the embarrassment phenomenon
 

i occasionally suffer from a profound sense of embarrassment for other people. like a tangible feeling of flushed faced wanting to hide embarrassment. the problem is this......

they are usually on tv or a movie doing something stupid.

does anyone else ever get this?

the hide your eyes, omg they didn't just do/say that, how can they ever get out of this situation, they didn't really do that did they feeling?

i never get this in real life. i usually laugh at people making a fool of themselves or when they put their foot in their mouth or ask a stupid question it never ever embarrasses me, in fact i think usually quite enjoy it.

this "phenomenon" makes watching a very funny good show like 'curb your enthusiasm' virtually impossible because larry is always making want to die with his dumb ass antics. not that they aren't funny, but i actually get very uncomfortable when he peaking with his most comedic moments of shame on the show. this is only one fairly poor example of what i am speaking of.

i never get embarrassed personally when i do or say dumb things or make marginally questionable posts like this one. wanting an explanation to something that may or may not be common and may or may not be understandable doesn't embarrass me at all even though it should.

zero embarrassment from me, but when watching a fictional character make an ass out of themselves it is super difficult for me to watch.

any explanations out there? anyone else suffer this same plight?

cheers. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] J.

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

When a character is embarrassing themselves, my wife covers her face and eventually leaves the room.

Normal things that affect a movie's rating don't affect her; she's got no problem watching rated R movies. She just needs a new rating of E for embarassing slapstick comedies.

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

I used to have this, but I liked Ricky Gervais's The Office so much that I watched it in spite of the embarrassment, and eventually the overload kinda cured me. Seriously. (The NBC Office or CYE don't lay it on thick enough for this to work, imo.)

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

I totally get this too - I couldn't watch seinfeld forever cause that's what kind of humour it is (especially George)

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

I get this hardcore, I change the channel a lot. I don't know why, usually I'll just be like 'get over it, make a joke of it' but sometimes I get that can't watch feeling.

I almost always just use mind over matter and it's not a big deal, but it's definitely a crazy weird feeling.

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

[ QUOTE ]
I totally get this too - I couldn't watch seinfeld forever cause that's what kind of humour it is (especially George)

[/ QUOTE ]

Same.

Try watching the new series "Big Bang Theory." Wow, I couldn't get through 5 minutes and then I had to delete it off my tivo.

Pretty much any movie with Ben Stiller in it I cannot watch because of this.

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

everyone always says they got this with the uk office but i never did, nor seinfeld.

i never used to do this but have found myself doing it a lot lately, it's normally at 'real-life' stuff like an incredibly cringeworthy scene on laguna beach.

as i'm usually watching stuff on my laptop i usually just grunt 'oh my' and stab pause a few times.

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

I have this and I hate it. I love Curb but sometimes can't even watch because of some situation he's in, I will literally cover my ears and change the channel. I can usually handle The Office but sometimes I get the same thing from that. And the movie Borat and or anything Ali G etc. is completely unwatchable to me, I made it through once and now any time anyone is watching it I will immediately turn around and leave the room.

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

You guys are weird.

Re: the embarrassment phenomenon
 

Watching Borat or Ali G was probably the strongest Ive ever felt the phenomenon.
I still enjoyed the movie and tv shows though. Just some parts were really "tough" to get through in this regard.