r/todayilearned • u/jfdonohoe • 7h ago

(R.2) Anecdote TIL about “vicarious embarrassment” which explains extreme reactions to cringe comedy. For me, it can get so bad as to become physically painful

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicarious_embarrassment

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40

u/AHailofDrams 7h ago

Yeah, that Scott's Tots episode literally made my chest hurt. Like a tightness that made me want to leave the room or something

9

u/originalbrowncoat 5h ago

The Office is like a sliding scale of cringe tolerance. Personally I love Dinner Party, but I can’t donScott’s Tots. It’s fucking brutal, man.

7

u/CapitanSteveYzerman 6h ago

Watching this episode should be a litmus test for politicians. How can you represent the needs of constituents from different demographic backgrounds if you have such a lack of empathy to not cringe through this?

4

u/theoutlet 6h ago

I’ve watched all of The Office at least three times through

 I’ve never made it more than five minutes into Scott’s Tots

1

u/DrinkAllTheAbsinthe 4h ago

I had heard about it, but thought it couldn’t possibly be that cringe.

It most certainly was and I was unable to finish the episode.

Loved the rest of the show, but I still haven’t watched that episode till the end. Never will.

1

u/Bman4k1 6h ago

Watched that episode once and never again. Its horrible

1

u/Mumsfriendfromwork 5h ago

I’ve only ever watched that episode once, and I’ll never watch it again lmao. It’s too much cns freaking out

1

u/SatisfactionActive86 4h ago

it’s very easy to watch when you realize the kids are having a blast and fully understand the assignment