If there’s one thing the internet has taught us, it must be our enduring appreciation of a good cringe. Urban Dictionary defines the term cringe as “when someone acts/is so embarrassing or awkward, it makes you feel extremely ashamed and/or embarrassed.” But the feeling is way better felt than explained in words.
If you’re already a self-confessed cringe addict who dove down the cringetopia hole and experienced the most cringeworthy moments of life, then we've got this new treat for you. Welcome to The Cringiest Posts Twitter page that does exactly what it says in the title – shares the posts that make you curl up like a tortoise out of the sheer cringe and then cringe once more.
Below we wrapped up some of the funniest, I mean cringiest examples, so enjoy with caution!
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If you've ever spent enough time browsing in the land of the internet, you must have inevitably encountered cringe-powered content at some point. It takes only one word, five letters, to be exact, to present the inexplicable feeling known as cringe. For some, it’s a curled upper lip, for others it’s a shake of the head, for the rest, it's curling into a ball that forgets any social norms.
According to Kaitlyn Tiffany, the term cringe took off on forums in the early aughts, when the practice of humiliating oneself online was still somewhat novel. Now, however, it’s absolute mainstream — it’s both an internet genre and a meme, as well as an insult of some kind. It's natural to wonder if we all suddenly became more prone to cringe as a group, or if there’s another reason why there’s so much cringeworthy content out there.
Well, in a piece for The Atlantic, Tiffany argues that “it’s because we’ve been given more opportunities to display our cringeworthy characteristics, and also to point out the cringeworthy behavior of others.” She adds that “Whereas people used to feel secondhand embarrassment on behalf of their friends and family, or wince at their own awkward behavior, they are now exposed to the potentially embarrassing behavior of entire social networks.”
Oh that's easy. You'll only need a crystal ball, a shroom picked at midnight and 3 roach heads
As if that wasn’t enough, we have spent years, a decade, if not more, in this kind of environment. No wonder our sense of cringe has become heightened to the point where “we can sniff out the tiniest flaws in someone else’s public performance, dig them up, share them around.” Tiffany calls us “the connoisseurs of cringe,” and you may wonder if that’s even a thing to be proud of.
Meanwhile, according to evolutionary history, cringe is birthed by the fear of social rejection — a feeling similar in intensity to physical pain. Psychology professor Rowland Miller argues that people literally crinkle in embarrassment because the ability to “feel vicarious embarrassment is influenced by our ability to empathize with others.”
Miller argues that people cringe for reasons beyond contempt; it can be compassion, too, for having experienced a feeling similar to that unfolding in real time. Cringe is then about secondhand shame and empathy — human emotions that define anything and everything we do.
What an asshat. Anyone looks like s**t photographed like that. He’s trying to get lifelong attention from bringing his wife down. And succeeding apparently
i'd even go so far as to say this is emotional abuse. he spent a lot of time & money in order to permanently humiliate his wife, & he had plenty of time to think it through while booking the tattoo appointment, approving the design, & actually getting the tattoo itself. couldn't be more deliberate if he tried. what a disgusting scumbag.
Load More Replies...And the tattoo made her look so much worse than real life! Hope they're divorced and he has to look at this on his body forever.
They are a couple in the UK that play stupid pranks on each other for shits and giggles but mainly the likes and views. Bad as each other.
Load More Replies...When (not if) they divorce and he has to go on the dating pool again with that tattoo.... well, good luck
Hahahaha didn't thought about that good point. Guess this guy is doomed.
Load More Replies...Not only is this an ugly gesture, the tattoo itself is poorly done. It's rough, and looks scratched on, and there's almost no contrast. It's going to become a grey mess in a few years. Good luck with that, fool.
Judge: so why are you filing for divorce? She: honey, pull your shirt up, would you? Judge: oh... Granted.
Idk I think just having the photo would be a good memory, but like ask her if she wants you to delete it when she wakes up, delete it if she wants you to, and for the love of frogs don't get it tattooed
Before people start burning this guy at the stake...1. this was part if a prank war that BOTH the husband and wife participated in. 2. It's on his thigh, so probably not a ton of people seeing it in public. 3. Although the wife was angry at first, she's came around, and thinks it's really funny. 4. It's a picture if his wife...so calling the tattoo "ugly" is kind of like calling her ugly. For those calling it "abuse," simmer down. It was a prank between a LOVING COUPLE who play pranks on each other as a fun part of their relationship. https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/12/26/wife-horrified-after-husband-gets-ugly-tattoo-of-her-snoring/amp/
It really doesn't make it any less cringe-worthy, though. I would have just ordered a couple dozen of pillow covers or something.
Load More Replies...It's kind of a self-own though, isn't it? Like he's saying, "Haha, look who I married!"
After the divorce good luck to him trying to explain that to any potential mate. He's more screwed than he realizes. As for her? Move on and find someone who will treat you like you deserve.
im on the fence with this one. yeah its mean, but he doesn't look any better in the tatoo
So it's an awful thing to do and I hope she divorced him, but, that's a pretty good likeness. The artist was obviously good
"Tattooed Man Found Dead- choked by ear phones. Wife being investigated. Details at 11:00!"
I’m guessing in the original you can see the knee of the passenger behind them, but it definitely looks like something else next to his head at first glance.
What a great conversation starter for when he starts dating after the divorce!
My husband took a picture of me while I was being induced and eating my first deli sub in a year. It is horrible and hilarious. I would be extremely upset and extremely amused if he had it tattooed on himself. I'd also make sure to pat his tattoo every chance I could while it was healing
Well, she 's the one who posted a pic of the tattoo. Probably for likes and views.
A photo got taken of her when she was asleep and is forever on here husband. I’m not sure it’s my kind of funny but 🤷
Load More Replies...Melissa Dahl, a senior editor at The Cut and author of Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, suggests that cringe content is “a controlled way of facing this really deep fear.” She argues that “It’s funny to talk about being embarrassed during the year 2020 when there’s such scary things going on,” referring to the height of the pandemic. Cringe content, on the other hand, shows that there’s nothing scarier than being cast out on your own and laughed out of the group.
Extremely cringe, and some were just plain rude. Very good article, though! :)
Ok, I barely understood any of these posts, the responses within the posts nor the comments. Is this really how people communicate? No wonder no one seems to understand anyone else.
Most of them I got, but yes there were a few where I think you have to spend way more time online than I do to be able to understand it.
Load More Replies...Extremely cringe, and some were just plain rude. Very good article, though! :)
Ok, I barely understood any of these posts, the responses within the posts nor the comments. Is this really how people communicate? No wonder no one seems to understand anyone else.
Most of them I got, but yes there were a few where I think you have to spend way more time online than I do to be able to understand it.
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