supe cómo se decía – Mau Sandria

How Did The 'Los Pingüinos Me La Van a Mascar' Sound Spread?

TikToker @frankypinto24's humorous rendition of the penguins' names kept making comebacks on TikTok, whether it was people using the sound from his video, or making their own clips in reference to his.

@emiliocervera.m

Los pingüinos me la van a maskar 🥴

♬ Nunca supe cómo se decía – Mau Sandria

@lusosayschao #greenscreen #lentejas #viral #guatemala #help #fypシ ♬ The god ending – Djdndndnd

The video even inspired a viral meme in December 2022, with TikToker @enrique_arcos creating a sketch using the Spanish names of all the penguins.

What Is The 'Los Pingüinos' 3D Animation?

In April 2023, YouTuber Raptorcito posted a 3D animation using the audio from the aforementioned video. The purposefully shoddy recreation of an already animated movie inspired more memes on TikTok, which used clips from Raptorcito's upload.

TikToker @joxem.7 posted one such meme video in November 2023, gathering over 2 million plays in a few days.

@joxem.7 Los pingüinos me la van a m*scar👻#fypシ #epik #trending #edit #alightmotion #lospinguinosdemadagascar #lospinguinosmelavanamascar #wazaaaaaaaaaaaaa👻👻👻 ♬ sonido original – Joxem

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For the full history of *Los Pingüinos Me La Van a Mascar, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.