Introduction to Painful Laughter: Media and Politics in the Age of Cringe

Abstract

This introduction to the Special Issue on cringe humour briefly traces the starting point of the contemporary cringe boom, and it looks into the roots of awkwardness as a cultural phenomenon in the 1960s. Moreover, the introduction argues for the cathartic potential of cringe humour in the context of sociopolitical issues, and briefly presents the subsequent articles.

Keywords

• cringe humour
• awkwardness
• embarrassment
• <i>The Office</i>
• <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i>
• Larry David