The Cringe Obsession Needs to Stop.

Thanks to MAINGEAR for speeding up everything for us. Check out the VYBE line that’s making up the core of Matt’s new studio -- and use code CREATE for a free additional year of warranty on desktops: https://maingear.com/ref/656/ Join Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecreateunknown Today we tackle the increasingly unavoidable problem of “cringe”, and whether being afraid of looking stupid is making us less willing to be sincere. What used to describe genuine secondhand embarrassment has become a catch-all insult for anything earnest, unusual, or publicly visible. All of this leads us to ask, why does everything seem so afraid to take itself seriously? Next we dissect the difference between traditional cringe comedy, like David Brent in The Office, and the broader culture of online ridicule, where ordinary people can be recorded, mocked, and judged by enormous audiences. Does constantly looking for embarrassing behavior make us less empathetic? And how much grace should we give people who spend their lives speaking, performing, or broadcasting when mistakes are inevitable? The conversation turns toward creativity and the unavoidable “cringe phase” everyone goes through while learning something new. We discuss why awkward performances can still be joyful and meaningful, and whether embarrassment is simply the price of participating in the world. We also explore how the internet can simultaneously punish unusual interests and create communities for people who love the most specific things imaginable. Finally, we consider the relationship between cringe, sincerity, and AI-generated content. As the internet becomes increasingly polished and optimized, could genuine weirdness and personal obsession become more valuable? Big thanks to our patrons, we’ll be back next week! You love anime. You love tea. Get 10% off your order with code CREATE at The Dragon's Treasure: https://www.thedragonstreasure.com/ Buy our T-shirts: https://www.thecreateunknown.com/store/ Join our Discord to talk with artists, creators, and fans of the finer things in online life: discord.gg/vnRnr3rCzt Apple: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownApple Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownSpotify Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownGooglePodcasts CREDITS:  Hosts: Kevin Lieber and Matt Tabor  Executive Producer: Ben WebsterEditor: Spencer Vann "Created in the Unknown" theme by Basswaite: https://linktr.ee/Basswaite   Theme by Mega Drive → http://megadrivemusic.com   Opening Animation: Kidmograph  City Animation: Eric Langlay  "The Create Unknown" is produced by Unknown Media.  CONNECT WITH US:  » Chat with us on DISCORD: https://discord.gg/qAQV3Jw   » Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/createunknown   » Follow us on INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/thecreateunknown   » Follow us on FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/thecreateunknown   » View our website: https://thecreateunknown.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices