Cringe culture

[[File:Autistic Child Drawing 3 Friends.jpg|thumb|right|165px|This amazing drawing by an autistic child is an example of the stuff cringe culture adherents think is bad somehow.]]
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{{hatnote|Not to be confused with {{wpl|cultural cringe||,}} which is quite the opposite.}}
{{cquote|One of the cardinal sins of the internet is Liking A Thing.|||@SuperSpacedad on Twitter<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171026085153/http://goboiano.com/twitter-user-ignites-a-debate-about-cringe-culture/ Twitter User Ignites a Debate About 'Cringe Culture'] - Gobiano</ref>}}

'''Cringe culture''' is an online version of the age-old practice of the Mockery and Ridicule of the weak and vulnerable; most notably, their expression through creative arts.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190518075441/https://thecaffeinebookwarrior.tumblr.com/post/163263772010/the-problem-with-cringe-culture The Problem With Cringe Culture] - The Caffeine Book Warrior</ref> It takes on many forms; such as forums and image boards obsessing on the eccentrics and their creations, to cringe compilations on video platforms like [[YouTube]]. Because of this practice of mockery towards one's own self-expression under the guise of anonymity, it was inevitably used by [[Neoreactionary movement|neoreactionaries]] to attack progressive individuals (such as [[Feminism|Feminists]] and the [[LGBT]] Community) for their disdain of the status quo through their medium of choice. While it gained attention for it naturally being linked to [[cyber-bullying]] and [[dox|doxxing]] in the mid-2010s (along with victims speaking out against the harrassment<ref>[https://bludragongal.tumblr.com/post/180900528321/i-dont-really-know-why-i-made-this-or-why-it-was Cringe culture comic by bludragongal on Tumblr]</ref>), it will not die out regardless of the stances many of the platforms take on online harassment; though it did help in lessening the impact on the web as it once does.<ref>[http://www.onlyfunthings.org/2018/03/cringe-culture-is-dead-and-good-riddance.html Cringe Culture is Dead, and Good Riddance] - Only Fun Things</ref> 

==History==
{{cquote|People go on there to feel better about themselves by judging other people. That's shitty behaviour, full stop. The mods hiding behind good intentions doesn't make the behaviour of the subscribers any less shitty.|||Reddit user topdebottom<ref name="dot">[https://www.dailydot.com/irl/reddit-cringe-cringepics-bullying/ The dark side of Reddit’s cringe culture] - The Daily Dot</ref>}}

Cringe culture was spawned from r/cringe, created by [[Reddit]] user drumcowski. While its founder intended forum users to have empathy for the people targeted by its posts,<ref group=note>He was aware he was on ''Reddit,'' right?</ref> the subreddit became a hotspot for bullying and mocking people. Drumcowski hasn't shut down the subreddit for fear that other, crueler copycats with less strict moderation would rise to take its place.<ref name="dot" />

Cringe culture has spread to other social media websites. [[YouTube]] is full of cringe compilations, while [[Instagram]] "flop" accounts post pictures of other people's work so that they can be mocked en masse.

==Example targets==
Cringe culture often targets works (such as drawings, literature, and other forms of artistic expression) by the following:
* Children
* [[Autism rights movement#Neurodiversity|Neurodivergent]] people.
* [[LGBT]] communities such as:
**[[Queer]] people (usually teens) using microlabels, neopronouns, etc
** [[Transgender]] people who don't "pass", aren't "feminine"/"masculine" enough, or are outspoken about their transitions
** [[Asexual exclusionism|Asexuals]]
* Adults who like "childish" things
* [[Furry fandom|Furries]]
** [[Otherkin]] and therians
* {{w|Marie Kondo}}<ref>[https://www.newuniversity.org/2019/03/22/cringe-culture-is-just-bullying-for-adults/ "Cringe culture" is just bullying for adults] - New University</ref> (How dare she cheerfully teach people how they can get organized?)

==NOT examples of Cringe Culture==
* Constructive criticism that uses feedback between individuals, along with compliments and solutions in regards to said work.
* Calling someone out for creating works that promotes harmful behaviors and ideas (like paedophilia and Racism).

==See also==
*[[Kiwi Farms]], a forum dedicated to perpetrating cringe culture and is just overall composed of creeps.
*[[Lolcow]], a general term used to describe the common victim of cringe culture, created by above forum.
*[[4chan]]
*[[8chan]]
*[[Reddit]]
*[[Discord]]
*[[Encyclopædia Dramatica]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
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[[Category:Ableism]]
[[Category:Alt-right]]
[[Category:Antifeminism]]
[[Category:Culture]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Sexism]]
[[Category:Social justice]]
[[Category:Transphobia]]

Categories: Ableism, Alt-right, Antifeminism, Culture, Homophobia, Internet, Sexism, Social justice, Transphobia