After a rise in the dark comedy and heavy content that has shone through screens over the last few years, viewers are looking for spots of light and humor while keeping content realistic. New releases and mainstream media are pushing reality with a satirical, humorous tone and striking a cringe-worthy chord with their audiences.
Creators on TikTok are embracing cringy content and growing their following as a result. In June, The New York Times spotlighted creator Stanzi Potenza for her videos dripping in satirical and comedic parodies of painfully entertaining pop culture moments. Potenza’s content makes fun of outdated cultural norms, exaggerated fandoms, and dramatized films and TV shows. With more than 3.8 million followers on the app, her videos have earned her $200,000 a year since tapping into what she calls cringe comedy. “Personally, I think some of the best comedy is a little painful,” she told the Times. “It hurts so good.”
In January, i-D deemed 2023 the year of meta-cringe: realistic takes on everyday life that spark laughter and joy with ingenuity and irony. The write-up unpacks why creators are posting content with the intention of making their viewers uncomfortable. Substack contributor Kate Lindsay told i-D that “Success [of a cringy post] is measured by how difficult it was for the viewer to get through.”
Failed attempts, NSFW faux paus, politically incorrect humor are just a few examples of the popular #cringetok culture. In fact, the hashtag has 2.1 billion views as of the beginning of June. On Instagram, #cringe has 19 million posts tagged.
“You Hurt My Feelings” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a hit cringe-comedy film, hit theaters in May. The movie revolves around a middle-aged married couple and pokes fun at their public displays of affection, their issues and their arguments, shining a brutally honest light on the uncomfortable pockets of marriage, friendship, and life with humor and humanity. The movie unpacks Beth’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character) insecurities, grudges and personal struggles, and adds a humorous kick thanks to the actress’s slapstick comedic range.
Consumers are craving joy and re-enchantment, but they don’t want to lose sight of life’s realities. Content creators are learning how to keep clips real and honest, wrapping the uncomfortable in comedic scenes to make the viewer’s take on difficult topics a little lighter.
