The video caught the attention of the wider internet around 2006. The catchy song, dated visual effects, and absurdity of the "clones" fueled its spread.
Death of the author works best when the author is actually dead. It's easier to accept that H. P. Lovecraft or Phil Spector had some pretty terrible moral failings since you know that you're in no way supporting ongoing bad acts.
I can't quite tell what that means from the wiki article-- sounds like he may have been getting people into the US bc they couldn't get visas to go. I have a much different reaction to that than I would if the trafficking involved the other reasons people usually traffick.
About ten years ago now, a new sports bar/grill opened in my neighborhood, and they had tons of brand new smart TVs all on the same unsecured wifi network. Tunak Tunak Tun was the first classic Internet video we played for the people there that evening.
I know it's offensive but this is also supposedly where the whole "Durka Durka" thing started which was then widespread by South Park in 2001. If you listen to it incorrectly it kind of sounds like that's what he's saying when he chains tunaktunaktunaktunak back to back.