Shows (and one movie) that make you cringe
Sometimes I’ll settle in to watch 30 Rock and after 20 minutes, despite not getting any of To the Lighthouse read, I’ll be in a better mood because I spent the better part of that time laughing hysterically. But there are some TV shows that I watch and just feel uncomfortable the entire time.
Usually they’re incredibly funny, but they’re just so unbelievably awkward that sometimes I have to avert my eyes from the screen because I feel the shame that other characters lack—here are a few shows that make me feel incredibly awkward. Try not to cringe at some of the shows listed after the jump.
Louie
In case you haven’t seen Louis CK’s amazing FX show, you should drop what you’re doing and watch a few episodes right now. It’s on Netflix and it’s amazing. But it’s also horribly uncomfortable a lot of the time. The situations that CK puts his fictional alter-ego are cringe-worthy almost 99% of the time. There was the episode where he appears on a cable news show and argues against a religious twentysomething, which is pretty unpleasant to watch but isn’t exactly the worst. One of the most cringe-worthy scenes is one that follows a disastrous first date with Chelsea Peretti. This applies more to the latter example, but sometimes it makes you feel awkward because you know it could be you.
The Office
We’re not going to talk about what a disaster The Office has been since Steve Carrell left, because it has and it makes me sad. But when he was on the show, Carrell managed to perfectly portray Michael Scott, a man for who even the simplest human interactions were horribly awkward. For example, trying to sell a woman a printer ends in an awkward lean-in for a kiss. Or hugging someone. But he’s what made The Office good, so it must be a good thing that he made you feel shame for his character.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David is the brains behind Seinfeld, and therefore probably one of the best TV writers ever to live (this isn’t substantiated, of course). Curb Your Enthusiasm manages to be off-putting for the opposite reason that Louie does: you can’t imagine someone having such little shame that they would say or do the things Larry and other characters do on the show–for example, disputing whether Jeff Garlin’s character is poorly endowed or not… If you get through that linked video without cringing or being even mildly put off, you might need to get a psychological evaluation.
Bonus Movie: Superbad
I’ve watched Superbad more times than I think Seth Rogen has, and he wrote it. One scene that I still can’t get through without being a little horrified by what’s being said is the scene where Emma Stone gets Jonah Hill to buy her alcohol. From start to finish, it just leaves you wondering if there are actual people who say things like this to other people.
Curb is the shit!!!!
david you are so spot on
By David I mean Larry David. Larry David is the older, bespectacled, Jewish gentleman of my dreams. Oh how I crave the touch of this Jewish man.L’chaim!
Dear REAL dqueezy I have been observing you from the shadows of specsucks and I can see you are a fellow spect-hater. I would invite you to come join our community at specsucks.wordpress.com where you can colaborate with fellow likeminded citizens and stop spec once and for all! We are proud of all our spect-haters and we would like to be proud of you. Quick! Think of an adjective to describe the spec! If you thought of “sucks” then you should come join us at specsucks, if you did not then cmoe back when you are ready.
DO NOT trust the SHADOWY MASK
He wears SHADOWY MASKS, thus he shalt not be trusted.
The hills have eyes. THE HILLS HAVE EYES
I am a very trustworthy person. I have never revealed the sources of my leaks and I never will. If you do not believe me then you can leak something to me and I will prove it by not revealing your name. Do not think that just because my blog has “spec” in it’s name it is untrustworthy, that is just the spectator, not specsucks.
Because this shit be cray
this is the real dqueezy. and i have something to say.
to the shadowy mask:
i will never, ever, EVER join you in your pathetic, empty wormhole of worthless despair. i doubt there is even a community of miserable cretins like you, because unlike you, the people who read spec do so to obtain valuable information or to enjoy themselves by reading fun posts like this one. you don’t discredit our work – you validate it by highlighting how important the spectator is as an institution and as a community not just for like-minded individuals and not just for columbia students, but for the entire morningside heights and upper manhattan communities. i don’t care that you mock me, or that you mock my friends – i care that you mock something that is so inherently good and something that is worth being proud of. don’t you have anything better to do than harass us? you are worth nothing to us. when we think of you, we laugh, and then we forget you exist and continue to produce the best college newspaper in the country.
hide behind your mask, but remember susan sontag as you do… and remember that you’re probably better than this.
the real dqueezy has just stood up
so sit down and shut up
dq over and out
You prove my point, whiny PINKO!
