We like to laugh, we might like to cry, but we alsolike to cringefrom time to time. And the proof is in the pudding:The Office, Tim Robinson’sI Think You Should Leave,andCurb Your Enthusiasm(despite its imminent ending) are perhaps forever embedded in our popular culture. The same trends rule the digital space, as pages and accounts featuring cringe humor are probably the most popular.The X (Twitter) pageCringe Photosfalls into the family of cringe content that thousands of people either enjoy or feel extremely uncomfortable interacting with. As there is never a shortage of awkward andcringe-inducing contenthere onBored Panda, we’re bringing you a selection of the best pictures from said X (Twitter) account.We reached out to an expert in all forms of comedy,Dr. Steven S. Kapica, assistant professor of English atKeuka Collegeand writing program director. He kindly agreed to tell us more about what constitutes cringe comedy, what cringe is not, why we sometimes fear and loathe cringe, and why our sense of humor is inevitably declining. Read his opinions below!This post may includeaffiliate links.
We like to laugh, we might like to cry, but we alsolike to cringefrom time to time. And the proof is in the pudding:The Office, Tim Robinson’sI Think You Should Leave,andCurb Your Enthusiasm(despite its imminent ending) are perhaps forever embedded in our popular culture. The same trends rule the digital space, as pages and accounts featuring cringe humor are probably the most popular.
The X (Twitter) pageCringe Photosfalls into the family of cringe content that thousands of people either enjoy or feel extremely uncomfortable interacting with. As there is never a shortage of awkward andcringe-inducing contenthere onBored Panda, we’re bringing you a selection of the best pictures from said X (Twitter) account.
We reached out to an expert in all forms of comedy,Dr. Steven S. Kapica, assistant professor of English atKeuka Collegeand writing program director. He kindly agreed to tell us more about what constitutes cringe comedy, what cringe is not, why we sometimes fear and loathe cringe, and why our sense of humor is inevitably declining. Read his opinions below!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
I thought she was holding that tree.
“But shock is not cringe,” Kapica clarifies. “Cringe does not emerge from a reversal or distortion of a premise, nor does it emerge from oppositional stances. Cringe does not point out incongruity. It breaks incongruity.”
But that doesn’t mean that cringe comedy is foolproof. Those who use cringe risk alienating their audience. “This is the audience that gets angry and walks out on Andy Kaufman for being intentionally, relentlessly unfunny,” Kapica says. According to him, cringe comedy is successful when it comes full circle. “It starts with laughter, turns the laughter to cringe, and then returns the cringe to laughter.“He gives the filmBorat(2006) as the most famous example of cringe in movies. It works and is so successful because the film directs its comedic ire and cringe at Americans, not the Kazakhs. “Borat’spremise is inherently funny (from a subject position of superiority); however, the cringe ultimately reveals the lunacy of American exceptionalism.”
But that doesn’t mean that cringe comedy is foolproof. Those who use cringe risk alienating their audience. “This is the audience that gets angry and walks out on Andy Kaufman for being intentionally, relentlessly unfunny,” Kapica says. According to him, cringe comedy is successful when it comes full circle. “It starts with laughter, turns the laughter to cringe, and then returns the cringe to laughter.”
He gives the filmBorat(2006) as the most famous example of cringe in movies. It works and is so successful because the film directs its comedic ire and cringe at Americans, not the Kazakhs. “Borat’spremise is inherently funny (from a subject position of superiority); however, the cringe ultimately reveals the lunacy of American exceptionalism.”
Probably not the best choice for a discount sticker..
Other examples of cringe include The Eric Andre Show andI Think You Should Leave. “Andre is gonzo absurdism at its finest,” Kapica says. “I Think You Should Leaveputs it right there in the title.” Andy Kaufman is an progenitor of comedic cringe. Kapica also points to Jerry Lewis' films from the 1960s and the’Fix My Hat' sceneinThe Ladies Man(1961). “The hat scene inThe Ladies Man(1961) is pure genius cringe,” Kapica says.
You had one job.. Literally one job
“But systemic prejudices can easily be traded on in ways that not only perpetuate negative comedic tropes but reinforce underlying, supremacist worldviews. Cringe is arguably the riskiest form of humor, so its merchants must be hypervigilant with regard to intent in order to avoid such reinforcement.”
Proposing. In McDonald’s.With a chicken nugget.
“If the intent is to elicit laughter at the expense of someone else’s being, then it’s hack comedy. If the intent is to complicate, transform, defend, speak truth to power, or even self-immolate, then the source of the cringe and laughter is freed of ethical transgression.”
Kapica has written about American comedian George Carlin and is currently working on a book about his rhetorical genius. For Carlin, nothing was off-limits. But in his comedy, he always strived to go toward justice, and he always committed to punching up.Kapica quotes Carlin’s 1990 HBO Special,Doin' it Again: “It’s the context that counts. It’s the user. It’s the intention behind the words that makes them good or bad. The words are completely neutral. The words are innocent… It’s the context that makes them good or bad.” He says that the same is true when it comes to cringe: intent and context matter.
Kapica has written about American comedian George Carlin and is currently working on a book about his rhetorical genius. For Carlin, nothing was off-limits. But in his comedy, he always strived to go toward justice, and he always committed to punching up.
Kapica quotes Carlin’s 1990 HBO Special,Doin' it Again: “It’s the context that counts. It’s the user. It’s the intention behind the words that makes them good or bad. The words are completely neutral. The words are innocent… It’s the context that makes them good or bad.” He says that the same is true when it comes to cringe: intent and context matter.
Kapica made similar observations inhis pieceabout American comedian Gallagher. “While stand-up comedy at its best is powerful critique, at its worst – which is sadly more often the case – it reifies prejudice, and it perpetuates ignorance and injustice,” he warned.“While we might be inclined to [brush off comedic pandering] as harmless fun – to roll our eyes at the ignorance fueling the post-truth era – doing so would make us complicit.”
Kapica made similar observations inhis pieceabout American comedian Gallagher. “While stand-up comedy at its best is powerful critique, at its worst – which is sadly more often the case – it reifies prejudice, and it perpetuates ignorance and injustice,” he warned.
“While we might be inclined to [brush off comedic pandering] as harmless fun – to roll our eyes at the ignorance fueling the post-truth era – doing so would make us complicit.”
Currently, Kapica doesn’t have much faith in the Internet’s critical thinking abilities. “I would argue that the vast majority of social media-based comedy consumers lack the critical acumen to determine if a bit of cringe is punching up or punching down,” he says.
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When yer bezzie mate is a 6'2 hotpoint fridge ready for a night aht on the town.
When you’re working but have gym after.
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