Cringe comedy is a comedy genre that uses offensive or vulgar material or awkward and embarrassing situations to cause audiences to be repulsed or feel uneasy. The audience will often laugh out of nervousness. Comedians who rely on this style of humor are often described as controversial; however, it is a burgeoning field of comedy, and has been popularized by comedians such as Ricky Gervais and Jim Norton.
Humor based on uncomfortable situations...
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Cringe comedy is a comedy genre that uses offensive or vulgar material or awkward and embarrassing situations to cause audiences to be repulsed or feel uneasy. The audience will often laugh out of nervousness. Comedians who rely on this style of humor are often described as controversial; however, it is a burgeoning field of comedy, and has been popularized by comedians such as Ricky Gervais and Jim Norton.
Humor based on uncomfortable situations, e. g. cringe humor, is not a new concept, but its recent flowering has deep roots. One can point to black comedy as the likely origin of the concept, as it is often intended to provoke a similar response. A movement toward this style of comedy began in earnest with the films and television show of Monty Python. Their film Monty Python's The Meaning of Life is generally considered to be a masterpiece of the genre. Countless films employing this style of comedy were made during the 1980s and 1990s (examples include There's Something About Mary...
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