It’s amazing how a simple photo or post on social media can cause a visceral reaction. A gorgeous photo of a milkshake might make your stomach growl and your mouth salivate, while a gruesome image of an injury might make you wince from pain. But one entirely separate corner of the internet that tends to cause viewers discomfort is the classic cringe content.
Below, you’ll find some of our favorite photos from the Cringe Pics subreddit that might cause you severe second-hand embarrassment. We’ll warn you right now that it might be an uncomfortable journey ahead, but hopefully it’ll be a hilarious one as well. Good luck making it through this list, and be sure to upvote the pics that cause you pain!
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I Hope It's Okay With You That I Took Your Phone Number
Me Being Bisexual Guy
Not A Sewing Machine
While cringe content is nothing new online, there’s still, somehow, absolutely no shortage of it. The Cringe Pics subreddit, which has the tagline “when it hurts just to look,” has been around for over a decade now and has amassed an impressively large and loyal following. With 1.5 million members, this subreddit is the perfect place to go when you want to feel a little bit better about yourself, yet simultaneously lose a bit of faith in the rest of humanity. Anything from embarrassing posts on social media to screenshots of texts that should have never been sent, buckle up, because you’re in for a boatload of cringe, pandas!
Although r/cringepics has been around since 2012, the moderators recently posted new rules for the group, as it has just “reopened.” Nowadays, only 3 types of posts are allowed: “photos of people cringing, photos of Spez, and drawn/artistic/written words ‘Cringe’ to take Cringe pics literal.” There are a few more rules to keep the group civil, such as no content involving minors, remove all personal data and no content involving mentally ill people. But as long as the content is harmless and cringeworthy, members are encouraged to “get creative!”
"We Swedes" - Probably Said By Someone Whose Great Great Grandfather Came From Sweden, And Who Has Never Travelled Further Than The State Border. Then They Dare To Even Lump Us Together With Little Brother Norway!
My grandfather is Polish, i have never set foot in poland , but who cares! We poles are definitely Polish, it’s my heritage guys
You Did What Now?
I remember sitting in a movie theater in San Antonio, Texas, watching the Bo Burnham film Eighth Grade with my mother and brother and feeling intense physical pain from cringing too hard. As a woman who was once an insecure and sad middle schooler desperate to fit in, I felt sick watching that film. Knowing that I too had been in Kayla’s shoes was heartbreaking, embarrassing and unsettling. I liked the film, but I remember sharing immediately after that it was almost a little too cringey for me, as someone with similar experiences to the main character.
Cringe, particularly cringe comedy, is incredibly popular, though. Shows like Nathan for You, PEN15, Impractical Jokers, Fleabag, The Eric Andre Show and countless others gain massive audiences through making viewers uncomfortable. So what’s the deal with all of this second-hand embarrassment? And why can’t we get enough of it? Alison Herman wrote a piece for The Ringer breaking down the allure of cringe comedy, where she explains that the two involuntary responses this genre causes (laughing and wincing) create a powerful combination that we can’t resist.
This Guy I Met Knows No Bounds
This Person's Reply
as an athiest/half of a Russian Orthodox, i think it’s beautiful >:(
Elon The Edgelord
Herman notes that the reason we respond so strongly to cringe comedy is due to having empathy for whoever we’re watching. We can relate to their experiences or we’ve lived through essentially the same situation before, and we know how awful the subjects we're viewing must be feeling. But rather than feeling joy about the sufferer we’re watching, we feel their pain too. There’s no schadenfreude here, it’s just second-hand embarrassment and laughter due to discomfort and possibly the relatability of the scenario. Nathan Fielder may not come off as incredibly likable or relatable, but seeing his interactions with innocent people who have no idea what’s going on makes audiences feel pain for them both. We’re so glad it’s not us, but we can’t look away!
The Incel Community Is Having A Nuclear Meltdown Because One Of Their Leaders Finally Got Laid
Can someone get unlaid? Because I feel like this is valid grounds to have this guy get unlaid
I Can See The Disgust In The Waiters Eyes
he should go to his mother’s with mumei, see how that goes
Animemes
Actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is another pioneer in the field of cringe comedy. From Da Ali G Show to Borat to Who is America?, Cohen seems to have no limits when it comes to making audiences, and participants in his shows, incredibly uncomfortable. Part of the reason shows like these do so well, Herman explains, is because “our vicarious embarrassment isn’t on behalf of a made-up person we then assign authentic emotions; it’s felt for real people, requiring fewer steps to a more visceral payoff. The same setup that makes these stunts so effective is also what opens them up to ethical challenges, though their defenders argue cringe artists only call attention to the exploitation others perform unthinkingly.”
Hey, I'm A Marine! Can I Get A Discount?
Our group of Marines live and die by discounts, luck has nothing to do with it.
