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What makes you cringe? Is it witnessing someone try to flirt in the most awkward way? Or maybe looking at photos of yourself from middle school does it? Contrary to what your parents told you, that combination of bangs and braces did not look amazing! We’re all capable of engaging in some cringey behavior, whether it’s forgetting to mute yourself in a Zoom meeting with all of your colleagues or participating in TikTok trends that should probably be left to teenagers. But there’s something about the internet that seems to make individuals even more prone to engaging in full-on cringe.

And no one knows that better than the followers of Cringetopia on Twitter. Below, we’ve gathered some of the most painful tweets from this account dedicated to documenting “the worst of the worst on the internet”, so you’ve been warned: you might be cringing incredibly hard by the end.

Keep reading to also find an interview with an expert on the topic: host of the Watch Cringe podcast, Brendan, and try to enjoy this list (despite the fact that it might end up causing you physical pain). Be sure to upvote all of the pics that you couldn’t help but get a kick out of, and then, if you can somehow handle even more second-hand embarrassment, you can find another Bored Panda article featuring similar content right here!

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DEW
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So you're a child trying to be tough and make people think your tough when you really fell off your skateboard and scraped your knuckles! Come on kid.

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The Cringetopia Twitter account has only been around since January 2021, but it has already amassed an impressive 105k followers. Despite the pain that it must cause those individuals, apparently, they can’t get enough of this embarrassing content. So we decided to do some investigating into what exactly “cringe” is and why the internet so obsessed with it. According to Wiktionary, the word “cringe” is derived from a combination of the Middle English word ‘crengen’, which means “to bend in a haughty manner” or to condescend, the Proto-Germanic word ‘krangijaną’, which means “to cause to fall” or “to cause to turn”, and several other Danish, Dutch, Scottish and West Frisian words essentially all meaning to turn away. 

The way that we use cringe today, however, is an almost inexplicable experience or feeling, according to Saumya Kalia, a writer at The Swaddle. She describes cringing as “a curled upper lip, a wrinkle on the nose, a weighted sneer, a shake of the head from side to side. To the assault on grammar, excessive displays of human emotions, fashion that was meant to die, any and every behavior that forgets social norms.” She explains that we’re all prone to experiencing and feeling cringe, so perhaps, it’s best to just embrace it.    

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FakeOptimist
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I volunteer to help him with a good talking to and a baseball bat. Maybe the baseball bat first.

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Sean Sean
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

His next line was "and eat your liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." Jesus Christ what a f*****g creep...

NightmaresNope
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A, that's not how omelettes are made. B, Human eggs aren't big enough for that. C, Report. D. Stock up on Unsee. E, b r u h

Zoe Vokes
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know the whole thing is disgusting, but I find it so odd that he uses the word honkers. I didn’t know anybody actually called breasts “honkers” unless they’re about nine years old.

Boii
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This comment is crawling my throat up and down, I don't know if wanna vomit or scream.

Raven Red
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that poor woman looks like she's regretting every life decision she's ever made.

Scratch
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's the weirdest thing I'll read today, probably. It's still early.

weewoo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

thats concerning and he needs to touch grass cuz i dont think thats how it works😭

Austin Sauce
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it weird that I think the worst part of that is he called them “honkers?”

Liv
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I sort of prefer them over someone calling them “badonkers” lol

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Moezzzz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honkers? Who the hell talks like that? And you know our eggs are microscopic, right? Just like your d**k

Michael Largey
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just when you thought that the Internet had unearthed everything, here we have it - cannibal stalkers.

J. Maxx
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He doesn't sound like a psycho, no, not at all. *Runs screaming...

Chez2202
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sweet talking bastard. Who can resist a man who wants to eat what could technically be your future children while referring to your breasts as honkers? He’s the very definition of Incel and he doesn’t get why.

Brightly
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, that's enough internet for tonight 😩🤢🤦‍♀️

Socks
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's something very wrong, no, extremely wrong with this person. If everyone can avoid him

Raelene Christie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omg so people actually think that works as anything but l lady repellent ?

Binky Melnik
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He seems entirely unaware that’s he’s announcing he failed Biology class by posting this. 😕

Lady Vader
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh dear! I can't even begin to understand why he thinks this is in any way ok?!?!?!?

