I am Cringe, and I am Free

In the early 2020s, a new mantra that defied prior Internet cultural norms appeared in digital spaces: the declaration that “cringe culture is dead." 

Cringe culture dominated the Internet for years, making any posts without hate comments rare and thus defining years worth of memes and online rhetoric. Those who partake in the digital campaign against the unconventional often target fandoms, particularly those popular with women, the LGBTQ+ community, and neurodivergent people—some specific examples include furries and anime fans.

But what exactly does it mean to be cringe? Do certain hobbies, interests, or people themselves evoke second-hand embarrassment from observers because they are awkward or strange, or are they simply different from what our norms deem acceptable? These questions have followed me since I was a child surfing the web with little to no restrictions on Internet access and seeing the word “cringe” hurled around, usually at other children having innocent fun. Initially, I didn’t question this phenomenon much and sometimes even agreed that certain things were cringy; however, I, alongside others, have since come to find that cringe culture is, more often than not, simply a socially acceptable form of cyberbullying that targets those who do not, for one reason or another, conform to whatever is deemed by society at large to be "normal."

"Cringe culture is dead."

So, how has the perception of cringiness changed? A word that was once used largely to alienate others has become a light-hearted self-identifier, as seen in the spread of phrases such as “cringe culture is dead” and “to be cringe is to be free." I strongly resonate with and believe in both sentiments; when the word "cringy" is used, it typically points out individuality or passion in a derogatory manner, even though these are admirable qualities that the vast majority of people possess in some manner. In our own ways, we are all cringe; as such, I created an anonymous survey to find out what’s cringy about some of the folks who identify as such in the UVA and Charlottesville communities. Listed below are some of the written responses I received along with the answer distributions for the yes/no/maybe questions.

What are your cringe interests?

• “Collecting hot wheels, dressing like a 12 year old boy, listening to early 2000s nu metal, enjoying collecting dolls.”
• “My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the disco, thomas sanders/sanders sides, reading fanfiction, Saiki K, MP100.”
• “I rewatch a lot of shows/series from my childhood. I'm talking My Little Pony, Minecraft Youtubers, PINY sometimes. Nostalgia, man."
• “Cosplay, collecting Barbie dolls from the 2000s movies, watching Bluey, enjoying anime/manga, writing/reading fanfiction."
• “Being a furry, being an emo.”

What do you like about your cringe interests?

• “I get to be crafty, watch/read things I enjoy and find comforting, and hoard pieces of my childhood."
• “It makes me feel most like myself."
• “I like being able to comfort myself through concepts and art. even though i don't really create anything beyond what i write as of now, the consumption of content feels like a more internal form of self-expression.
• “My interests have given me a lot of community and been one of the main sources of comfort for me in my life."
• “They just feel like home!! They feel safe in an unsafe world.”

What do you think makes your interests cringy?

• “They are childlike and/or dated (?). most of my own perception of my own cringiness is determined by others’ perceptions of me that i am aware of."
• “I think they’re just things people consider nerdy or they could never imagine doing for fun (especially coding)."
• “I think there’s a lot of judgment for [Doki Doki Literature Club]’s fandom, and many people just see it as some cute but violent anime thing and don’t understand everything that went into the game."
• “I think there’s something inherently 'cringe' about engaging in fandom culture (especially to the extent where you're self-shipping like I do…) … fandom culture has always sort of been openly weird and quirky."
• “I think I like things a little too much."

"It's not hurting anyone, so rock on."

How do you feel about you and/or your interests being considered cringy?

• “I would love to embrace my own cringe but I feel myself get extremely self-conscious under the scalding sun of Societal Judgement and Pressure To Conform especially as a fem."
• “When people call my interests cringy, I feel embarrassed. I feel very connected to the things that I like so it always feels like they’re calling me cringey or trying to hint that they don’t like me."
• “Hell yeah, man!! I see "cringiness" in the same way that I see "icks"—maybe it isn’t the most socially acceptable or attractive thing a person can do, but it’s a reflection of that person’s self (dare I say, their soul idk) and it’s not hurting anyone, so rock on."
• “Like, whatever. I am cringe but I am free."

A Survey Summary

Many respondents posited that the main reasons their interests are considered cringy are due to their association with a sexual or gender minority group, which often makes hobbies and fanbases more likely to draw criticism.

Most people who responded to the survey highlighted their favorite media and hobbies as cringy, with some recurring answers including anime, cartoons, the furry fandom, kids’ media, and alternative music and fashion. When asked what exactly draws them to their interests, their answers were fairly uniform—most simply derive comfort, entertainment, inspiration, and/or a sense of community from engaging with them. Most respondents claimed to dismiss the criticism of others, though some did express some self-consciousness and loneliness due to fear of rejection. I believe this reflects both the importance of nurturing one’s individuality and the unfortunate ramifications of cringe culture. Furthermore, many respondents posited that the main reasons their interests are considered cringy are due to their association with a sexual or gender minority group, which often makes hobbies and fanbases more likely to draw criticism.

Do NOT Yuck my Yum!

Speaking personally, I like to think that I have completely overcome my fear of being cringy, but it was not an easy process whatsoever. As a child, I was unabashedly passionate about my interests in online spaces—I even accrued a small following for my Warrior Cats fanfictions on Wattpad. However, the proliferation of cringe culture went on to dictate the way I navigated digital spaces as a young teenager. For fear of humiliation, I never posted anything online, and I seldom interacted with the communities or content I liked to see. Some of my long-lasting and most formative interests are widely perceived as cringy; emo music is unapologetically my favorite genre, I dedicate much of my time to writing poetry, and I guarantee that I could name almost every Pokémon in existence from memory. As pointed out by the respondents of my survey, though, cringe culture’s reach extends beyond interests. Indelible parts of my identity, such as my queerness and neurodivergency, are often deemed cringy, even if indirectly so due to their association with widely hated fandoms. As time has passed, though, I have learned to prioritize my happiness and comfort over the acceptance of people who judge anyone that displays so much as a shred of individuality or passion. 

"Like, whatever. I am cringe but I am free."

Internal prosperity can be difficult to prioritize and nurture in a time such as this in which the voices of others are so loud and influential. However, I think it is much easier and more fun to navigate the world knowing that everything is a little bit embarrassing… and that’s okay! I would encourage everyone to continue dismantling cringe culture just by being true to themselves. Keep enjoying what you enjoy without shame! Think before disparaging people with different interests (though I would advise against disparaging others, period). Do not let cringiness inhibit you, but let it set you free instead.