Predditors Gonna Preddit
You Can’t Order A Certain Meal From Mcdonalds Because You’re Not Worthy
According to Dr. Tara Quinn-Cirillo, cringe is not a clinical term, but it is understood as the “physiological and emotional response [we have] to awkward or embarrassing situations.” And there’s a wide variety of things that can create this reaction, “from being embarrassed about your or another’s behavior, being disgusted at something you have seen or heard, shame around past behavior or appearance or a particular subject you are uncomfortable with such as intimacy or physical illness/injury,” Dr. Quinn-Cirillo told HuffPost. This often happens when we can’t physically run away or remove ourselves from a situation, so our body does everything that it can to tell us we want to flee.
Why??
I'm an army wife because my friend, which I'm not married to, watched the change of guard in Buckingham palace once
Load More Replies...he is the type of person who plays call of duty and tells people he is special forces
So you are identifying as an army wife because you are not married to someone who isn’t in the military?
I completely missed that she said they were engaged
Load More Replies...I am a millionaire. I mean I don't have the money but i think about money alot( cause I am broke). I know i never had that kind of money but i am basically millionaire in my heart.
I am a Spice girl member even though I'm not technically in the Spice girls but I'm a girl, so I'm already half way, also I ate at an Indian restaurant one time and they use a lot of spices. Also I look very good in ponytails so I practically look like Baby spice...so what?
Nah that's not enough, you need a Spice Girl tattoo to really prove it.
Load More Replies...YOU DO NOT STEAL VALOR-- the Wings ARE EARNED not thought about dumbass
Imagine the roasting he would get if he joined up with that tattoo….
Load More Replies...As someone who DID serve and WAS Airborne, this thoroughly sets my teeth on edge. It's called Stolen Valor, you empty-headed poser. You can't "identify" as military and expect real soldiers to accept it.
I dated a guy who was obsessed with the marines. wore their patches on a military jacket he bought at the surplus store and everything. We broke up but stayed friends. My new partner is an actual marine and suddenly ex took all the patches off his jacket and went from "I am a marine at heart" to being bitter he never joined.
Load More Replies...Recruits who show up for bootcamp with tats they didn't earn WILL earn them over time in front of the entire platoon.
Load More Replies...I'm a doctors wife because my husband once thought about doing a first aid course.
You do understand if he ever joins the military they will f*****g ROAST him about having the tattoo before he joined. It won't be a good time for him.
I am getting a presidential seal tattoo so I can get the 75K for life that a former president gets.
As a female military veteran this p*sses me off beyond belief 🤬 how dare the both of them, stolen valor..
Not married to a man that isn't in the military at all. What a wild ride that was...
I'm an "Army wife" because I once watched a movie on a plane, that gave out free headsets because the flight was delayed. The movie wasn't about the military, but there were a few elderly men also on the flight who I'm sure may have served our country. Since we shared a flight, a free movie, and frustration from the flight delay-we're PRACTICALLY married. DO YOU SEE HOW STUPID THIS SOUNDS?
Yeah.....this is stolen valor....its kinda super f****d up and if your fiancé ever does enlist he is gonna have the s**t beat out of him. also that tattoo will be visible outside his uniform which is a big no no. my fiancé is a marine, so I will admit my knowledge about army regs isn't extensive but some of the rules have to be similar.
I would wonder where he lives. you can get really hurt for doing things like this if you live in the wrong states.
Wtf? I'd be more of a navy wife than her an army wife. My husband was in basic training for two weeks before he was discharged due to a faint positive for weed. 🙄 Weird that I would never consider myself a military wife.
im an army wife because a celebrity I like is thinking about joining the military.
Your not husband is going to get so much s**t from actual military
My wife isn't a Nobel prize winner and I am not a sailor... By this logic, because we like it we can just pretend we are?
As someone who grew up in a military family ( Dad was ex-MP/ Special Forces 10th Group), lost an uncle on Iwo and one in Vietnam, I find this appalling and it should be peeled off with a dull knife. You don't wear something you haven't earned.
What an utter twat. This is so pathetic. I was an Army wife and I was proud of the unbelievable s**t my husband went through in various conflicts. Both of these people have a lot of growing up to do and if he ever does join up, which I doubt, he has a rude awakening coming.
I don't know about this elsewere but here in Italy if you want to join the army you must not have tattoos that show when you wear a tshirt/short pants because soldiers must be all similar. Police and carabinieri (a police corps that belong to the Army while policemen/women are "civilians" and not soldiers) also cannot have tattoos that can be seen in places like hands or forearms or wrists. Recently a policewoman was fired when an erased tattoo was spotted on her wrist. So this guy could never be in any Force at least in Italy
Those two are a couple of ..... They want, they think childishly and need to accept reality. I don't think the Air Force would want him anyway.
I'm almost a millionaire because I almost won the lottery when my numbers almost matched. Do you think I can buy a mansion with my imaginary money if I tell the estate agent I feel like I should be rich even though I'm actually p*ss poor and can barely afford to put food on the table?
You cannot get military tattoos if you've never been in the military it's a big no no
Well, I'm an army wife because my husband tried to enlist in the airforce but was too tall. Close enough.
They should truly in reality get their asses kicked for disrespecting generations of service men and women and their families.