J
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Eww gross, he wants to be a cannibal eating human eggs :o

Cyndielouwhoo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Besides my initial reaction of disgust at the comment, what makes him so sure she has milk in her breasts? Does she have a baby she's breastfeeding right now or does he think it's always just there?

Gypsy Lee
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow. When is something that creepy ever ok? - Answer (for anyone wondering) NEVER. BLOCK!

Caroline Fraser
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just revolting. They call themselves incels but really they’re just immature perverts. Yuk.

Carole Strawn
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are there people who actually think this is a good pick up line? Gag.

LynzCatastrophe
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So he thought that up in his head, decided it was OK to say out loud, and somewhere in his brain also thought that would be a turn on?

Adira Bennett
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every part of this is nauseating. But I'd like to especially highlight the assumption that woman in question HAS any milk for omelette-making. The milk doesn't just hang out in your breasts waiting to be useful; it's usually only produced if there's a baby on the way. That and the use of the word "honkers" implies that this man has never been close enough to any woman to properly know all the parts and their functioning.

Gabriela Cink
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At this point I just hope it was very terrible joke.. like this person didn't try to be ehm cute..

AzuraStar
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You know that person’s bedsheets smell like old garlic. Vomit.

Eric S.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds delicious with some fava beans and a little Chianti. It you're Hannibal Lechter.

Surfin' Cat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Today I discovered a new way to name something in a foreign language. But I'm nit sure if I'm happy about it...

Elaine Morinelli
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Eeew soooo creepy. Why WHY would anyone this is sexy or flattering? Omg

David
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And also, I have no clue about how bodies and sex actually work.

Id row
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the type of guy to have lamp shades made of skin.

Lolly Gagger
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So, I’m a nurse that just started a new job and happened to observe a day of egg extractions just yesterday. I cannot tell you how nope this is.

Rebekah Krause
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This genuinely made me want to cry. This is upsetting. I am upset.

Th3Don
Community Member
1 year ago

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Rosie Red
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What the what?!?! It still amazes me the cr*p women have to put up with.

Molly Mitchell
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

why r why??????? i agree i just threw up and then tried to pounch his picture

Asher Tye
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I want to take a lawyer, go to a court, and make a MASSIVE restraining order against you.

Real Onceler
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some things are only funny when you say them to friends you know are okay with it..

Ericthedead
Community Member
1 year ago

Lol. It’s kind of funny. If Daniel Tosh said this you would all laugh.

David Martin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At least the man has a goal for his life; Not a GOOD goal, mind you, but hey...baby steps

SZ
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So mutilation and maiming are what men think is romance these days? ☠️

CV Vir
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Human eggs are ONE CELL. Aside from being very creepy, he’s going to be very hungry.

Palo Sulek
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

but we dont know exactly if the guy meant it like he is so obsessed with woman (women) so he feels the urge to digest the very essense of woman body or he feels like he is so traumatized by them and needs to destroy it by cooking and eats it (if you want to make sure nobody is going to read a letter you eat it). What we can see is that he tried to google but was not so succesfull and also .... he is a double super desolate

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A Wild Bean
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What kind of insensitive nosy pig would post this about a complete stranger??

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“The history of cringe is rooted in social submission,” Kalia writes for The Swaddle. “What reached its peak through the internet culture first originated in the Old English; cringan was the word to describe ‘to fall, to yield in battle, to give way, to become bent, to curl up.’ Cringan became cringe sometime in the 16th century when it introduced the feelings of fear and embarrassment to ‘bending’ or ‘crouching.’ Finally, by the 19th century, the meaning had cemented itself; cringe meant to ‘recoil in embarrassment, shame, or fear’.”

And over the past couple decades, cringe content has become increasingly popular, with hit shows like The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Nathan For You gaining massive popularity. We watch these programs and laugh, partially from discomfort and partially because the situations the characters put themselves in are just too hilarious. But as Kalia explains in her article discussing the cultural history of cringe, “Watching train wrecks in fictionalized worlds spilled into a desire to mock those in real life.” Today, there are countless accounts like Cringetopia on Instagram, Reddit and TikTok calling out the lack of self-awareness so many people seem to exhibit in real life and online. There is certainly no shortage of cringe content to be found. 

