In the world of smartphones, screens and social media, it takes something special to go viral. Jonathan Justino, a content creator known for his funny and relatable videos, recently caught the attention of the bowling community in a big way. His viral TikTok videos, where he mimics stereotypical bowling moves, like dragging his foot or swinging his arms wildly, have taken the internet by storm.
As of now, Jonathan's two bowling videos have amassed over 900,000 views on TikTok and 85,000 views with 3,000 reshares on Instagram.
But how did it all start? Was Jonathan expecting these videos to blow up? In an exclusive interview, BowlingLife sat down with Jonathan Justino to learn more about his creative process and the journey that led to his viral success.
The Inspiration Behind the Videos
Jonathan has been creating content on TikTok for over five years, always aiming to make relatable and humorous videos. The bowling videos, he admits, were a natural result of his creativity. "I’ve always tried to make relatable/funny content, so the bowling video was just a byproduct of that," he explains. One day, while randomly scrolling through TikTok, Jonathan came across a video of Pete Weber, and everything clicked. "His energy and style are super entertaining. That’s what gave me the inspiration initially," he adds.
Natural Bowler
Probably one of the key reasons why Jonathan is so organic and naturally funny in the videos he made is because he is actually quite familiar with the sport. While Jonathan isn’t a professional bowler, he has casually bowled throughout his life. "I actually played in a bowling league when I was 14, but that only lasted one season," he recalls. Making the viral video, however, sparked a renewed interest in the sport. "Making this video made me want to get back into it," he shared.
The Unexpected Virality
Every content creator hopes their work will gain attention, but Jonathan never expected his bowling videos to become so popular. "It was definitely a surprise overall," he admits. "However, I knew it was a better video than my normal ones because it was received better initially. But I did not expect the video to resonate this much." Jonathan’s video quickly captured the hearts of the bowling community, thanks to its fun and exaggerated portrayal of bowling moves that many bowlers could relate to.
"This is the best thing I've seen on here in a while," said one Instagram user in the comments under the video. "This is way too accurate—me practicing anywhere and everywhere outside the bowling alley," said another. "I laughed so loud! Too accurate, bravo!" shared a third. It’s clear that his videos have struck a chord with many, bringing new attention to the sport in a lighthearted and humorous way.