"I'm an army wife of my Air Force Airborne wannabe boyfriend & I talked him, because I know he's dumb, into getting a tattoo of something he has never experienced & could possibly get his a** kicked for having by people who have actually earned that honor. We're AWESOME!" /S 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
I'm an Army Veteran and I can tell them that this might run him into trouble for Stolen Valor.
my spouse walks past the recruiter's office almost every day. Does that count, can I be a military spouse too?
Now he can never enlist, because he'd never get through Basic with this
... becoming an airborn ranger is extremely difficult. It's basically the army version of navy seals. You don't just... become an airborn ranger. You enlist and only if you're good enough can you try out. You have to be the best of the best to even hope to try for it. And even then you can end up failing out of the program.
I don't think you understand what's going on here. Any member of the US army can go to jump school to receive the Airborne designation on their uniform. Airborne and Ranger are two different things.
Load More Replies...Good thing it was poorly done. Any airborne ranger would kick his a*s for pretending to be one.
Oohh f**k no! Stolen valor alert. I always wanted to be a billionaire, so I get free money?
I'm a surgeon. Ok so I never went to medical school, but I do watch General Hospital and cut cheese slices regularly without chopping off my fingers. Gonna get a tattoo of a stethoscope on the back of my neck.
Well... I mean... If he identifies as something, who are we to disagree? (added the /s since there are some pandas that need the disclaimer).
Well, it appears that my morning routine of reading Bored has taken me to my limit. THis post makes me want to read the news. Bye
This is what happens when you play too much Arma and have a delusional almost wife
Hey...this is bored panda...you're all supposed to support people who self identify as whatever they want!
Woah, dude... sounds like you've got a bone to pick with the rest of us. Why?
Load More Replies...It's only me who sees the positive message?? You can be a real dumbass and there is still someone being proud of you!
A Mom On Tiktok Who Gave Her Kids These Names
Average Lol Convo
Despite being uncomfortable, Dr. Quinn-Cirillo says it can be healthy to fight through the cringe. “Wherever possible, try and carry on in a situation where things may not go according to plan, try and remember why you are there in the first place and what values lead you to be in that situation,” she says. “Acknowledge how you feel, what physical sensations you are experiencing, notice how you are behaving or feel like behaving as a result of these symptoms such as wanting to leave the room, talk more rapidly.”
What The Hell Dude
My Favorite Way To Shop For Groceries
Rando Hit Me Up On My Dms Sporadically Over 8 Hours Even After Informing Him I'm Married. I Honestly Would Be So Impressed By His Sheer Audacity If I Wasn't So Disgusted By Him As A Person Right Now
One thing many of us have a habit of cringing about is our past behavior and experiences. For example, perhaps you asked out someone you had a crush on when you were in middle school, only to later find out that you had a huge piece of food in your teeth when you did it. Or maybe you had a haircut in high school that you’d like to wipe from the memories of everyone you knew. “It can be hard to embrace elements of your past self that have association with distress,” Dr. Quinn-Cirillo told HuffPost. “However, if we can learn to ‘lean in’ to our emotional responses and memories and make room for the fact that our past experiences often play a crucial role in shaping our adult selves.”
There Is No Spoon
A Tattoo Shop In My Area Post This
Pickup Artists…
Ok Pandas, what is PUA and gen shin impact? Or am I better off not knowing?
With all of the social media we have nowadays and limitless opportunities to document our lives online, it seems that our exposure to cringe content is going through the roof. But that’s okay! We’re all capable (and guilty) of being cringe worthy, and it’s probably time we stop fighting it. But there’s a difference between accidentally doing something embarrassing and posting all of your deepest fears about dating on your public Facebook profile. So don’t be too hard on yourself for the cringey moments, but don’t be scared to dial back on social media as well, if it will help you limit or prevent some of them.
My Little Sister Shared A Meme Of Andrew Tate Online And Got An Interesting Response
Girl I Used To Work With Got A New Tattoo…
Printing Out Memes To Affix To Your Truck
bro just admitted it’s a conspiracy 💀💀 and he’s proud of it???!!!! americans are you ok
Are you in physical pain from cringing too hard at this list, pandas? Please remember to relax your jaw and lower your shoulders, so you aren’t in need of a massage after scrolling through these pics. Keep upvoting the ones that you find shockingly cringey, and let us know in the comments below what your thoughts are on this embarrassing behavior. Then, if you’re looking for Bored Panda’s last article featuring the Cringe Pics subreddit, you can find it right here!
Hey Again
I Like
Back when chat rooms were a thing, there were a LOT of men (who said they were) from Nigeria looking for women to offer them green cards, marriage, and endless copulation. One day, I talked to a Nigerian woman. I told her I hadn't known there even were women in Nigeria. Luckily, she laughed.
This Guy Trying Really Hard To Own This Girl On Facebook
Note: this post originally had 70 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
We need a truckload, hell, a warehouse of this stuff.
Load More Replies...We need a truckload, hell, a warehouse of this stuff.
Load More Replies...