the embarrassment phenomenon

[egj]

Count me among the hordes who get this in a bad way. As for a few others, Borat was the most recent and intense example that I recall. I literally could not stay in the room.

It's good to know I am far from alone in this.

This phenomenon seems to be specifically intense empathy to people in embarrassing situations. I'm not especially empathetic to people being robbed, shot, maimed, dismembered, disemboweled or any number of other unpleasant things.