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To learn even more about the painful and elusive topic of cringe, we reached out to Brendan, host of the podcast Watch Cringe, and he was kind enough to have a chat with us. First, we wanted to know what inspired Brendan, and his co-host Jay, to start a show dedicated to this topic. “We started the podcast because it’s highly entertaining and has a few lessons to teach the audience,” he told Bored Panda. “We want to normalize the cringe, so people can realize to not take life too seriously, but also to learn how to be better.”

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Javel!
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1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

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Angeline Shalyn
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh my ! I was wondering why this was a "bad" one, I didn't realize the bottom was before and the top is now, I thought it was the opposite way around

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Cringe can be a subjective topic, so we were curious how Brendan likes to define it. “Cringe equals ‘shared embarrassment’. When someone does something ‘cringe’, it usually highlights that person's inability to be socially appropriate,” he explained. “Meaning it’s usually when someone [messes] up or is just really uncool. For example, uncool dad jokes make you cringe because you feel embarrassed for the dad and everyone in the room. Or let’s say a dude is showing off a Venus fist (feminist) tattoo at a bar to pick up babes. That’s cringe because it’s obvious he didn’t get that tattoo out of sincerity; he’s basically acting like a tool bag.”

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Alexandra Davis
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not just $3k or $2k though, it's holiday time at work, it's child care, it's that amount per person, it's all the extra costs on top like insurance, spending money, vaccinations for Thailand etc (including an expensive registry by the sounds of it!) Most people can only have one holiday a year and don't want to spend it at your wedding, especially as you sound insufferable

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Brendan was also willing to share one of his own personal moments of cringe with us. “On one of my first dates with a girl, I asked her if she was on the spectrum because I thought she was like me,” he told Bored Panda. “She didn’t like that line of questioning, but guess what: she’s my fiancé now! This type of cringe is because the cringer is unaware of how their words can affect other people’s feelings.” That may have been cringey in the moment, but I’m glad to hear the story had a happy ending!

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And lucky for all of us (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it), Brendan says no one is immune to being cringey. “The cringe is unavoidable,” he told Bored Panda. “It’s a part of human ancestry. Look to our past, present, and future, and you will find that entire countries are cringe. France stole a 3,000 year old obelisk from Egypt, shipped it to France on a boat, and set it up in the middle of a traffic circle!” It’s true. It’s called the Luxor Obelisk, and you can read about it right here

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Fat Harry
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And it was all looking so good until the last couple of lines.

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Alexandra Davis
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So he's not your husband, he's not in the armed forces and he never went to that school... wow!

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Finally, Brendan left us with some wise words about our cringey behavior. “The world needs to highlight it and embrace it,” he shared. “It’s like having a big pimple on your face. It’s worse if you try to hide it. Just own it, and be better next time.”

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If you’d like to hear some painfully cringey stories, accompanied by hilarious commentary, be sure to check out Brendan’s podcast Watch Cringe right here or follow the show on Instagram right here!

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Zobi123
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What's really cringe is posting pictures of children on social media without their parents consent.

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According to Melissa Dahl, a senior editor at The Cut and author of Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, indulging in cringe content for fun is actually similar to experiencing nightmares, as far as our brains are concerned. “It’s our brains giving us a dose of exposure therapy,” she told Vox. “Maybe the same thing is happening for people who are drawn to cringey content, [maybe they’re] people whose deepest fear is being ostracized or made to look like a fool.”

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“I think [cringe content] is a controlled way of facing this really deep fear. It’s funny to talk about being embarrassed during the year 2020 when there’s such scary things going on,” Dahl continued, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. “But, like, there’s nothing scarier than being cast out on your own and laughed out of the group!”

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BenMaharaj
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the beauties of the written word is you can elucidate your thoughts far more effectively than with speech. I don’t understand why anyone would give up that advantage.

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Are you feeling a little better about all of the cringey things you’ve ever done? Because clearly, it can always get worse! We hope you’re getting a kick out of these photos pandas, but remember, none of us are immune to the cringe. So don't get too cocky... Keep upvoting your favorite photos, and then if you want to experience even more second-hand embarrassment, you can find another Bored Panda article featuring painfully cringey content right here!

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A Wild Bean
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ew... that's just weird, I hope he at least asked the kids first if this was ok

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Kate Jones
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like I know exactly what this guy looks like and everything he owns is probably sticky and there's a lot of axe bodyspray everywhere.

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