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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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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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“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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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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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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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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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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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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Add photo comments
POST
David Martin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the moment was so amazing and reaffirming, it imbued the projector with sentience...and it clapped

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

i dont like bts dont come after me tho no hate i swear

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

Lmao. This thread is just a lot of us old folks asking what bts and stanning is and kids being pissed we don’t get it or think it sucks. Only reason I know what a Stan is from Eminem. I feel old today.

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

yea i listened to bts like once and i was like "eh why is this so popular" turns out im a lesbian 😭👍

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

Sigh. I'm a kpop fan and s**t like this is common among younger listeners. And why I no longer listen to that group. Immature brats. Luckily I've found a large community of people age 25+ who love kpop as well. Much better than the kids.

Javel!
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

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

I love BTS! But i don't understand people who make fun of other people based on their taste of music. Not every kpop fan is lesbian or the "e-girl/bpy" type. You can just say that you're not into that music instead of making yourself like an a$$hat.

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

And then everybody applauded me and I got voted King of the school.

Remi (He/Him)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bts is a boy band like Beatles or New Kids on the Block, except Korean. And Stanning is what the kids these days call being a fan if I've understood it correctly

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

I was the weirdo that loved Kpop in high school... 20 years ago. I am glad to say I NEVER did anything like this. I did enjoy blasting Kpop and Kpop when driving past friend's houses

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

And then, Mr Beast ran in and said " I have this left over take it!" And it was a $1000000!

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

I don’t think this belongs here if the teacher just wanted to see what other songs they had and what the heck they even are

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

Wait until they hear about MTV Unplugged. Now those were some amazing performances. Bts sucks

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

Ooh, I haven't seen one of those "and everyone cheered" for a while. Nice to know they still exist 🤣

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

I have no idea what this person is talking about, and i have no inclination to find out.

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

Nice reference to Eminem at the end there too 🙂 your music preference is rather eclectic isn't it

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

The fake story is cringe but BTS are still more talented and better people that 99.9% of the world. If you don't like the music that's your right but you can't just say "ew BTS" just because they're a band "teenage girls like" (btw not true, over 60% of fans are adults, we're not just fans cuz they're pretty. If my dad can like them, you're allowed to also)

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

"Just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan, this is Stan" - sorry, but stating "more talented and better people than 99,9 % of the world" makes you sound very immature. i don't doubt the boys are talented and good people but basically saying they're the only good and talented people (what talent? painting? playing football? Singing? Bowling?) only tells me that you don't know much else but BTS when it comes to music. And while you don't have to like other music, judging ALL THE WORLD without knowing everything is just incredibly immature.

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

let's make fun of bts fans again today, that always goes over well.

Random K-pop Stan
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I salute lmao if it was real imagine working up the confidence to do that tho.

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

stalker fan, made popular by the eminem song "stan". but many people seem to forget that that is what it means and use it all w***y-nilly

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

This is a good argument for keeping a few bullies around. I had to google Bts.

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

Since this is kind of how I became Army (BTS fan), I could actually buy it.

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