“i will never, ever, EVER join you in your pathetic, empty wormhole of worthless despair. ”
This is a comment fit for the halls of a middle school cafeteria, not spectrum. Please refine your emotional intelligence
Who is susan sontag?
John, send us an email. You’re the man. Write for us.
New issue coming. Finals week. Look out.
the fed is better. Jussayin.
I accept. Fed sucks. Spec sucks. Long live the King and his Spear!
The fed is in the hands of the spec I have recieved this inside information from a leak-tip. there is a presence of spec members inside the fed manipulating it, which is why they did a SMEAR piece on me when they printed there fake “spectador”. I thought I could trust them and I was BETRAYED.
Are ambivalent about John and Shadowy Mask
RISE GINGERS RISE
DO NOT TRUST ANYONE
Stephen Snowder, The Shadowy Banana Peel, and BOTH DEQUEEZIES. Let me explain:
SEVEN BILLION PEOPLE on Earth when the infection hit. The virus had a ninety-percent kill rate, that’s 5.4 billion people dead. Crashed and bled out. DEAD. Less than one-percent immunity. That left twelve million healthy people, like you, me, and MOODY ADAMS. SHE KNEW.
The other five hundred and eighty-eight million turned into your dark seekers, and then they got hungry and they killed and fed on everybody. EVERYBODY! Every *single* person that you or I has ever known is GONE
YOU CAN’T GO RUNNING IN THE DARK
The Gingers endorse this statement.
RISE GINGERS RISE
Dear Commenters,
This is not your playground. I rely on Spectrum for my campus news and you’re “joke comments” are making a mockery of the page. Please stop.
PSYCH! SHADOWY MASK. SPEC SUCKS. UNITE SPECT-HATERS!!!!
-banana peel
Spectrum has always been a front for the ginger resistant movement to the dqueezies, and now that its full potential has been realized by the world, nothing can stop the gears that will propel it to and illustrious future.
RISE GINGERS RISE
Well I personally don’t see what all the hub-ub is about
That is because spec is pulling the WOOL over your EYES like a SHEEP. OPEN your EYES at SPECSUCKS.WORDPRESS.COM
I opened my eyes to the light of specsuks, however it was too bright and I am unfortunately sunburnt
Steven I am not ur FRIEND you are LAME.
TO THE RESCUE, I SUMMON YOU GINGERS TO VANQUISH THE MASK AND DQUEEZIES!
YES MASTER
RISE GINGERS RISE
I can see you are passionate about the spec too I would like to invite you to write a guest pice about specs and gingers so email me at thecloakedmask@gmail.com and you can colaborate.
Once I initially ceeomntmd I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I get 4 emails with the identical comment. Is there any approach you may remove me from that service? Thanks!
And thank you so much for taking on a tiurotal to teach us how to make the boats. It can be time consuming working out all the steps and details. I love them, Van Gogh and you! The big patches give them so much character. Since VG is one of my favorite artists its going to be all the more fun to learn.VA:F [1.9.7_1111]please wait…VA:F [1.9.7_1111](from 0 votes)
Thanks for taking the time to diuscss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me. And as always, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.VA:F [1.9.7_1111]please wait…VA:F [1.9.7_1111](from 0 votes)
All of my favorite tv shows make me feel incredibly awkward.
Dear Spectrum Readers,
At specsucks.wordpress.com we have no comment policy. Join us.
Sincerely,
The Editor-in-Chief
no comment policy? you’re no better than bwog.
The Gingers will come to the rescue, mark my words, the forces are gathering in darkness (we don’t tan well) to oppose the fake dqueezys and their institution
RISE GINGERS RISE